Te Pāti Māori is taking a new approach to election campaigning, launching an interactive online tool that allows voters to identify the issues that matter most to their whānau and see how the party’s policies could affect their everyday lives.
With the November 7 general election fast approaching, the party has unveiled its What Matters to You? platform, designed to make its election policies easier to understand and more accessible to Māori voters.
The online tool asks users to select their three biggest priorities from a range of issues, including the cost of living, housing, health, education, te reo Māori, the environment, justice and mana motuhake.
It then generates a personalised summary outlining the policies Te Pāti Māori is proposing in those areas.
Users can also identify circumstances relevant to their households, including whether they are renting, studying, working for wages, operating a business or receiving a benefit.
Other options include caring for tamariki or kaumātua, living with a disability, working on Māori land or participating in kaupapa Māori activities.
The platform uses those selections to highlight policy proposals the party believes are most relevant to each household.
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi says the initiative is about changing the way political parties communicate with voters.
Waititi believes political campaigning too often expects people to navigate complicated policy documents rather than presenting information in ways that reflect their actual circumstances.
He says the new platform allows whānau to begin with their own concerns and then explore how the party proposes to address them.
Whether those concerns involve household finances, access to healthcare, protecting te reo Māori or strengthening Māori decision-making, the party wants voters to be able to find relevant information quickly.
Te Pāti Māori says the process takes less than a minute and that users’ selections are not saved or transmitted elsewhere.
The initiative also reflects a growing emphasis on digital campaigning, with political parties increasingly using online platforms to engage directly with voters.
Rather than requiring people to read an entire election manifesto, the tool provides a more targeted introduction to the party’s policy programme.
However, the information presented is drawn from Te Pāti Māori’s own election manifesto and represents the party’s policy commitments, rather than an independent assessment of their effectiveness, costs or deliverability.
Voters will still need to compare those commitments with the policies of other parties when deciding who to support.
The launch comes as Te Pāti Māori continues to promote its distinctive two-vote election strategy.
The party is encouraging supporters to give their electorate vote to Te Pāti Māori candidates while directing their party vote to either Labour or the Greens.
The strategy is intended to strengthen Māori electorate representation while supporting the possibility of a change of government.
The new online platform reinforces that message, including information about voting and key election dates.
For Māori voters, the tool places particular emphasis on issues affecting whānau, including housing affordability, household incomes, Māori-led health services, education, cultural identity and tino rangatiratanga.
It also allows voters to explore policies relating to whenua Māori, environmental protection, disability support and the wellbeing of tamariki and mokopuna.
The launch comes during an election campaign in which political parties are competing to demonstrate how their policies will respond to the cost-of-living crisis, employment pressures and growing demands for better public services.
For Te Pāti Māori, the challenge will be converting digital engagement and policy interest into votes at the ballot box.
The party is betting that giving whānau a more personalised way to explore its policies will help voters connect national political promises with the issues affecting their homes, communities and futures.
The What Matters to You? tool is available through the Te Pāti Māori website.
The general election will be held on Saturday 7 November 2026.
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