New Zealand First campaigning for referendum on Māori seats

Thursday, 12 February 2026

Winston Peters says Māori seats should go, because he doesn’t like the behaviour of Te Pāti Māori.

New Zealand First is campaigning for a referendum to be held on the future of Māori electorates.

Currently, voters can enrol in either the general or the Māori roll - which means they vote for either a general electorate representative, or a Māori electorate representative in Parliament.

The Māori seats have a very long history in New Zealand politics after their establishment in 1867.

Some argue they were initially used to limit the democratic influence of Māori - by giving Māori voters just four seats when on a per capita basis they deserved 14-16 - while Pākehā had 72 seats despite only making up about half the population. But today, all electorates are roughly the same size - meaning no one’s vote is more powerful. There has been ongoing debate about the role of the seats, and changes over time, as explored ahead of the 2017 election, where it was also an issue.

Luxon discusses his return to Waitangi, reflecting on past visits with Jacinda Ardern and Bill English, his support for Māori development, and his appreciation for the significance of treaty grounds across New Zealand.

This referendum, if successful, would put the future of these seats to a general vote.

Confirming the campaign, NZ First leader Winston Peters said he wanted to see the seats abolished.

“It has been said many times but is a vitally undeniable fact – the Royal Commission into the electoral system in 1986 stated that with the implementation of MMP it would create a more representative Parliament and the original justification for separate Māori seats would no longer exist. This point cannot be ignored,” Peters said.

He also argued they should go because of Te Pāti Māori, who hold six of the seven electorates.

“The Māori Party’s behaviour over the past two years has been the last straw. They hold the majority of the Māori seats and do not turn up to Parliament, disregard the rules and processes, and show utter disdain for the system that gives them the very seats they hold – they represent no one.

“They have proven the seats they hold are no longer relevant nor serve their original purpose,” he said.

But this isn’t the first time Peters has called for a referendum on the Māori seats.

Ahead of the 2017 election, he said a binding referendum on the policy was a “bottom line” policy for his party. Yet, his coalition agreement with the Jacinda Ardern-led Labour Party did not commit to such a referendum.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said Peters was “rage-baiting” ahead of the election.

He told Stuff a referendum would be a breach of Treaty obligations.

“If you’re going to put it to a referendum, what it means is that the majority are going to determine, again, the fate of Māori,” he said.

Waititi turned the argument around on Peters questioning whether we should hold a referendum on the age of MPs. (Peters is 80 years old.) He also suggested there should be a vote on list seats. (New Zealand First does not hold any electorate seats.)

“If you don’t win a seat and you don’t have a mandate, then who actually do you represent,” Waititi asked.

Waititi said Peters’ criticism of Te Pāti Māori was hypocritical. He said their MPs were in the House as often as Peters was.

“When I give a speech in the House, it’s often empty. I only see Winston Peters during question time, and don’t see him at any other time in the House,” Waititi said.

Green Party candidate for Te Tai Tokerau Hūhana Lyndon says Māori seats should be entrenched.

Meanwhile, Green MP Hūhana Lyndon has launched a member’s bill to try and give greater protection to the Māori seats. Some laws require a “super majority”, of 75% of MPs, to support amendments to the bill.

The law which created the Māori seats does not require this super majority.

Lyndon said the Māori electorates ensured that Māori voices could be heard in Parliament.

“With the coalition making every possible attempt to undermine te Tiriti and Māori voices, the time is now to implement independent recommendations to protect and strengthen the Māori roll,” she said.