Chris Hipkins signals distance from Te Pāti Māori as new poll shows voters want him to rule out deal
Monday, 1 December 2025
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Labour leader Chris Hipkins is signalling a hardening line against Te Pāti Māori, as new polling shows nearly half of New Zealanders want him to rule out working with the party after the 2026 election.
A Taxpayers’ Union/Curia poll of 1000 voters found 48% believe Hipkins should rule out any deal with Te Pāti Māori, while 30% want him to keep the option open and 23% remain unsure.
Opposition voters were strongly against the idea – but the more politically fraught numbers sit inside Labour’s own base, where supporters are split: 38% say he should reject Te Pāti Māori, 41% say he shouldn’t, and 21% are undecided.
By contrast, supporters of the coalition parties are decisive: 62% of National voters, 60% of ACT voters and 79% of New Zealand First voters want Hipkins to shut the door entirely.
Green voters are more forgiving, with 44% wanting Hipkins to keep the option open.
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There are significant demographic splits. Men (55%) are far more likely than women (41%) to want the door closed, while younger and older voters are surprisingly aligned: across all age groups – 18-39, 40-59 and 60+ – 48% say Hipkins should rule Te Pāti Māori out.
Regionally, Christchurch voters are the most resistant: 63% want Te Pāti Māori excluded, compared with 55% in Auckland and 47% in Wellington. Rural voters were the least certain overall, with 38% unsure.
The results come after weeks of upheaval inside Te Pāti Māori, including the expulsion of two MPs and public infighting over the party’s direction. Earlier last month, Te Pāti Māori national executive expelled Te Tai Tokerau’s Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris, of Te Tai Tonga.
In a statement to The Post, Hipkins said: “I will be clear, heading into the election next year, about who Labour will and will not work with.
“Te Pāti Māori are not currently showing New Zealanders they are fit to be part of the next government, and Labour will be going after every one of the Māori seats. We have won them all back before, and we intend to do that again.”
The Taxpayers’ Union framed the poll as evidence voters are wary of Te Pāti Māori’s fiscal agenda.
Its spokesman, James Ross, said the party’s proposals – including wealth taxes, higher income tax rates and extra levies on small business – would send the country “into years of chaos”.
Hipkins also pushed back against any suggestion Labour might shift its tax platform in negotiations with Te Pāti Māori. Labour revealed last month that it intends to campaign on a capital gains tax, which would exempt family homes and farms. The revenue raised would be used to fund three free doctor visits a year.
“Labour has announced its tax policy, and if Labour leads the government after the next election, that is the policy that will be implemented. I have been very clear on that,” he said.