Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024
What it actually does
Reinstates binding local referendums on Māori wards and requires councils that established them without a poll to hold a referendum alongside the 2025 local elections. Became law on 30 July 2024; in the 2025 polls, 18 councils voted to keep their wards and 24 to remove them.
Source: legislation.govt.nz · 2024-07
The Trump take
“Let the people vote! Unless they vote wrong, then we look into it. But this one, very democratic, I like it a lot.”parody
Why it scored this way
Identity politics
Puts race-based council seats to a public vote
+2
Loves it
On the same topics
Cut spending and foreign aid back to 2017 levels
ACT's fiscal plan would return non-welfare spending to 2017 levels (adjusted for inflation and growth), cut the annual operating allowance from $2.4b to $2b, reduce foreign aid to 2017 levels (excluding aid to Ukraine) and abolish 'demographic' ministries. ACT says net core Crown debt would be $12.4b lower than forecast; health, education, defence, police and children's services are exempt.
'One Law for All' constitutional changes and limits on tikanga in courts
ACT's 2026 Treaty policy would write parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law and equality before the law into the Constitution Act, add a property right to the Bill of Rights Act, and restrict courts to using tikanga only where Parliament expressly allows it. Bills referring to the Treaty would require Cabinet to specify the interests and obligations involved; it replaces the Treaty Principles Bill and referendum from the previous campaign.
Disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority
A National 100-day plan commitment, the bill to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora passed under urgency 68-54 in February 2024, with most of its functions and staff moving to Health New Zealand from 30 June 2024.