Kai sovereignty: reject GE foods, back Māori-owned supermarkets
What it actually does
Te Pāti Māori's Kai Sovereignty policy would protect Māori food systems including seed sovereignty and rejecting genetically engineered foods, uphold the WAI 262 claim, invest in community food and regenerative Māori agriculture, support Māori-owned supermarkets and increase access to land for food production.
Source: maoriparty.org.nz · 2026-06
The Trump take
“No GE food? Our American corn is the most beautiful corn in the world, genetically perfect, like me. They should be begging for it.”parody
Why it scored this way
Trade
Rejecting GE foods is a barrier to a lot of American farm produce
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Dislikes it
Identity politics
Food policy built around Māori-specific rights and ownership
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Dislikes it
On the same topics
One-stop consenting for new supermarkets, accept US/UK/EU labels
ACT proposes a single consenting point so new supermarket entrants can get consents, liquor licences and approvals "in months, not years", and would let food labelled for trusted overseas systems such as the US, UK and EU be sold without relabelling. ACT opposes forced supermarket break-ups proposed by other parties.
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.