$220m Mātike Mai Fund for constitutional change by 2040
What it actually does
A $220 million fund over four years would support independent, Māori-led constitutional transformation, including nationwide discussions and a Māori Constitutional Convention, targeting change by 2040, the bicentenary of Te Tiriti.
Source: Waatea News · 2026-09
The Trump take
“A new constitution? Ours is very old and very good, mostly. I've read parts of it. Great parts.”parody
Why it scored this way
Identity politics
Ethnicity-based constitutional programme
-2
Hates it
Big government
New funded secretariat and convention
-1
Dislikes it
On the same topics
Budget 2024 income tax cuts and landlord interest deductibility
Budget 2024 delivered income tax relief averaging about $3.7 billion a year and restored the ability of residential landlords to deduct mortgage interest. The government said it funded the package partly through public service savings and cancelling some previous programmes.
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.