Outrageous.

That was the first word that came to mind when a supporter sent me a copy of an email they had received from the Electoral Commission. This is the Commission that is meant to be impeccably neutral, non-partisan, and completely removed from political advocacy.

A supporter recently applied to become an Election Day volunteer. Like thousands of New Zealanders, he was keen to help out by handing out voting papers, assisting with the count, and supporting the electoral process. It is a role many Kiwis have performed in every election cycle. This time, however, something has changed.

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Over the weekend, the ACT Party released a major policy package targeting some of the core constitutional issues Hobson’s Pledge has been fighting on for years.

For a long time, Hobson's Pledge has been a voice calling for one law for all and upholding the words of Governor Hobson: “He iwi tahi tatou” — We are one people.

Now, it is very exciting to see those very principles picked up in mainstream political announcements.

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Te Pāti Māori has recently set out its election strategy, and in doing so, it has unintentionally revealed a profound constitutional reality: New Zealand no longer requires separate Māori seats to ensure Māori representation in Parliament. 

At its campaign launch, Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer encouraged supporters to give their candidate vote to Te Pāti Māori, while directing their party vote elsewhere. 

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Over the weekend, the ACT Party unveiled a policy package targeting the very issue Hobson’s Pledge has fought against for years: the systemic embedding of division and race-based distinction in our public institutions.

David Seymour announced that, if re-elected, ACT intends to reform the Public Service around core principles of equal treatment, individual freedom, political and religious neutrality, and clear accountability for results.

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