• Elections in New Zealand marred by racial issues.
• Jacinda Ardern led her Labour Party to a sweeping victory.
• There is a noticeable increase in overt racism.

Race relations and interactions with the indigenous Maori community have become prominent issues, as right-wing political parties that could play a pivotal role in forming a government face accusations of exacerbating racial divisions in New Zealand’s election.

When Jacinda Ardern led her Labour Party to a sweeping victory, New Zealand was notable for its progressive policies, a contrast to the trend of electing right-wing governments in many other countries in 2020.

However, three years later, New Zealand is witnessing the rise of a growing populist movement that may influence a coalition government and advocate for the rollback of programs aimed at addressing inequality and promoting Maori representation.

According to Naida Glavish, there is a noticeable increase in overt racism during this election cycle, a Maori community leader and president of Te Pati Maori. She and other prominent elders issued an open letter last week condemning what they deemed as unacceptable levels of racism from political candidates running in the October 14 election.

Both the right-wing ACT Party and the populist New Zealand First are advocating for policies that would reverse the changes made in New Zealand under the Labour government to acknowledge Maori as the country’s first people.

ACT is opposed to “co-governance” or shared management between the state and indigenous people. They also pledge to reduce the use of the Maori language in everyday life and dismantle the Maori Health Authority, which was established to address systemic disparities.

ACT and New Zealand First argue that their policies do not promote racism but rather seek to ensure the equal rights of all New Zealanders. They contend that non-Indigenous citizens are being disadvantaged by policies designed for Maori.

ACT leader David Seymour has expressed the intention to shut down the ministry established for the advancement of Pacific People.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has accused some politicians of playing the race card in the election.

Opinion polls suggest that the center-right National Party is likely to win the most seats but will need to form alliances with one or possibly two minor parties. The National Party has expressed a preference for partnering with ACT but is open to discussions with NZ First.

Australia is dealing with similar issues, as a referendum to recognize the country’s first inhabitants and establish an Indigenous advisory body in the constitution appears unlikely to pass on October 14.

While New Zealand has historically managed race relations relatively well compared to other formerly colonized nations, there are still significant disparities in areas such as deprivation, incarceration rates, and health outcomes for Maori.

The National Party has not endorsed many of the policies advocated by ACT and New Zealand First but has not ruled out scaling back some Indigenous resources, including the Maori Health Authority.

The rhetoric around these issues has resonated with at least some voters, as both ACT and New Zealand First have seen an uptick in the polls.

According to a 1News-Verian Poll on September 27, these two parties collectively hold 18% of the vote.

Political commentator and former National Party staff member Ben Thomas suggests that the prominence of race as an issue is partly due to the government’s failure to counter a conspiracy theory alleging that co-governance represents a “Maori takeover of New Zealand.”

Additionally, economic challenges and declining real wages have led more people to perceive societal benefits as a zero-sum game, where one group’s gain may imply another’s loss. Thomas notes that there is always a constituency for exploiting racial tensions in politics.

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