Election workers told to learn Te Tiriti as Electoral Commission neutrality questioned

Summarised by Centrist

Applicants for jobs helping run the 2026 election are being asked to agree to “grow your knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the workplace”, raising questions over how the Electoral Commission balances its Māori strategy with its statutory duty to remain politically impartial.

Writing for the New Zealand Centre for Political Research, former MP Muriel Newman cites an interview invitation received by retired professor Barend Vlaardingerbroek that asked applicants to agree to learn the Commission’s values and increase their Te Tiriti knowledge. Some Electoral Commission job descriptions also require staff to demonstrate cultural competence by incorporating te reo Māori and tikanga Māori and “upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.

The Commission is an independent Crown entity required under the Electoral Act to administer elections “impartially” and independently. Its website says its Māori advisory team works to “embed a Māori worldview throughout the Commission” and build partnerships with tangata whenua.

Newman argues the approach reflects expectations introduced under the previous Labour government. A 2019 enduring letter directed Crown entities to strengthen Māori-Crown relationships and build staff capability in tikanga, te ao Māori and Treaty issues. That letter was replaced in 2024 by Finance Minister Nicola Willis, whose new expectations emphasised efficiency, fiscal restraint and political neutrality without repeating the previous Māori-Crown priorities.

Newman also cites concerns regarding the 2023 election at Manurewa Marae, which operated as a polling place while its then-chief executive was standing for Te Pāti Māori. Allegations included voters being offered free food and drinks, but the Electoral Commission did not refer the alleged “treating” to police. 

The Commission’s own annual report shows surveyed voters expressing “total or high” confidence in its impartiality fell from 71% in 2023/24 to 63% in 2024/25. Newman argues the Commission should explain why its Māori strategy and recruitment requirements remain in place despite the government’s change in direction.

Editor’s note: The article is an opinion piece. Claims that the Commission’s Māori strategy constitutes political indoctrination or undermines electoral integrity are Newman’s interpretation rather than findings established by the Electoral Commission or an independent inquiry.

Read more at NZCPR

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