Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to The Spinoff’s live coverage of the 2026 1News Kaupapa Māori debate, which kicks off at 7.30pm. If it feels like you have a slight case of déjà vu, that could be because you watched a very similar debate last night, hosted by Te Ao Māori News and Moana Maniapoto. The difference with tonight’s debate? Well, this one is being hosted by TVNZ, with Te Karere host Scotty Morrison and 1News reporter Te Aniwa Hurihanganui moderating.
There are also a few more people invited along tonight, with Act Party’s deputy leader Nicole McKee and Opportunity Party candidate Eden Skipper adding to the already star-studded lineup of Labour’s Willie Jackson, National’s Tama Potaka, NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson, and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi (tagging in for fellow co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, who participated in last night’s debate).
The most important difference, however, is that you can enjoy this debate through our incredible live blog.
If last night was anything to go by, then tonight should be a cracker. Jackson and Potaka were going at it like two cousins fighting over the same sheila. Matua Shane Jones pulled no punches, while Davidson and Ngarewa-Packer agreed on just about everything. The post-debate panel of Rukuwai Tipene-Allen, Whatitiri Te Wake and Māni Dunlop agreed the women won the debate purely for having better decorum than their male counterparts.
It has been a busy fortnight in Māori politics, with the most notable event being the resignation of Labour’s Tāmaki Makaurau candidate Kerrin Leoni in the fallout of a gang pad visit by members of Te Pāti Māori and the Greens. Leoni was critical of fellow Tāmaki Makaurau candidate and incumbent Oriini Kaipara in an electorate debate last week, resulting in Kaipara levelling accusations of hypocrisy at Leoni. The subsequent shitstorm resulted in Leoni’s resignation as Labour’s candidate in the electorate, only for her to confirm her intention to stand as an independent three days later.
Potaka and Jones – both of whom are ministers in the current coalition government – have been widely criticised by many Māori for their government’s policies, many of which have been labelled as racist and anti-Māori. Also high on the agenda has been constitutional reform, which is being championed by Te Pāti Māori and the Greens. Labour has tended to take a more conservative approach to this topic, with both NZ First and National not seeing matters like entrenching Te Tiriti o Waitangi as an urgent issue.
Recent polls have shown that voters in the Māori electorates have shifted towards the Greens, with Te Pāti Māori campaigning strongly on the electorate candidate vote only. With only nine sleeps remaining until election day, the home stretch is in sight for many political hopefuls on the campaign trail.