With the general election coming up on 7 November 2026, election hoardings are popping up across the Western Bay of Plenty and political announcements are becoming part of the daily news cycle.

Government policy has a significant impact on the way community and social services are funded and delivered locally. For voters, it is important to understand where the different parties stand on issues affecting our sector, our communities and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

As part of SociaLink’s “On the Record” series, we invited the seven main parties to take part in a short online video interview. 

We asked each party how they would support the community and social sector locally, how Te Tiriti o Waitangi would shape the way a future government engages with Māori and the sector, and what their first priority would be if they were Prime Minister. And because politics is also about the people behind the policies, we added a couple of quick-fire questions: What would their superpower be? And if they could have coffee with any historical figure, who would it be?

We were pleased to hear from Labour, the Greens, ACT, New Zealand First and the Opportunity Party whose videos will be released over the coming days across our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Unfortunately, we did not receive confirmation to participate from National or Te Pāti Māori.

We encourage you to take a few minutes to hear what the participating parties have to say. At around three minutes each, the interviews offer a quick way to get a flavour of their positions on the social sector, issues affecting our communities and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, while also giving you a little insight into the people representing them.

Most importantly, make sure you are enrolled, your details are up to date before 25 October and to use your vote on 7 November!

To check if you’re enrolled or to update your details click below: