Greens and NZ First split over the Treaty, but both want the government in the power market
Greens and New Zealand First voters disagree about the Treaty of Waitangi, the
country’s history and whether the justice system is fair. Ask them about power
companies, though, and they land in almost the same spot.
26 September 2026n = 238 Greens, 43 NZ First
This is the eighth post in our series putting two parties’ voters head to head.
The numbers come from 238 Greens supporters and 43 New Zealand First supporters who
answered the KiwiValues survey. The Greens side is big enough to be fairly steady. The
NZ First side is small, so read it for direction rather than exact distance.
Every question from the biggest-gap and closest-agreement tables, closest agreement at the top and widest gap at the bottom. n = 238 Greens, 43 NZ First.
The sample leans left out of all proportion. Among respondents who named the party they
voted for at the last election, Greens, OPP, Labour and Te Pāti Māori together
make up 80% of the answers, against 44% of the actual 2023 party vote. So the NZ First
voters we reach are probably not a full cross-section of the party’s support. The
older, provincial voters who make up a big part of it are likely the ones we’re
missing. The sample composition page charts the skew
against the Electoral Commission’s result and updates as responses arrive.
Section 1 of 3
Where they split
On the compass the Greens sit well to the left and NZ First sits right of centre, so a
gap was expected. What stands out is where it falls. The biggest cluster of splits is
about the Treaty, the country’s past and how Māori are treated today.
A bigger role for the Treaty
Asked whether the Treaty of Waitangi should play a larger role in how the country is
governed, Greens voters agree at +0.49. NZ First voters disagree at -0.68. Very few in
either group sit near the middle.
The Treaty of Waitangi should play a larger role in how our country is governed.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 281 respondents across both groups.
Treaty settlements
The mirror-image question gets the mirror-image answer. Greens voters reject the idea
that Treaty settlements favour Māori too much, averaging -0.66, while NZ First voters
agree at +0.52. It’s one of the few splits here where NZ First is the side that
agrees.
Treaty settlements favour Māori too much.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 281 respondents across both groups.
How we tell our history
Asked whether the country’s history is one of colonial oppression and the
exploitation of indigenous peoples, Greens voters agree firmly at +0.67. NZ First
voters disagree at -0.58. That’s a gap of 1.25 points on a two-point scale.
Our history is one of colonial oppression and the exploitation of indigenous peoples.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 281 respondents across both groups.
Whether the justice system is fair
Greens voters agree the justice system discriminates against ethnic and cultural
minorities, at +0.54. NZ First voters disagree at -0.71, with most of the group bunched
on the disagree side.
Our justice system discriminates against ethnic and cultural minorities.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 281 respondents across both groups.
Gender identity protections
Asked whether gender identity and expression should be protected against
discrimination, Greens voters agree at +0.68 and NZ First voters disagree at -0.71.
Along with the voting age, this is the widest gap in the pairing.
The government should add gender identity and expression as protected classes against discrimination.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 281 respondents across both groups.
Climate change and hate speech laws split the two groups the same way, by well over a
point each. So does lowering the voting age to 16: Greens voters lean in favour at
+0.40 and every NZ First respondent who answered disagreed. That question was added to
the survey later, so only 69 Greens and 15 NZ First answers cover it.
Section 2 of 3
Where they agree
Take the Treaty and identity questions away and the two groups share more than
you’d guess from their parties.
The power market needs fixing
Asked whether the electricity market isn’t working and the government should
step in, even breaking up power companies if needed, Greens voters agree at +0.70 and
NZ First voters at +0.73. This is a newer question too, with 69 Greens and 15 NZ First
answers, so the NZ First figure is a lean rather than a settled number. Both groups are
still clearly on the same side.
New Zealand's electricity market isn't working properly, and the government should step in, including breaking up power companies if necessary.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 84 respondents across both groups.
More civics in schools
Both groups want schools to put more focus on civic education, and their averages are
identical at +0.55. That’s from 169 Greens and 28 NZ First answers.
There should be greater focus on civic education in schools.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 197 respondents across both groups.
The housing crisis
Greens voters (+0.61) and NZ First voters (+0.49) both agree the housing crisis is one
of the most pressing issues facing the country. Whatever they’d do about it, they
agree it matters.
The housing crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing New Zealand today.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 281 respondents across both groups.
Parties can be bought
Both groups think political parties can be bought or influenced by corporate or special
interest groups. Greens voters are more sure of it at +0.67, NZ First voters less so at
+0.38, but the lean is the same.
Political parties can be bought or influenced by corporate or special interest groups.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 281 respondents across both groups.
Not confident about where we’re headed
Asked whether they’re confident in the country’s future given its policies
and leadership, both groups lean no: Greens at -0.46, NZ First at -0.31. NZ First is in
government and the Greens aren’t, which makes the shared gloom a bit surprising.
Considering policies and leadership, I'm confident in New Zealand's future prospects.
The dot is the group's mean answer; the line spans the middle half of the group's answers, lightly smoothed. n = 281 respondents across both groups.Section 3 of 3
How sure are we
The Greens sample is 238 people, enough that its averages are fairly settled. NZ
First’s is 43, and a handful of different answers could move its side of any gap.
We only call a gap robust when the two groups’ confidence intervals don’t
overlap, and every split above clears that bar. The agreements are a softer read.
Landing on the same side of neutral is a different test, so treat them as a shared
lean. The power market and voting age questions rest on the fewest NZ First answers of
anything here.
Compared with an earlier, much larger round of responses, never pooled with this one,
the two parties’ relative positions on the shared questions have barely moved.
For how the compass and this kind of comparison are built, see the
methodology page.
Want to see where your own answers land? Take the survey at
kiwivalues.nz.