Te Pāti Māori unveils tax plan to provide ‘breathing room’ for Aotearoa families

Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi have unveiled a comprehensive nine-point tax policy designed to provide financial relief to the majority of Aotearoa’s households. During a press conference on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, the party leaders introduced what they described as a “Kiwi tax plan,” aimed at creating “breathing room” for families struggling with essential costs. The centrepiece of the proposal is a significant income tax restructure that would make the first $30,000 of annual earnings tax-free. According to party projections reported by The Spinoff and RNZ, this shift would lower income tax for 97% of New Zealanders, providing roughly 4.2 million people with an average of $4,000 extra per year. Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer emphasized that the policy is about ensuring people can afford basic necessities like kai, fuel, power, and nappies. A new addition to the party’s platform is the “kai credit,” a targeted initiative replacing earlier proposals to remove GST from fresh food. The credit would provide approximately $1,000 per person for those earning $60,000 or less annually, effectively covering the cost of eight weeks of food. The party estimates this would benefit 64% of the population. To fund these measures, the plan introduces a 5% stamp duty on residential property sales, excluding first-home buyers for properties under $1 million. Other revenue streams include a tiered wealth tax starting at 1.5% for net wealth over $2 million and returning the company tax rate to 33%. The party projects the package would generate $20 billion in revenue, resulting in a $4 billion surplus. Rawiri Waititi stated that the plan serves as a “bottom line” for future coalition negotiations, noting that the party’s goal is to transform the role of government. Ms Ngarewa-Packer added that the policy is not about division, but about “building an economy that works for the overwhelming majority of people who call Aotearoa home.”