Colin Ambler/cvnznews.com
Te Pāti Māori is hoping to make politics more personal with the launch of a new online tool that allows whānau to see how the party’s policies connect with the issues they care about most.
The interactive platform, called “What Matters to You?”, asks users to select their top three concerns from a range of issues including affordability, housing, health, te reo Māori, the environment, justice and mana motuhake. The tool then generates a personalised summary outlining what Te Pāti Māori says it would do in those areas.
The party says the initiative is designed to cut through political jargon and make policy easier to understand.
Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi said many people find political policies difficult to navigate and often struggle to see how party platforms relate to their everyday lives.
“Whānau shouldn’t have to dig through policy documents to understand what’s on offer. This tool starts with what matters to them and shows what Te Pāti Māori would do about it,” he said.
Waititi said the tool highlights policy areas ranging from cost-of-living support and health outcomes through to language revitalisation and strengthening Māori authority.
The online questionnaire also allows users to indicate circumstances that apply to them, such as renting, studying, working for wages or receiving a benefit. Based on those selections, the tool provides information on how proposed policies might affect their situation.
Importantly, Te Pāti Māori says the process takes less than a minute to complete and is designed with privacy in mind. The party says no personal information is stored or sent anywhere during the process.
The release comes as political parties increasingly look for digital ways to engage voters and present policy information in more accessible formats ahead of the election campaign.
For Te Pāti Māori, the message is simple: start with the concerns of whānau first, then show how politics can respond.
