This list was current as at July 14 and is subject to change by the parties themselves.
August 6 is the closing day for party registrations.
The General Election is November 7.
✅ Fully Registered Parties (Electoral Commission Official Register)
| Party Name | Binding Citizens-Initiated Referenda (CIR)? | Citizen Lawmaking / Veto Power? | Official Policy Wording | Policy Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT New Zealand | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes: Citizens able to propose or veto laws; mandatory referendums on major constitutional/legislative changes | “We will make citizens-initiated referenda binding, so that when New Zealanders vote on an issue, the Government must implement the result. People should have the power to propose laws, or reject bad ones passed by Parliament.” | https://www.act.org.nz/policies/democracy |
| Conservative Party of NZ | ✅ Yes | ✅ Full Swiss-style: Citizen-initiated laws, repeal powers, recall elections for MPs | “We support a full direct democracy system like Switzerland: binding referenda on all major issues, the right for citizens to draft and pass laws directly, recall elected representatives, and limit parliamentary terms.” | https://www.conservatives.nz/policy/democracy |
| New Zealand First | ✅ Yes | ❌ No: Focus on binding referendums only | “Citizens-initiated referenda must be binding – the Government cannot ignore the clear will of the people expressed at the ballot box. We will legislate to require full implementation of referendum results.” | https://www.nzfirst.org.nz/policies/constitutional-reform/ |
| NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party (applying to rename to “Freedom”) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes: Full shift to direct citizen decision-making | “We will transfer decision-making power from politicians to the people, adopting a Swiss-style system of binding referenda, citizen-led lawmaking, and entrenching this democratic reform via a binding public vote.” | https://dailytelegraph.co.nz/news/freedom-launches-new-political-movement-calls-for-historic-shift-to-direct-democracy/ |
| National Party | ❌ No: Supports only government-initiated binding referendums for major constitutional change | ❌ No: No citizen lawmaking or veto powers | “Citizens-initiated referenda remain advisory. We will use government-led referendums only for significant constitutional changes, with final decisions resting with Parliament.” | https://www.national.org.nz/policies/constitutional |
| Labour Party | ❌ No: Opposes binding CIR | ❌ No: Prefers parliamentary representation | “Citizens-initiated referenda should remain advisory. We trust Parliament to consider public input and make balanced decisions, rather than binding public votes on complex legislation.” | https://www.labour.org.nz/policies/democracy |
| Green Party of Aotearoa | ❌ No: Opposes binding CIR | ❌ No: Supports deliberative processes only | “Binding citizens-initiated referenda risk overriding minority rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. We favour government-initiated referenda only for major constitutional shifts, paired with citizens’ assemblies.” | https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/democracy |
| Te Pāti Māori | ❌ No: Opposes binding CIR | ❌ No: Prioritises Treaty partnership | “Referenda must not undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi or Māori representation. We support co-governance and Treaty-based decision-making over majority-only binding referenda.” | https://www.tepatimaori.co.nz/policies/constitutional |
| The Opportunities Party (TOP) | ❌ No: Opposes binding CIR | ❌ No: Uses citizens’ assemblies instead | “Instead of binding referenda, we will use representative citizens’ assemblies to deliberate on complex issues, with Parliament required to respond publicly to their recommendations.” | https://www.theopportunitiesparty.co.nz/policies/democracy |
| Animal Justice Party Aotearoa | ❌ No stated policy | ❌ No stated policy: Focused on animal welfare | No official position published on direct democracy or binding CIR. | https://animaljustice.org.nz/policies |
| Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party | ❌ No stated policy | ❌ No stated policy: Focused on cannabis reform | No official position published on direct democracy or binding CIR. | https://alcp.org.nz/policy |
| Vision New Zealand | ❌ No stated policy | ❌ No stated policy: Focused on social values/law & order | No official position published on direct democracy or binding CIR. | https://www.visionnz.org.nz/policies |
| Women’s Rights Party | ❌ No stated policy | ❌ No stated policy: Focused on sex-based rights | No official position published on direct democracy or binding CIR. | https://womensrightsparty.nz/policy/ |
⏳ Pending Registration / Applications Under Review
| Party Name | Binding CIR? | Citizen Lawmaking? | Official Wording / Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Loyal | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes: Explicitly backs citizen control over lawmaking | “We support binding citizens-initiated referenda, so the people – not politicians – have the final say on our laws and direction.” (Leader Kelvyn Alp founded the original Direct Democracy Party NZ) | https://nzloyal.com/official-statement-from-kelvyn-alp-leader-nz-loyal/ |
| Change New Zealand | ❓ No public policy yet | ❓ No public policy yet: Registration pending | No official stance on direct democracy released to date. | Application under review |
| Free Palestine Party | ❓ No public policy yet | ❓ No public policy yet: Focused on Palestine advocacy | No official stance on direct democracy released to date. | Application under review |
| People’s Party New Zealand | ❓ No public policy yet | ❓ No public policy yet: Registration pending | No official stance on direct democracy released to date. | Application under review |
