Waitangi Day, policies for Māori, and secret mineral trading talks w/ the Labour Party’s Shanan Halbert: 5th February, 2026

Waitangi Day tomorrow will see political parties and their leaders from across parliament gathering to celebrate the anniversary of Aotearoa’s founding document. As this year is an election year, party leaders are keen to announce policies and set themselves apart from their political opponents. 

In the leadup to Waitangi Day, the government has been met with accusations of participating in secret mineral trading talks with the United States. The talks follow the US announcing a proposed mineral trading bloc to reduce reliance on China. The government has been criticised for engaging in such talks without public knowledge, and for considering increasing mining despite the significant environmental impact. 

For our weekly catchup with the Labour Party’s Shanan Halbert, News and Editorial director Castor asked about Waitangi Day, Labour’s policies for Māori this election, and the party’s take on secret mining discussions.