Pitched as making sure New Zealanders "can move forward under one law for all with one future together", with Parliament rather than the courts deciding what the law means.

📋 ACT: One Law for All, One Future Together, August 2026 →

What it does

• Adds three principles to the Constitution Act: Parliament is sovereign, the rule of law is fundamental, and all New Zealanders are equal before the law.
• Adds a property right to the Bill of Rights Act. Courts could declare legislation inconsistent with it and would have to prefer interpretations consistent with it, but could not strike laws down.
• Bars courts from using tikanga to influence decisions except where Parliament has expressly allowed it, in response to the Supreme Court's 2022 Ellis decision.
• Amends the Legislation Act 2019 so statutes are read in the context of when they were passed, and defines the rule of law in the Senior Courts Act 2016.
• Requires Cabinet to agree, before any bill with a Treaty reference is drafted, which Treaty interests are engaged, who they apply to and what obligations they create. Vague existing clauses would be removed when laws are amended.
• Released on 23 August 2026. 1News noted the policy does not include the Treaty Principles Bill or the referendum ACT campaigned on in 2023, and Seymour said ACT has not announced coalition bottom lines.

The debate

David Seymour said "Parliament is elected. Judges are not." and that tikanga should not become a separate source of law without Parliament deciding it should; asked about the risk of another hīkoi, he said "truth is always worth a risk". Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngārewa-Packer compared the policy to the Treaty Principles Bill, said the hīkoi had already sent a "very clear" message, and accused Seymour of creating a "drama that doesn't exist". 1News reported the Treaty clauses plan is somewhat similar to a review in the National and NZ First coalition agreement, but would go further and make the process permanent.