Kia ora tātou,

I don’t know about you, but I was very happy to see the end of 2025.

The mid-year between election cycles saw the Coalition Government settle in and roll out a relentless agenda against people and Papatūānuku. Every week we witnessed another devastating announcement - whether it was starving our health system, slashing the pay of working women, crushing support for disabled people, axing workers’ rights or trampling Te Tiriti o Waitangi. And that’s just skimming the surface.

We watched a Government wax lyrical about the economy, while refusing to address the high cost of living, and cutting off lifelines for the growing number of people in need by limiting income support, booting families out of emergency accommodation, selling and cutting state housing projects.

Behind every policy change, was a real life person whose life became harder over 2025. Whether it was a busy mum struggling to put food on the table with dwindling wages, an older person no longer able to afford heating on their pension, or a young person unable to find their first ever job behind hundreds of other applicants. Our struggles are the result of someone else’s political decisions.

The phrase of the year comes from the late Maya Angelou, “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Luxon, Peters and Seymour have shown us that they don’t care about the majority of us, or our environment. Their goal is crystal clear; to tear everything down, so they can remake it in their own image by serving big business, corporate donors and foreign superpowers.

But despite everything they have already destroyed, our communities have held the line at every conceivable point.

I have never seen such a fierce fighting spirit to protect what makes us uniquely Aotearoa; our Te Tiriti relationship, our environment and our way of life where everyone can thrive.

I’m particularly proud of our team at ActionStation for working alongside you all to:

• Defeat the Treaty Principles Bill with the biggest show of public support for Te Tiriti in our history through Together for Te Tiriti, and more.
• Run our first ever roadshow for Dental for All, sparking and seeding conversations and action in 20 towns and cities from Te Taitokerau down to Murihiku.
• Be a voice of truth on the Coalition Government’s plan to sell, stop and suspend state housing for communities in need through Public Housing Futures.
• Defending Māori ward seats on councils alongside local communities, winning more votes nationally on Māori wards across the board, and the most Māori representation on councils in history.
• Supporting 91 community-led campaigns via OurActionStation, resulting in 292,864 individual actions of support across the year.
  

As authoritarian forces and violent ‘strong-man’ dictators step into power around the world, we have something to learn from countries outside of our own. One of the pieces of advice that Timothy Snyder writes in his book On Tyranny is not to obey in advance when it comes to repressive governments.

I’m proud to say that despite everything thrown at us, we did not obey in advance in 2025.

Personally, as tangata whenua, I have never been so overjoyed by the support for Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the past two years. We did not ask to fight against the Treaty Principles Bill or to keep Māori wards. But the threat was too severe to do nothing. The Coalition Government attacked Te Tiriti because it gets in the way of business interests. They knew Māori would fight back, but they underestimated how many people from all backgrounds would stand with us. Every time I pass a Together for Te Tiriti sticker or placard, I still get teary at your love, care and determination to protect the constitutional heart of Aotearoa.

Because in these defining times, you have truly stood up and shone for Te Tiriti like never before. Whether it was for your mokopuna, your community, your school or just because it was the right thing to do - you let your truth be known. As a result, the wave of our people-power set a highwater mark showing who we are, and who we want to be.

In the long arc of history, governments might hold the pen momentarily, but it’s the rest of us who truly shape the future.

And that brings us to today. We don’t need to convince you that the government needs changing, because 93% of you told us they don’t reflect the wants and needs of you or your communities.

But we do need to work together to make a new government a reality - one that is genuinely willing to show the leadership we need, and face the challenges of our times with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

Despite the low popularity of the Coalition Government, we must not be complacent. We are facing deliberate voter suppression, and cashed up political parties who can afford serious advertising and media influence.

But our job is simple; turn all of the discontent of the past two years back where it belongs. Vote this lot out, and elect a government who is worthy of our support.

You have the power to decide the future of this country we love, and trust that ActionStation will be right here beside you every step of the way.

Ngā mihi o te wā o Hine Raumati,

Kassie on behalf of your ActionStation team; Ali N, Ali P, Anastasia, Ann, Becky, Grace, Hana, Jasmine, Joe, Justine, Kayli, Max, Nadia, Rangimarie, Ruby, Van and Vera.

PS. If you’re feeling fired up about this year’s election, you can make a one-off gift or regular donation here. In a world where wealth influences elections, you can help level the playing field by fuelling us to make sure our communities and environment come first