New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has urged Kiwis to consider her party's commitment to Māori affairs amid dwindling support and criticism of delayed self-determination measures ahead of this year's election.
Voters are expected to hit the polling booths before year's end with a final cut-off date in January 2024.
Latest polls paint a bleak picture for Labour with the Nationals edging ahead and Ms Ardern's preferred PM rating now below 25 per cent.
The support for the conservative ACT party has climbed to 11 per cent and they shape as a potential coalition partner for the Nationals.
A Labour loss would mark a big shift in less than four years, after Ms Ardern's government secured a second term in 2020 with a clear win over the Nationals; 65-33 seats from 121.
Labour's win in 2017 ended a minority National government which had been in power for nine years.
The Ardern government has drawn criticism for dragging their heels on a proposal for Māori co-governance in line with the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The proposal involves the establishment of a distinct but collaborative democractically-elected Māori government to come into effect by 2040.
For more than a century New Zealand's parliament has reserved a small number of seats in parliament for separate Māori electorates overlapping all other seats to cover the entire country.
Labour has placed co-governance down their list of priorities until 2024 ahead of the upcoming election. Cabinet halted progess on the matter after a suggestion from Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson last month.
Speaking to TeAoMaori this week, Prime Minister Ardern refuted suggestions there was resistance to co-governance within cabinet, and that Mr Jackson said it would be rejected by ministers, but rather the delay was about properly shaping their approach toward setting framework to implement wider UN recommendations.
"What he's (the Minister for Māori Development) talking about are some of the, around the debate and discussion around the UN declaration, (what are) the next stages of ensuring that we are doing our bit, as yes, the National government signed us up and then did nothing on it, and left it sitting there for us to think about 'how do we make sure we're fulfilling those obligations under that declaration?'," she said.
"What he's talking about is through that process, there's been a lot of ideas. Some of them, we can confidently say New Zealand already does, others are challenging.
"So he's broadly discussing what are the next steps."
National's stance has historically been at-odds with co-governance, and ACT leader David Seymour has campaigned for a referendum to re-define the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document and agreement between the British Crown and Māori Chiefs signed in 1840, 'within a modern context'.
"Co-governance means some representatives are democratically elected and others get a seat at the table because of who their ancestors were," the ACT party claims.
"Co-governance is everywhere but nobody has ever asked whether we want it. People feel unable to criticise it for fear of being called racist.
"In a democracy, we the people should have the right to determine the future of our country."
Ms Ardern noted her government's history of commitment to Māori concerns, namely expanding Māori housing, employment opportunities and the Māori economy.
"I will happily campaign on our record," she said.
While conceding her government hasn't been perfect, Ms Ardern said she was comfortable Labour maintains a focus on fulfilling Treaty of Waitangi obligations.
"We've always tried to make the right decisions for the right reasons," she said.
"Bringing people with us is a challenge. When there is change people will sometimes be confronted by that.
"You've got to always be able to sleep at night knowing that you've done your best and you've done what you believe is right."
