Putting animals on the agenda: SAFE’s 2026 election scorecard 

Politics can feel confusing, and it shouldn’t be. Ahead of the general election on 7 November we wanted to find out exactly where each party stands when it comes to animals – so we went straight to the source. 
 
We asked each of the registered parties in the 2026 general election the same 11 questions about some of the biggest issues facing animals across Aotearoa New Zealand – and here’s what they had to say…  

Overall rankings

Key:

✅ Yes 

❌ No 

❓ Partial 

* No position 

^ Unclear 

➖ No response 

Factory farming

Does your political party support an independent review of factory farming systems and practices to assess whether current laws and regulations adequately protect animal welfare? 

Farrowing crates and mating stalls

Will your political party reverse the December 2025 amendment made to the Animal Welfare Act which allowed the continued use of farrowing crates and mating stalls?

Caging of layer hens

Does your political party support a ban on the caging of layer hens? 

Mud farming 

Does your political party support a ban on intensive winter grazing (mud farming)? 

Does your political party support an independent review, or inquiry, into the animal welfare and environmental impacts of intensive winter grazing (mud farming)? 

Live export 

Does your political party support upholding the ban on live animal export (cattle, sheep, deer, and goats) by sea? 

Rodeo 

Does your political party support a ban on the use of animals in rodeo events? 

The food system 

Would your political party support the development of a National Food Strategy? 

Regulatory oversight 

Would your political party support transferring farmed animal welfare regulation from MPI to an independent authority dedicated to protecting animal welfare? 

Commissioner for Animals 

Does your political party support establishing an independent Commissioner for Animals? 

Lobbying and transparency

Would your political party support an independent inquiry into government lobbying, transparency, and accountability? 

Method: How we’ve presented each party’s responses

Through our political party survey, we asked all parties registered in the 2026 general election to provide their positions on 11 questions.  
 
The answers you see above reflect each party’s response to those survey questions only, and do not include any historical policies, positions, or statements.  

Parties are listed on the scorecard in the order their responses were exported from our online survey. The order does not indicate any ranking or preference by SAFE.
 
Before we hit ‘publish’ on this scorecard we gave all parties (including those who didn’t respond) the opportunity to view the scorecard.   
 

The key

✅ Yes: Party was clear, unambiguous, and demonstrated a committed position or policy on this issue.  

❌ No: Party was clear, unambiguous, and demonstrated an opposing position or policy on this issue.  

❓ Partial: Party provided a response that demonstrated partial commitment/opposition on the issue, but declined to commit to ‘yes or ‘no.’  
 
* No position: Party indicated they do not have a formal position or policy on this issue.   
 
^ Unclear: Party provided an ambiguous or unclear response. 
 
➖ No response: Party did not respond to the survey after several invitations to participate.

Disclaimer

As a charitable organisation, SAFE is not affiliated with, nor do we endorse any one party or politician.  

General Elections give us an incredibly powerful opportunity to show what we stand for, and to have our voices heard by Aotearoa’s political leaders.  

If you aren’t enrolled yet, find out how you can enrol here.  
 
Ehara tāku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. 

Authorised by Debra Ashton on behalf of Save Animals From Exploitation Inc, PO Box 5750, Victoria Street West, Auckland