Is A Future Generations Act The One Policy All Parties Can Agree On?

WEAll Aotearoa welcomes the Opportunity Party’s commitment to campaign for a Future Generations Act, joining support from across the political spectrum.

“In an election where parties disagree on plenty, there is cross-party support for a Future Generations Act.” says Gareth Hughes, Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa.

“A Future Generations Act would require the government to consider the long-term impact of their decisions on future generations and work proactively to prevent harm. It is inspired by the Welsh Act which set seven goals for the nation, leading to significant, positive policy changes.”

WEAll Aotearoa leads the campaign for an Act, through Tomorrow Together, a group of rangatahi leaders.

18-year-old Nate Wilbourne, Future Generations Lead at WEAll Aotearoa, says, “We’re delighted by Opportunity’s backing. Our launch was supported by the youngest MPs from National, Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori, as well as former Prime Ministers Jim Bolger and Sir Geoffrey Palmer. This is something that resonates across the political spectrum.”

Talbot Mills polling in August 2026 found 82% public support for a law requiring governments to consider long-term impacts on future generations, including 90% of Green, 89% of ACT and 87% of NZ First voters.

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Nate acknowledges that “People across the political spectrum might have different ideas about what good long-term decisions are, but the strength of an act like this is that the goals wouldn’t be set by any one party. They would come out of a national conversation focused on finding common ground. That’s how it worked in Wales, where ordinary people helped shape seven wellbeing goals. That gave everyone something to rally around, and it also gave people something to hold politicians accountable to.”

Gareth adds, “Our current system rewards short-term thinking, but an act like this would give politicians a mandate to think beyond the three-year cycle. Ultimately, this is about strengthening our democracy and agreeing as a country on where we want to go.”

Nate concludes, “We face many challenges, from climate change and housing, to infrastructure, and growing fiscal pressures. These issues are interconnected, and the costs of failing to address them today will increasingly fall on future generations. The stakes are rising. We want all parties to commit to a Future Generations Act before the election.”

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