This was originally published in the August/September edition of the NZ Hunter magazine.
With the 2026 General Election fast approaching, the Game Animal Council (GAC) has provided hunters with an insight into the policy positions of New Zealand’s political parties. In May the GAC wrote to the hunting and fishing or conservation spokespeople of ACT, the Green Party, Labour, National, New Zealand First, Te Pāti Māori and The Opportunity Party, asking for their responses to five questions on issues affecting hunting and game animal management.
The responses are presented below in alphabetical order by party name, unedited and without commentary, allowing you to judge for yourselves the merits of each party’s position.
Thanks to ACT’s Cameron Luxton, the Green Party’s Scott Willis, Labour’s Priyanca Radhakrishnan, National’s James Meager and Andy Foster from New Zealand First for taking the time to participate.
Question 1: Will your party support conservation law reform that appropriately recognises game animals (deer, tahr, chamois and wild pigs) as valued introduced species, while ensuring their impacts are managed responsibly?
ACT
Yes. ACT believes the law should reflect that game animals are highly valued by many New Zealanders for recreation, food gathering, and our outdoor heritage. Their impacts should be managed responsibly, with hunters playing a central role in practical conservation. Our full policy is at www.act.org.nz/hunting
Green
While we support conservation law reform, as the wider system has not kept up with significant social and environmental changes, the priority of these reforms needs to be ecosystem regeneration and biodiversity. We recognise that many hunters care deeply about the natural environment, but we must face the facts about management of invasive browsers. Hunter-led management has been proven not to work because the level, spread, and intensity of recreational hunting efforts are uneven and inadequate. Despite best intentions, there are no successful examples where hunter led management has effectively controlled populations of invasive browser species.
Labour
Labour acknowledges the value that introduced game animal species provide to our hunting sector. Labour believes the management of these should be linked to conservation, biodiversity values, and protecting New Zealand’s indigenous ecosystems.
National
Yes. National already has a bill in the member’s ballot, the Valued Introduced Species Legislation Amendment Bill. It provides a statutory definition of what is considered to be a valued introduced species, states that the Department must ensure the sustainable management of valued introduced species for recreational, economic, environmental, or cultural purposes, and excludes valued introduced species from the general requirement in the conservation framework to exterminate introduced plants and animals.
NZ First
Yes, New Zealand First supports legislative recognition of these species as valued introduced species, New Zealand First recognises that these game animals are valued for recreational hunting as well as being valued by international trophy hunters who contribute significant economic benefit to New Zealand. Alongside this we also understand that these species – particularly pigs – can have significant ecological impacts especially in sensitive ecosystems and that they need to be managed responsibly and effectively. Recreational hunting can and does play an important role in that. The definition of endemic is ‘native to a particular locality or region’ – which clearly is not the case.
Question 2: Will your party support policy settings, such as strengthening the Game Animal Council, that enable hunters and hunting organisations to play an expanded role in coordinating and delivering game animal management?
ACT
Yes. ACT has consistently advocated for a greater role for hunters and hunting organisations in conservation and game animal management, and will continue to do so. Our full policy is at www.act.org.nz/hunting
Green
In the context of conservation and wildlife law reform and delivery, stakeholders and experts must be engaged with and listened to. The Game Animal Council has a critical role in this.
Labour
Labour recognises the valuable role the Game Animal Council and is open to engagement with the Game Animal Council on issues that affect hunters and the hunting sector.
National
Yes. National will provide more opportunities for the Game Animal Council to strengthen its role as a statutory manager of game animals in New Zealand. Already this term National has, for the first time in 13 years since the creation of the Game Animal Council, started the process to designate herds of special interest, with the Game Animal Council at the heart of that process. As the organisation continues to grow and mature, it will need a stronger, more professional approach to game animal management, with support from both public taxpayers and the hunting community.
NZ First
Yes, New Zealand First has consistently advocated for supporting the Game Animal Council to help oversee major game species and would continue to strengthen its role in delivering hunter-led management. Our party believes that empowering hunters as partners is essential for achieving self-sufficiency and pragmatic environmentalism in New Zealand’s backcountry.
Question 3: Access remains one of the biggest concerns for hunters. What will your party do to protect and improve hunter access to public conservation land and other areas where game animals are present?
ACT
ACT supports a presumption of reasonable access to public land for law-abiding hunters, and is campaigning to remove unnecessary barriers to access wherever possible. Our full policy is at www.act.org.nz/hunting
Green
The Green Party supports increasing funding for organisations that identify, restore, and expand public access points. Communities need access to the natural environment and public open space for a range of recreational opportunities, whilst ensuring sensitive ecological habitats are protected. The Green Party will support outdoor recreation and sport by supporting off-road tracks that enable a range of outdoor recreational activities, give access to parks, bush, and waterways, and connect communities.
Labour
Labour is committed to ensuring all New Zealanders can access the backcountry in order to enjoy our natural environment.
National
National implemented the Access Charter for Recreational Hunting and Fishing on Public Conservation Land and Waters to ensure that recreational hunting and fishing on public conservation land and waters is recognised and safeguarded for current and future generations. It balances the rights and responsibilities of recreational users with the imperative to conserve New Zealand’s natural heritage. Our full hunting and fishing policy will be confirmed closer to the election. We will continue the multi-party approach to resolving access issues by ensuring the Minister for Hunting and Fishing’s office takes a lead role in bringing together hunting and fishing organisations, such as NZDA and Fish and Game, with the Outdoor Access Commission, DOC, councils and other government agencies to find solutions to access disputes. The Minister for Hunting and Fishing’s office is actively working on a number of access issues to find solutions which maintain or enhance access.
NZ First
New Zealand First strongly supports free access to the conservation estate for all New Zealanders. We are committed to maintaining and improving access for recreational fishers and hunters, opposing any measures that would unnecessarily restrict their ability to utilize public lands.
Question 4: Will your party support the continued designation and implementation of Herds of Special Interest for high-value game animal herds where improved outcomes can be achieved for hunting, herd quality and conservation?
ACT
Yes. Herds of Special Interest are an important tool for managing high-value herds in a way that recognises their value to hunters, improves herd quality, and supports responsible conservation outcomes. Our full policy is at www.act.org.nz/hunting
Green
The HOSI designation lacks a credible evidence base. As a minimum, clear monitoring baselines should be set up to assess effectiveness or otherwise of conservation management regimes before a HOSI is approved, and this would need to be regularly reviewed.
Labour
Labour has opposed any move that weakens protections in the National Parks Act by overriding controls on introduced browsers, especially at a time when the current Government is cutting funding for conservation. While we acknowledge the value that introduced game animal species provide to our hunting sector, Labour believes the management of these should be linked to conservation, biodiversity values, and protecting New Zealand’s indigenous ecosystems.
National
Yes. As Minister for Hunting and Fishing, I have led the process of designating two new herds of special interest (Fiordland wapiti and Central North Island sika) which will be the first herds of special interest since the enabling legislation was passed in 2013. We believe in hunter-led conservation, and encourage more proposals for any herds of special interest which will improve hunting and environmental outcomes for all New Zealanders.
NZ First
Yes, New Zealand First supports the implementation of Herds of Special Interest where improved hunting, herd quality and conservation outcomes can be achieved because our policy holds that game animals should be managed as broadly as possible as viable, high-quality populations rather than being treated purely as pests. This management tool aligns with our goal of balancing recreational values with sustainable conservation outcomes.
Question 5: Will your party work with the hunting sector to strengthen hunter education and training, including practical hunting skills, firearms safety, and game animal management capability?
ACT
Yes. ACT believes hunters and community groups often have the best practical knowledge of conditions on the ground, and their passion, skills and expertise should be better utilised. Our full policy is at www.act.org.nz/hunting
Green
Yes. To achieve great conservation outcomes and enable generations of New Zealanders to enjoy our beautiful outdoors, it is critical that governments of all stripes work with the people and organisations that are committed to nature and the great outdoors. Education, training, and capability development are critical for people recreating safely and enjoyably, as well as for workers and volunteers in nature.
Labour
Yes, Labour recognises the valuable role the Game Animal Council and is open to engagement with the Game Animal Council on issues that affect hunters and the hunting sector.
National
Yes. We will work with the sector, including the Game Animal Council, the NZ Deerstalkers Association, and the Firearms Safety Authority, to ensure high-quality training and education is available across New Zealand to ensure more young New Zealanders take up hunting. This will include ensuring firearms safety training as part of obtaining a firearms licence is made as widely accessible as possible.
NZ First
Yes, New Zealand First has had a long-held policy of maintenance of sensible firearms laws and provide active encouragement for the continued safe use of firearms. We view investment in such practical skills and safety training as a vital contribution to both community safety and effective game management.