To: All political parties and candidates contesting the upcoming New Zealand General Election
Call on Political Leaders to Commit to Ethical Campaigning
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In Aotearoa, we want our young people to grow up knowing that honesty matters and people deserve to be treated with respect. We want them to know that it’s possible to disagree without tearing each other down.
Every day, teachers, parents, whānau and communities work together to teach and model these values, because the young people we raise today will shape our communities tomorrow.
We believe the people seeking to lead our country should model the same standards we ask of our young people
Our rangatahi are watching. They’re learning from how our political leaders behave: how they speak about people they disagree with, how they handle the truth, how they use their power and influence, and how they treat the democratic process.
How political leaders campaign shapes what we see as acceptable
An election is not just about who wins - it also shapes our political culture: what we accept as normal, how we treat one another, and what we expect from those who represent us.
An election is not just about who wins - it also shapes our political culture: what we accept as normal, how we treat one another, and what we expect from those who represent us.
When misinformation, personal attacks, fear and division become accepted campaign tactics, they do not simply disappear when the election is over. They become part of the standard we set for public life, and part of what young people see as normal.
We believe we can set a better standard
The Aotearoa Educators Collective is bringing educators, parents, whānau and communities together to call for higher standards from the people seeking to lead our country.
We are calling on political leaders to campaign with integrity, honesty, integrity, transparency and respect. We also ask them to ensure emerging technologies such as AI strengthen rather than undermine our democratic process.
Our call to political parties and candidates: Lead by example
We are calling on every political party and candidate to publicly take the Pledge to Lead by Example. By doing so, they commit to campaigning with honesty, integrity, transparency and respect throughout the election campaign.
We believe these are the same values we ask of our young people - and they should apply to everyone, including those seeking positions of power.
We are asking all political parties and individuals standing for public office to take the Political Leaders’ Pledge to Lead by Example:
1. We will tell voters the truth
- We will campaign on evidence, accurately represent the views and policies of others, and clearly identify the sources of claims, statistics and campaign material.
- We will not deliberately mislead voters through misinformation, distortion or deceptive political advertising.
2. We will debate ideas without attacking people
- We will challenge policies and ideas robustly while treating political opponents and the communities they represent with respect.
- We will not use personal attacks, inflammatory rhetoric, fear or division to win support.
3. We will be open about money and influence
- We will be transparent about political donations, campaign funding and lobbying, including who is funding or influencing our campaign.
4. We will use AI responsibly, without misleading voters
- We will take responsibility for the political content we create and share, including content produced using generative AI.
- We will not use AI to fabricate images, voices, videos, quotations or events, impersonate political opponents, or create misleading representations of reality.
- We will clearly identify significant AI-generated campaign content.
5. We will respect the institutions that protect our democracy
- We will respect the independence of electoral processes, public institutions, public servants and journalists.
- We will keep government resources and authority separate from political campaigning. We will not use our position or public resources to gain an unfair political advantage.
- We will not undermine the institutions that uphold our democracy.
Stand behind the call for ethical campaigning by signing this open letter
If you believe political leaders should model the same values we ask of our young people, add your name to this open letter and call on them to take the Pledge to Lead by Example.
We’re inviting people from across Aotearoa to stand behind this call, including:
- Teachers, principals and school leaders
- Boards of trustees and kura communities
- Parents and caregivers
- Anyone who believes an election should be won honestly
To sign: Simply sign the open letter to show your support.
Initiated by: Aotearoa Educators Collective
Why is this important?
Political leaders set an example for society, including young people. How they campaign shapes what we see as acceptable in public life. We’re calling for political parties and candidates to uphold honesty, respect, transparency and integrity, and to campaign in ways that strengthen rather than undermine our democracy.
How it will be delivered
The open letter and its signatures will be shared publicly and with political parties, candidates and media ahead of the 2026 General Election.
