Three Christian organisations in Aotearoa have produced ethical policy scorecards for this year's New Zealand General Election, which connect to Christian shared values and the mission direction of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia.

Three sets of easy-to-read scorecards compare policies from major parties, while the Interchurch Bioethics Council (ICBC) offers a conversation starter pack and resources to follow up with parties and local MPs. 

The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services and Common Grace Aotearoa (CGA) have both produced well-researched resources aimed at helping Christians decipher which political policies best answer Jesus' call to care for the poor. A resource from the World Wildlife Fund can also help Anglicans consider their votes in light of this Church's renewed focus on ocean health.

ICBC offers policy conversation starter research kit

The ICBC has produced a conversation-starter/thought-provoker election resource that picks up on seven key issues for Christians voting in Aotearoa NZ. The ICBC fact sheets lead with questions and give background research links to inform voters' ethical decisions on:

1.             Energy security
2.             Food security
3.             Healthcare
4.             End of life care
5.             Climate adaptation
6.             Fresh Water
7.             Artificial intelligence

The Interchurch Bioethics Council includes scientists and ethicists from Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican churches, including Anglican scientist and Dean of Nelson, the Very Rev Graham O' Brien. Together they have prepared the 2026 NZ election resource to help Christian voters ask focused questions of their preferred parties. The ICBC resource is designed to be: politically non-partisan, based on facts, and offers questions for Christian voters to put to candidates in their electorates.

The ICBC resources are available here: Election 2026 - InterChurch Bioethics Council

NZCCSS: 5 policies on tackling poverty

The New Zealand Council for Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) has prepared a scorecard for political parties' policies in areas essential to improving life for New Zealanders suffering from the high cost of living.

NZCCSS has prioritised five policy areas that will have a strong impact on household poverty:

– Poverty reduction law and advice
– Welfare system
– Working for families
– Housing
– Food

The NZCCSS voting on poverty resource is available online via the New Zealand Council for Christian Social Services' Free from Poverty page: (Scroll down for Poverty Policy scorecards)

The NZCCSS full Election 2026 "asks" can be downloaded here: NZCCSS Free from Poverty Election asks. 

Common Grace Aotearoa looks at climate, Te Tiriti and social policy

Common Grace Aotearoa has focused its election research on four policy areas that link to churches' campaigns for environmental and social justice over the last four years. They provide a simple to use election scorecard on each of:

a) Climate
b) Treaty
c) Housing
d) Income

Common Grace Aotearoa also has a live online scorecard where they will update information as political parties release new policies. You can find the live policy scorecards here: commongrace.nz/scorecard

WWF collates NZ policies on oceans

With General Synod Te Hīnota Whānui focusing the Anglican Church's care for Creation work on Oceans over the next two years, the World Wildlife Fund's scorecard on Aotearoa New Zealand outlines which parties' ocean policies will protect or harm marine environments.

The policies covered by the WWF Oceans scorecard include political parties' commitment to:

– Set up 30% EEZ marine protection zones
– Oppose seabed mining
– Support the UN  High Seas Treaty
– End bottom trawling in high harm to wildlife areas
– Add onboard cameras to NZ's entire deepwater fleet (to prevent illegal bycatch practices) 
– Expand marine sanctuaries to critical wildlife areas
– Increase seabird protections
– Include mātauranga Māori in research and management

You can view the World Wildlife Fund Oceans scorecard here: WWF Oceans scorecard.

Beneath the scorecard there's an invitation to sign the WWF "Stand for the Ocean" letter to NZ politicians.