Hobson's Pledge is a lobby group in New Zealand that was formed in late September 2016 to oppose affirmative action for MÃÂori people. It is led by conservative politician Don Brash. The group aims to redefine the position of MÃÂori in New Zealand. This would include removing the MÃÂori electorates, abolishing the Waitangi Tribunal, restricting tribal powers and "remove all references in law and in Government policy to Treaty 'partnership' and 'principles.
Hobson's Pledge is named after William Hobson, the first governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi. Hobson's quote on the day of the first signing of the Treaty, "", has been used by the group to market their beliefs, with the common translation of the phrase: "we are now one people".
The group is led by former National Party and ACT leader Don Brash, who delivered the controversial Orewa Speech in 2004 on race relations in New Zealand. Other key members include Casey Costello who is a MÃÂori of NgÃÂpuhi heritage. Hobson's Pledge advocates abolishing the reserved MÃÂori seats in the New Zealand Parliament and the Waitangi Tribunal, eliminating race-based affirmative action, and cites the Treaty of Waitangi as evidence that MÃÂori chiefs ceded sovereignty in 1840.
In early 2018, Hobson's Pledge supported citizens-initiated local body referendums opposing the establishment of MÃÂori wards and constituencies in Palmerston North, Western Bay of Plenty, WhakatÃÂne, Manawatà «, and Kaikà Âura. Local councils in those districts had voted to establish MÃÂori wards. At that time, the Local Electoral Act 2001 allowed referendums to be held on MÃÂori wards or constituencies if requested by a petition signed by 5% of the electors of a city, district, or council.
Subsequently, MÃÂori wards were rejected in local referendums held in Palmerston North (68.8%), Western Bay of Plenty (78.2%), WhakatÃÂne (56.4%), Manawatà « (77%), and Kaikà Âura (80%) on 19 May 2018. The turnout was about 40%. The results were welcomed by some including Hobson's Pledge leader Don Brash and conservative broadcaster Mike Hosking. However, others including WhakatÃÂne mayor Tony Bonne, Labour MPs Willie Jackson and TÃÂmati Coffey, as well as former MÃÂori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell were dismayed.
In 2020, nine other councils proposed MÃÂori wards. Hobson's Pledge supported citizens in Tauranga, WhangÃÂrei, Kaipara, Northland (regional council), Gisborne, Taupà Â, Ruapehu, New Plymouth and South Taranaki who organised campaigns to collect signatures. Three days after the Tauranga campaign announced sufficient signatures had been collected to trigger a vote, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced that the Local Electoral Act 2001 would be amended to outlaw citizen-referendums on MÃÂori wards. That rendered all petitions null and void. More than 25,000 signatures had been collected. Five areas had petitions validated. In late February 2021, Mahuta's Local Electoral (MÃÂori Wards and MÃÂori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021, eliminating mechanism for holding referendums on MÃÂori wards and constituencies on local councils, passed into law.
In July 2024, the Sixth National Government passed legislation reinstating the requirement for local referendums on the establishment or "ongoing use" of MÃÂori wards and constituencies. While National, ACT and NZ First supported the bill, it was opposed by the Labour, Green, and MÃÂori parties. Councils that have already established a MÃÂori ward without a referendum are now required to hold a binding poll alongside the 2025 local elections or to disestablish them.
In August 2025, Hobson's Pledge released a series of advertisements featuring a stock photo of a MÃÂori woman with a moko kauae and the message "My mana doesn't need a mandate â Vote no to MÃÂori wards". The individual woman pictured did not consent to her image being used and was distraught that her image was being used to promote a view she was "staunchly" opposed to. The photo was released on iStock and Shutterstock and labelled "editorial use only"; Hobson's Pledge said that they had followed all legal requirements for their use of the photo. The group took down the billboards and apologised to the affected woman.
In late September 2025, media company Stuff removed a Hobson's Pledge advertisement opposing MÃÂori wards from its websites after receiving feedback on 20 September that the ad was linking to an external website that did not meet the company's terms and conditions. Meanwhile, media company New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) maintained the same advertisement on its websites, stating that it met their criteria for advocacy advertising. In response, Brash accused Stuff of cowering to bullying and intimidation while praising NZ for upholding lawful advocacy in a "free press."
Since 2021, Hobson's Pledge has campaigned against proposed co-governance measures and the He Puapua report, calling the proposals "[a] plan to divide New Zealand governance along racial lines".
In August 2023, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported that Hobson's Pledge had launched a website and Facebook account called "We Belong Aotearoa." The website was aimed at ethnic immigrant communities and used MÃÂori language terms such as "whiria te tÃÂngata" (weaving the people together). According to RNZ, the website and Facebook account was run by the Campaign Company, which is listed as the registrant of other internet domain names associated with Hobson's Pledge including isthisracist.nz, bottomline.nz and equalhealth.nz. RNZ also reported that Hobson's Pledge's hobsonspledge.nz domain name was registered by the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union. The Union's co-founder Jordan Williams also served as the director of the Campaign Company. In response, Brash defended the "We Belong Aotearoa" website and said that it helped raise awareness about co-governance. Brash also said that using the term Aotearoa, despite Hobson's Pledge's opposition to the term, allowed "We Belong Aotearoa" to reach a wider audience.
During the 2023 New Zealand general election, Hobson's Pledge released a series of attack advertisements in late September 2023 targeting Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. These ads accused Hipkins and the Labour Government of causing division and having a poor delivery record. These ads were in response to the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions' attack advertisements in early September targeting National Party leader Christopher Luxon. Hipkins had earlier claimed in early September 2023 that Hobson's Pledge along with the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union and Groundswell NZ were National Party surrogates.
On 7 August 2024, Hobson's Pledge published a full-page advertisement in The New Zealand Herald calling for the "restoration of the foreshore and seabed to public ownership." The advertisement was controversial and drew criticism from Te PÃÂti MÃÂori. On 17 October, the Advertising Standards Authority's Complaints Board ruled that three claims in the advertisement were "misleading" and must not be used again. The Authority had received a total of 672 complaints in response to the advertisement and upheld 655 of them.
In November 2024, Hobson's Pledge began a pro-Treaty Principles Bill campaign aimed at the Prime Minister, referring to him as a "scaredy cat" for not supporting the bill further. Hobson's Pledge made an oral submission on the first day of the Select Committee hearings on 27January 2025, agreeing with principles one and three but not two. Trustee Eliot Ikilei told the committee that principle two is "effectively saying New Zealand will treat people equally, but not really" and that "that is not equality". Ikilei also told the committee that mention of the terms âÂÂiwiâ and âÂÂhapà «â should be removed from the bill.
Hobson's Pledge has been accused of inciting racism, division, and disinformation by Labour Party leader Andrew Little, Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei, broadcaster and Labour politician Willie Jackson, Prime Minister John Key, Deputy Mayor of Gisborne Josh Wharehinga, and the New Zealand MÃÂori Council for its calls to abolish affirmative action and opposition to MÃÂori wards and constituencies, which the group call special rights and anti-democratic. The group itself has fervently denied allegations of racism towards MÃÂori, with leader Don Brash stating in response that he is simply against "race-based privilege".