While some investments were targeted at Māori, critics say the government has its priorities wrong and the budget will leave Māori communities continuing to struggle. For all the political theatre around Budget 2026, the Māori story is relatively simple: targeted cultural and settlement investments on one hand, and growing accusations of economic neglect on the other. The government has poured tens of millions into Māori media, aquaculture settlements, court infrastructure and cultural promotion, while simultaneously extracting major savings from Te Puni Kōkiri.