Former Prime Ministers and young MPs unite at Parliament for launch of “Tomorrow Together”, a call for better long-term decision-making in Aotearoa

On Wednesday 17 September, Tomorrow Together, an initiative of WEAll Aotearoa, unveiled a national discussion document at Parliament, asking Kiwis how our country can get better at long-term decision-making, to ensure fairness for future generations. 

Members of the WEAll Rangatahi Leadership group with MPs Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke (Te Pāti Māori), Arena Williams (Labour), and Tamatha Paul (Greens). Tom Rutherford (National) was also a host.

Hosted by the youngest Members of Parliament across the political spectrum (National, Labour, Te Pāti Māori, and the Greens), the forum featured reflections from former Prime Ministers Jim Bolger and Sir Geoffrey Palmer, who urged bold, cross-party dialogue and action.

“Everyone knows Aotearoa has been bad at thinking long-term,” says Gareth Hughes, Director of WEAll Aotearoa. “You can see it in our infrastructure, the environment, and policy flip-flops.”

“We are highlighting practical policies to move beyond the type of short-term politics that enable poor decisions to address our challenges,” adds Hughes. 

One of the flagship proposals in the discussion document is a Future Generations Act, a piece of legislation that could embed long-term thinking and intergenerational fairness into all public decision-making. Similar models are already gaining traction internationally, including in Wales, Scotland, Australia, and through initiatives led by the UN and EU.

“Too often, it feels like our leaders make decisions without considering the interests of my generation, and those following.  But it is within our power to change this. We can refuse to accept a future marked by decline. It’s time we made a conscious choice as a country, to be guided by a deep sense of responsibility to current and future generations and to put the wellbeing of our mokopuna and te taiao at the heart of our decision-making processes,” says Sophie Handford, Future Generations Lead at WEAll Aotearoa.

“It’s time for a serious and collaborative national conversation about how we make decisions that serve an ideal long-term vision for Aotearoa, not just short-term interests,” adds Handford. 

The event and discussion document aim to spark public engagement and political collaboration around policies that prioritise wellbeing over the long-term. It poses eight key questions to help collectively determine which policy levers are best for Aotearoa to use. People are invited to share their responses to these questions by visiting weall.org.nz/tt-doc or emailing sophie@weall.org.nz by 31 January 2026.