Every time a government agency defaults to an offshore, closed system, public money leaves our shores, local innovation is stifled, and control of critical data is handed to vendors accountable to shareholders.
It is a fiscal problem, an economic problem, an innovation problem, and a sovereignty problem. But it is not inevitable. It is a choice.
Open source and open standards break the cycle of vendor dependency: systems New Zealand can adapt, share, and steer. Estonia, the UK, and France have shown that open foundations build stronger, more trustworthy digital infrastructure. A sovereign data policy keeps critical government and sensitive citizen data hosted and governed here, on New Zealand's terms. And with a projected $13 billion public sector technology spend over the next five years, procurement is one of the most powerful policy levers any incoming government holds, creating choice between feeding foreign corporate balance sheets and building enduring local capability.
Today, Catalyst is launching our Election Manifesto 2026. It outlines 10 clear actions across three pillars, each designed to back the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our 2026 Election Manifesto pillars:
- Open source and open standards first.
- Sovereign data policy.
- Value-first procurement settings.
