National and ACT to vote through NZ First’s gender bill
Wednesday, 20 May 2026
National and ACT are supporting NZ First’s gender bill to legally define man and woman in biological terms at its first reading.
A National spokesperson said it was a complex area of law and the party wanted to ensure any changes “prioritise the rights of women and girls in this country”.
The National caucus will support its coalition partner’s bill at first reading so MPs “could hear the public’s opinion on the bill through the select committee process”, the spokesperson said.
An ACT spokesperson confirmed the party would also be voting through the bill at its first reading, and would not treat it as a conscience vote.
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Contentious social issues like this are often treated as conscience votes, allowing MPs to vote according to their personal views.
If this becomes a conscience vote for National and ACT, NZ First would be unable to pass the bill without the support of almost all National and ACT MPs.
It is unclear how those within the National party might vote if it voted it as a conscience vote later down the line, with views potentially divided.
Where Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told RNZ National would consider the bill as a caucus if it was drawn from the ballot, National MP and minister Chris Bishop said the bill was a “distraction” on Breakfast's weekly political panel last year.
'Look, this country's got big challenges, right?“ Bishop said. ”We are deep in debt. We are just coming out of recession. We've got to go for growth. We've got to lift living standards. We've got a housing crisis, got an infrastructure deficit. We've got big climate change obligations.“
'You know, is this the biggest thing on the planet? Talking about the definition of a woman? I would argue, no.'
Luxon said he had already made his views clear, by saying “pregnant people, frankly, are women”.
'Let's have some common sense about it, and let's use some common-sense language.'
The proposed law change looks to legally define woman and man in biological terms, with woman defined as “adult human biological female” and man as “adult human biological male” in the Legislation Act.
The bill faces firm opposition from Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori, all of whom are expected to vote against it as parties.
The member’s bill is in the name of MP Jenny Marcroft and was drawn from Parliament's ballot.