Prior studies on accounting disclosure have identified firm, market, and country-level determinants of corporate voluntary disclosures. This paper extends this literature by identifying political and social expectations as additional determinants. We focus on the rise in the voluntary use of te reo Māori (Māori in short) between 2017 and 2024 in New Zealand annual reports and demonstrate that this is primarily due to the political environment of that time. Jacinda Ardern was the prime minister of New Zealand between 2017 and 2023, and her leadership was heavily defined by empathy and inclusivity. Māori is the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand, the Māori. The Māori renaissance since the 1970s and the Ardern policies of inclusion and diversity increased the use of Māori in public communication, including annual reports of New Zealand companies. While the number of Māori speakers has doubled in the last decade, only 4.3% of New Zealanders speak it. This raises the question of what is driving the use of Māori. Using five glossaries of Māori, we find a rapid growth in the voluntary use of Māori terms in annual reports during the time Jacinda Ardern was prime minister. This was felt more in the case of New Zealand-domiciled firms. The reason for its use, we argue, is that of her values-based politics. Firm size also positively influenced the use of Māori, and firms that focused on local markets were more inclined to use Māori. Overall, this paper demonstrates that changing social norms arising from politics and societal expectations can also influence voluntary corporate disclosures.