ACT New Zealand

ACT wants to reduce or remove some Government programmes which it sees as unnecessary and wasteful and to increase self-reliance by encouraging individuals to take responsibility to pay for services traditionally paid for by the Government. The party has shifted to a more classical liberal stance under current leader David Seymour (2014–present), whereas it embraced a mix of liberal and conservative populist policies under former leaders Richard Prebble (1996–2004) and Rodney Hide (2004–2011).[21]

Under leader Rodney Hide, ACT New Zealand had primarily focused on two main policy areas: taxation and crime (law and order issues). At the 2011 general election, ACT advocated lowering tax rates and also supported something approaching a flat tax, in which tax rates would not be graduated based on wealth or income, so every taxpayer would pay the same proportion of their income in tax. The flat tax rate that ACT proposed was approximately 15% with no tax on the first $25,000 for those who opt out of Government accident, sickness and healthcare cover.[22] As at 2021, the party proposes reducing GST and decreasing the marginal tax rate paid by those on the median wage; however it currently does not advocate a flat tax rate.[23]

At the 2020 general election, the party broadly listed its policies as prioritising economic recovery (see: COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand § Long-term effects); keeping national debt low; defending freedom of expression; repealing restrictive firearms legislation; taking a "tougher" stance on criminals who repeatedly offend and those found guilty of violent crimes while supporting rehabilitation programs; limiting funding for universities that do not uphold freedom of speech; supporting immigration, while calling for compulsory measures for immigrants to assimilate and limiting citizenship or permanent residency to those who pledge to uphold the values of New Zealand; and signing up to a CANZUK agreement which would enable free movement of people and goods between the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia.[24]

Members of ACT's caucus in parliament voted 5 to 4 in favour of the Civil Union Act 2004 which gave the option of legal recognition to (among others) same-sex couples. A majority also supported the legalisation of brothels by the Prostitution Reform Act 2003.[25]

In 2013, leader John Banks (the party's sole MP from 2011 to 2014) voted in favour of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill at its third reading, a law which legalised same-sex marriage in New Zealand.[26]

David Seymour supported the legalisation of assisted dying. In 2018, he introduced a member's bill, the End of Life Choice Bill which aimed to legalise euthanasia in New Zealand.[27] The law passed in 2019, was approved by the public in a 2020 referendum,[28] and will take full effect in 2021. The euthanasia law has been cited as an example of Seymour's libertarian personal outlook.[29] The party has also been described as containing populist and right-wing populist elements, particularly on law and order,[30] but Seymour has stated that he does not view populism as the way to govern a country or stimulate growth, and has accused the New Zealand Labour Party of engaging in populism in its business, spending and tax policies.[31][32]

ACT went into the 2008 general election with a policy that in part stated "New Zealand is not warming" and that their policy goal was to ensure "That no New Zealand government will ever impose needless and unjustified taxation or regulation on its citizens in a misguided attempt to reduce global warming or become a world leader in carbon neutrality".[33] In September 2008, ACT Party Leader Rodney Hide stated "that the entire climate change - global warming hypothesis is a hoax, that the data and the hypothesis do not hold together, that Al Gore is a phoney and a fraud on this issue, and that the emissions trading scheme is a worldwide scam and swindle."[34] The former party leader has been branded as an "outspoken Kiwi climate change sceptic".[35] In February 2016, ACT deleted this climate change policy from their website, and party leader David Seymour attacked the Green Party for doing "bugger all for the environment".[36]

ACT placed Chris Baillie fourth on its party list of candidates in the 2020 election; he has received criticism over his views on climate change,[37] and been labelled a climate change sceptic.[38] In a 2020 report by OraTaiao, the independent New Zealand climate and health council, ACT was listed as a party that would "either make climate change worse or do nothing".[39] It finished in 9th place in the council's pre-election scorecard, scoring 1.1 (one point one) out of 24.[40][41] However, in the runup to the 2020 election, Environmental Defence Society chief executive Gary Taylor said that even ACT had moved its position from where it had been. While he was largely critical of the party, saying "ACT have been very outspoken about wanting to go hard to repeal a lot of climate change legislation, and I haven't seen much from New Zealand First, mainly just silence." He also stated, "I think the only upside from ACT really on climate change is they do seem to have moved from outright deniers - which is where the party was five years ago. [With] a strong ACT presence you could expect some of their radical and unhelpful policies to potentially be implemented, and that is frankly a scary proposition."[42]

In early December 2020, the New Zealand Parliament officially declared a climate emergency, of which ACT was critical, stating, "Today's climate emergency was a triumph for post-rational politics with feelings rather than facts driving the Government's response to climate change".[43] The party supports repealing the 2019 "Zero Carbon Act".[39]

Sir Roger Douglas was the party's first leader.

The name comes from the initials of the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, founded in 1993 by Sir Roger Douglas and Derek Quigley. Douglas and Quigley intended the Association to serve as a pressure-group promoting Rogernomics—the name given to the radical free-market policies implemented by Douglas as Minister of Finance between 1984 and 1988. In 1996, New Zealand switched to using the MMP electoral system. The new electoral system gave smaller groups a much better chance of entering Parliament, and encouraged the Association to transform into a political party and contest elections.[44] The nascent party's manifesto was based upon a book written by Douglas entitled Unfinished Business. Douglas served as ACT's first leader, but soon stood aside for Richard Prebble (his old ally from their days in the Labour Party).[45]

Richard Prebble led ACT from 1996 to 2004.

Under Douglas, ACT had languished at 1% in opinion polls, but with Prebble's populist rhetoric the party increased in support.[46] In the 1996 election, ACT fielded 56 list candidates.[47] Prebble won the Wellington Central electorate,[47] and with 6.10% of the total party vote, ACT also sent seven list MPs to the 45th New Zealand Parliament.[48]

In the 1999 election, ACT obtained 7.04% of the party vote, making it eligible for nine list MPs.[49]

In the 2002 election, ACT obtained 7.14% of the party vote, making it eligible for nine list MPs.[50]

On 2 December 2004, both Douglas and Quigley announced that they would step down as patrons of ACT. They stated as the reason that they wished to have more freedom to disagree with the party publicly.[51]

Prebble's sudden departure from the leadership of ACT in 2004 signalled a decline in the party's electoral fortunes.[46] Rodney Hide led ACT into the 2005 election. It obtained 1.51% of the party vote, but due to winning one electorate did not need to obtain the necessary 5% threshold of the party vote and hence had 1 list MP and 1 electorate MP.[52]

In the 2008 New Zealand general election, ACT fielded 61 list candidates, starting with Rodney Hide, Heather Roy, Sir Roger Douglas, John Boscawen, David Garrett and Hilary Calvert. The election marked an improvement in ACT's fortunes. Hide retained his Epsom seat and ACT's share of the party vote increased to 3.65% (up from the 1.5% gained in the 2005 election). The combination allowed the party five MPs in total.[53]

In addition, the National Party won the most seats overall, forming a minority government, the Fifth National Government of New Zealand, with the support of ACT as well as the Māori Party and United Future. John Key offered both Hide and Roy posts as Ministers outside Cabinet: Hide became Minister of Local Government, Minister for Regulatory Reform and Associate Minister of Commerce, while Roy became Minister of Consumer Affairs, Associate Minister of Defence and Associate Minister of Education.[54]

After 2008, some caucus MPs and organisational members became dissatisfied with ACT's coalition partner status and argued at ACT's national conference (27 February 2010) that there were insufficient fiscal responsibility policy gains for their party and that the National Party had slid from its earlier commitment to the politics of fiscal responsibility over the course of the previous decade. Throughout 2009, there had been at least one reported ACT caucus coup attempt against Hide's leadership, believed to have been led by Deputy Leader Heather Roy and Roger Douglas. However, it faltered when Prime Minister Key supported Hide's retention and threatened a snap election. In addition, the party's polling of a lowly one to two percent in most opinion polls meant only Heather Roy might accompany Hide after any forthcoming general election, if Hide retained ACT's Epsom pivotal electorate seat.[55]

On 28 April 2011, Hide announced that he was resigning the ACT leadership in favour of former National Party leader and Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash who joined the party that morning. Brash's leadership was unanimously approved by the party board and parliamentary caucus on 30 April.[56] Brash promised to focus the party on controlling government debt, equality between Māori and non-Māori, and rethinking the Emissions Trading Scheme, with a target of getting 15 percent of the party vote in the next election.[57]

In November 2011, a recording of a conversation held between John Key and the former National Party member and former Mayor of Auckland City John Banks, who had been selected as the new ACT candidate in Epsom, was leaked to Herald on Sunday.[58][59] 3 News also obtained copies of the recording suggesting the two politicians were discussing issues related to ACT New Zealand's leadership.[58]Media dubbed the affair teapot tape.[58]

In the 2011 New Zealand general election, ACT fielded 55 list candidates, starting with new leader Don Brash, Catherine Isaac, Don Nicolson, John Banks, David Seymour and Chris Simmons.[60] The election was a disappointment for ACT, with the party's worst election result since it began in 1996. John Banks retained the Epsom seat for ACT, however the 34.2% majority held by Rodney Hide was severely cut back to 6.3% as large numbers of Labour and Green voters in Epsom tactically split their vote and gave their electorate vote to the National candidate Paul Goldsmith. Nationwide, ACT received only 1.07% of the party vote, placing eighth out of 13 on party vote percentage.[61] As a result, ACT were only entitled to one seat in the new Parliament, filled by John Banks. Subsequently, Don Brash announced that he had stepped down as leader during his speech on election night.[62][63] Following the 2011 general election John Banks stated that he believed that the ACT brand "...just about had its use-by date..." and needed to be renamed and relaunched.[64]

Their previous partners, the National Party, again won the most seats overall, and formed a minority government. The Fifth National Government of New Zealand had ACT support as well as that of United Future and the Māori Party, providing the coalition with confidence and supply.

David Seymour and Jamie Whyte at the ACT selection announcement for Leader and Epsom in February 2014

At the ACT Board meeting of 2 February 2014, Jamie Whyte became the party's leader-elect, and David Seymour was made the ACT candidate for Epsom. Kenneth Wang was appointed deputy leader on 15 April 2014. In the September 2014 general election, Seymour won his seat, and ACT moved from seventh to sixth place, despite a decline in their share of the popular vote. Seymour took over as party leader on 3 October 2014.[65][66]

Previous logo used in the 2017 election

Wang resigned as deputy leader on 9 July 2017, the same day ACT released its party list; Beth Houlbrooke was announced as his replacement.[67]

The party list had 39 candidates, none of whom were elected.[68] Party leader David Seymour was re-elected in the Epsom electorate, giving the party its only seat.[17]

In the run-up to the 2020 general election, ACT rose in opinion polls, from under 1% to close to 8%. This rise was attributed to Seymour's personal popularity.[69] Following the election, held on 17 October (postponed from September), ACT increased their share of the popular vote to 7.6%, winning 10 seats including Seymour's Epsom seat and nine from the party list.[70][71] This is the party's best-ever result.[72] Some political analysists attributed ACT's strong result as partly benefiting from the collapse in support for the National Party and New Zealand First.[73]