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‘Time for a clean-out’: Act reveals major election move

Author
Jamie Ensor,
Publish Date
Tue, 18 Mar 2025, 7:09am
Act leader David Seymour is expected to make the announcement on Tuesday. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Act leader David Seymour is expected to make the announcement on Tuesday. Photo / Mark Mitchell

‘Time for a clean-out’: Act reveals major election move

Author
Jamie Ensor,
Publish Date
Tue, 18 Mar 2025, 7:09am

The Act Party will today announce it is looking to stand candidates in the upcoming local council elections, saying it鈥檚 鈥渢ime for a clean-out鈥. 

Leader David Seymour is expected to hold a press conference in Wellington later on Tuesday to call for expressions of interest from New Zealanders to stand for their local council under the Act Party banner. Local elections will be held in October. 

This will be the first time Act has looked to put forward candidates in local elections. 

Seymour described it as an 鈥渆xploratory campaign鈥. He said national political parties putting forward local candidates hasn鈥檛 always been popular, but he reckoned 鈥渂etter representation鈥 is needed on councils. 

鈥淚f good people show up wanting to stand and we think we can win some, we will go for it,鈥 he said. 

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 better to be trying new things even if they don鈥檛 work out the first time than never try at all.鈥 

Act won鈥檛 be considering challenging mayoral seats as Seymour said the party needed to be 鈥渞ealistic鈥. He believed people needed to 鈥渟how what you can deliver before you try and take on big prizes鈥. 

鈥淪tart with people that can get around the council, learn the skills, and then work their way up,鈥 he said. 

Candidates would be expected to raise money to fund their own campaigns. 

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to see helicopter candidates funded from outside your town ... If you can鈥檛 fundraise money for your campaign, maybe people are trying to tell you something.鈥 

He will highlight Act鈥檚 key focuses in government, such as addressing the cost of living, wasteful spending, and co-governance, and suggest Act councillors would prioritise core issues like these, such as lowering rates and scrapping 鈥渘ice-to-haves鈥. 

鈥淲e want to end wasteful spending, end massive rate rises, end the war on cars, and start treating people respectfully regardless of race,鈥 Seymour said. 

He鈥檚 expected to say councils have missed the memo that Kiwis voted for 鈥渞eal change鈥 in 2023 and believes it is 鈥渢ime for a clean-out鈥 in local politics. 

Act leader David Seymour is expected to make the announcement on Tuesday. Photo / Mark MitchellAct leader David Seymour is expected to make the announcement on Tuesday. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

Act has grown its support significantly over the past decade in central government elections. 

In 2017, it received just 0.5% of the vote. That jumped to 7.6% in 2020 and then 8.64% in the 2023 election, enough to help National and NZ First form a government. 

Seymour has held the Epsom seat since 2014. In 2023, the party鈥檚 deputy, Brooke van Velden, scored the party鈥檚 second electorate seat with T膩maki. 

Although Act hasn鈥檛 had councillors elected under its banner previously, that hasn鈥檛 stopped the party making its thoughts heard on local politics. 

Just last week, Seymour issued a statement saying local councils should ditch complex procurement policies in favour of new rules from central government. 

One of his MPs, Mark Cameron, lodged a Member鈥檚 Bill last year that would restore provisions to the Resource Management Act prohibiting councils from considering climate change as a factor in their plans. 

A policy of Act鈥檚 at the 2023 election was to share GST with councils to fund local infrastructure. The party鈥檚 coalition agreement with National commits to considering this. 

Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub Press Gallery office. 

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