This is an accepted version of this page
107-635: Defunct ACT New Zealand ( Māori : Rōpū ACT ), also known as the ACT Party or simply ACT ( / ˈ æ k t / ), is a right-wing , classical liberal , right-libertarian , and conservative political party in New Zealand. It is currently led by David Seymour , and is in coalition with the National and New Zealand First parties, as part of the Sixth National government . ACT
214-462: A conservative , classical liberal and libertarian party, although its stances have changed under successive leadership and the party's support base has drawn a " big tent " and a "broad church" of voters. ACT's platform featured conservative populist policies under former leaders Richard Prebble (in office: 1996–2004) and Rodney Hide (2004–2011). Under the leadership of David Seymour (in office from 2014 onwards), commentators have identified
321-444: A protectionist one into a free market through extensive deregulation . After Labour lost the 1990 election in a wipeout and its neoliberal faction lost influence, ACT was built mostly by Douglas' former party supporters as a new political party for 1996 . The introduction of proportional representation gave minor parties a greatly increased chance of getting into parliament. Former Labour MP Richard Prebble unexpectedly won
428-544: A "tougher" stance on criminals who repeatedly offend and on those found guilty of violent crimes, while also supporting rehabilitation programs. In September 2022, the ACT Party proposed fitting ankle bracelets on young offenders aged between 11 and 14 to combat juvenile crime, particularly ram-raiding . Party leader Seymour argued that ankle bracelets were non-intrusive and would allow police to monitor young offenders. In response, Police Minister Chris Hipkins stated that
535-586: A condition for entering into coalition with the National Party. Seymour has argued that the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi was not a partnership between the New Zealand Crown and Māori, and that co-governance arrangements created resentment and division. In addition, ACT announced that it would introduce a new law defining the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi if elected into government following
642-464: A decentralised economy based on economic freedom and holds property rights , free markets , and free trade to be the most important kinds of freedom. Political theorist Russell Kirk believed that freedom and property rights were interlinked. In France, nationalism was originally a left-wing and republican ideology. After the period of boulangisme and the Dreyfus affair , nationalism became
749-733: A decline in the party's electoral fortunes. Rodney Hide led ACT into the 2005 election . It obtained 1.51% of the party vote, but due to Hide winning the seat of Epsom , it did not need to obtain the necessary 5% threshold of the party vote. This was only enough to allow one list MP Heather Roy , to join Hide in parliament. 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
856-598: A discussion document entitled "Democracy or co-government?" which proposed a new Treaty Principles Act that would end the focus on partnership between Māori and the Crown and interpret " tino rangatiratanga " solely as property rights. By contrast, most scholars of the Māori language define "tino rangatiratanga" as the equivalent of " self-determination " in the English language. The proposed Treaty Principles Act does not mention Māori,
963-565: A few right-wing movements—notably the French Nouvelle Droite , CasaPound , and American paleoconservatism —are often in opposition to capitalist ethics and the effects they have on society. These forces see capitalism and industrialism as infringing upon or causing the decay of social traditions or hierarchies that are essential for social order. In modern times, "right-wing" is sometimes used to describe laissez-faire capitalism . In Europe, capitalists formed alliances with
1070-560: A new Ministry for Regulation headed by Seymour that would review the quality of new and existing legislation. While National did not support Act's proposed referendum on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi , the Government would introduce a Treaty Principles Act and amend existing Treaty of Waitangi legislation to focus on the "original intent of the legislation." Within the National-led coalition government, Seymour became
1177-728: A shift in policy to a more libertarian outlook. Seymour has stated that he does not view populism as the way to govern a country or to stimulate growth, and has accused the centre-left New Zealand Labour Party of engaging in populism in its policies on business , spending and tax. The ACT Party emphasises the importance of property rights . 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 governments. Under leader Rodney Hide, ACT New Zealand had primarily focused on two main policy areas: taxation and crime ( law-and-order issues ). At
SECTION 10
#17327724946001284-408: 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. 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
1391-720: A strong national military force, the right to individual gun ownership, cutting taxes, reducing government spending, and balancing the budget. In Indonesia, Islamic populism has a significant impact on right-wing politics. This largely due to the historical context which Islamic organizations had during the 1960s in destroying the Indonesian Communist Party. Whilst the party is adopting democratic processes with neo-liberal market economies, socially pluralist positions aren't necessarily adopted. The Islamic populism in Indonesia has boosted its influence in 1998 after
1498-417: A trait of the right-wing. Right-wing nationalists sought to define and defend a "true" national identity from elements which they believed were corrupting that identity. Some were supremacists , who in accordance with scientific racism and social Darwinism applied the concept of " survival of the fittest " to nations and races . Right-wing nationalism was influenced by Romantic nationalism in which
1605-515: Is a phoney and a fraud on this issue, and that the emissions trading scheme is a worldwide scam and swindle." The former party leader has been branded as an "outspoken Kiwi climate change sceptic ". In February 2016, ACT deleted this climate-change policy from their website, and party leader David Seymour criticised the Green Party for doing "bugger all for the environment". ACT placed Chris Baillie fourth on its party list of candidates in
1712-603: Is an acronym of the name of the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers , a pressure group that was founded in 1993 by former National Party MP Derek Quigley and former Labour Party MP Roger Douglas , a figure of the New Right who served as minister of finance under the Fourth Labour Government . Douglas' neoliberal economic policies, dubbed Rogernomics , transformed New Zealand's economy from
1819-706: Is currently led by David Seymour , who became the party's leader in October 2014 and has been an elected MP of the party since September 2014. During the 2017 election , ACT retained its sole seat in Epsom and received 0.5% of the party vote . ACT rebounded in the 2020 election , winning 10 seats with 7.6% of the party vote. In the 2023 election ACT increased its share of the party vote to 9% and picked up an additional seat–the party's best result since its founding. According to former party leader Rodney Hide , ACT's values are "individual freedom, personal responsibility, doing
1926-454: Is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law , economics , authority , property , religion , biology , or tradition . Hierarchy and inequality may be seen as natural results of traditional social differences or competition in market economies . Right-wing politics are considered
2033-521: Is unjust, limits personal freedom, and leads to social uniformity and mediocrity. In the view of philosopher Jason Stanley in How Fascism Works , the "politics of hierarchy" is one of the hallmarks of fascism , which refers to a "glorious past" in which members of the rightfully dominant group sat atop the hierarchy, and attempt to recreate this state of being. According to The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Political Thought ,
2140-447: 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 that 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 state-provided accident, sickness and healthcare cover. As at 2021,
2247-501: The 2023 election . This law would only come into effect following a referendum held at the 2026 general election. ACT's proposed referendum and law would affect co-governance arrangements at several Crown Research Institutes , state-owned enterprises and healthcare providers such as Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority). However, Seymour indicated that the new law would preserve existing co-governance arrangements with
SECTION 20
#17327724946002354-1045: The Bible . The term family values has been used by right-wing parties—such as the Republican Party in the United States, the Family First Party in Australia, the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom, and the Bharatiya Janata Party in India—to signify support for traditional families and opposition to the changes the modern world has made in how families live. Supporters of "family values" may oppose abortion , euthanasia , and birth control . Outside
2461-646: The British Conservative Party , which responded supporting capitalism. The people of English-speaking countries did not apply the terms right and left to their politics until the 20th century. The term right-wing was originally applied to traditional conservatives , monarchists , and reactionaries; a revision of this which occurred sometime between the 1920s and 1950s considers the far-right to denote fascism , Nazism , and racial supremacy . Rightist regimes were common in Europe in
2568-634: The Civil Union Act 2004 which gave the option of legal recognition to (among others) same-sex couples. A majority within the caucus also supported the legalisation of brothels by the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 . In 2005, both of ACT's MPs, Rodney Hide and Heather Roy , voted for the Marriage (Gender Clarification) Amendment Bill 2005 , which would have banned the possibility of introducing same-sex marriage in New Zealand in
2675-591: The Cold War , postcolonial governments in Asia , Africa , and Latin America turned to the United States for political and economic support. Communists were also enemies of capitalism, portraying Wall Street as the oppressor of the masses. The United States made anti-communism the top priority of its foreign policy, and many American conservatives sought to combat what they saw as communist influence at home. This led to
2782-679: The Department of Corrections . ACT's proposed policies include shifting management of youth offenders from Oranga Tamariki (the Ministry for Children) to the Corrections Department, investing NZ$ 677 million into combating youth crime over the following four years – including NZ$ 500 million on the construction of 200 new "youth justice beds", and $ 44 million per year to operate these facilities. Members of ACT's caucus in parliament voted five to four in favour of
2889-659: The French Revolution . Some prelates of the Church of England –established by Henry VIII and headed by the current sovereign—are given seats in the House of Lords (as Lords Spiritual ), but they are considered politically neutral rather than specifically right- or left-wing. American right-wing media outlets oppose sex outside marriage and same-sex marriage , and they sometimes reject scientific positions on evolution and other matters where science tends to disagree with
2996-991: The Interwar period , 1919–1938. Among Kuomintang (KMT)'s conservatives during the Republic of China , Dai Jitao Thought supporters formed the Western Hills Group in the 1920s . Chiang Kai-shek initially claimed himself as a 'centrist' in the KMT left-right conflict, but became an anti-communist right-wing after Shanghai massacre . Chiangism (or 'Chiang Kai-shek Thought') was related to Confucianism , state capitalism , paternalistic conservatism , and Chinese nationalism (which included fascistic elements). The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) describes itself as Marxist , and has not officially abandoned leftist ideology, Marxism–Leninism , or socialism with Chinese characteristics . Christer Pursiainen has characterized
3103-691: The Labour Party that supported Douglas and his policies. 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. 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
3210-483: The Labour Party ). Under Douglas, ACT had languished at 1% in opinion polls, but with Prebble's populist rhetoric the party increased in support. In the 1996 election , ACT fielded 56 list candidates . Prebble won the Wellington Central electorate, and with 6.10% of the total party vote, ACT also sent seven list MPs to the 45th New Zealand Parliament . In the 1999 election , ACT obtained 7.04% of
3317-505: The Māori electorate seats in the New Zealand Parliament, arguing the seats are "an anachronism and offensive to the principle of equal citizenship" and that Māori MPs have been elected in general elections on other lists without special assistance. The party also wants to reduce the number of MPs in parliament from 120 to 100. In March 2022, ACT campaigned on holding a referendum on Māori co-governance arrangements as
ACT New Zealand - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-528: The Second Estate , generally sat to the right. In the successive legislative assemblies , monarchists who supported the Old Regime were commonly referred to as rightists because they sat on the right side. A major figure on the right was Joseph de Maistre , who argued for an authoritarian form of conservatism . Throughout France in the 19th century , the main line dividing the left and right
3531-572: The Teutonic Order , educational organizations such as the emerging universities and learned societies , the chartered towns and cities , and most notably the guild system which dominated the economics of population centers in Europe . In post-revolutionary France, the Right fought against the rising power of those who had grown rich through commerce, and sought to preserve the rights of
3638-919: The University of Auckland . The party argued that the New Zealand government should condemn efforts by the Chinese government to restrict freedom of speech in Hong Kong and criticised the Chinese Consulate-General for praising a Chinese student who had assaulted a pro-democracy activist in Auckland. In response to the Israel–Hamas war , Seymour as ACT leader issued a statement in support of Israel and condemned Hamas terrorism. ACT also accused Labour Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta of not explicitly opposing Hamas' actions. The name comes from
3745-480: The Waikato , Ngāi Tahu , Tūhoe and Whanganui iwi (tribes). Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith described ACT's proposed co-governance referendum and policies as being motivated by racism and reflecting a Pākehā unwillingness to share power. Similarly, Waikato leader Rahui Papa claimed that ACT's co-governance policies clashed with the second and third articles of
3852-613: The decline of the Western Roman Empire corporatism became limited to religious orders and to the idea of Christian brotherhood, especially in the context of economic transactions. From the High Middle Ages onwards corporatist organizations became increasingly common in Europe, including such groups as religious orders, monasteries , fraternities , military orders such as the Knights Templar and
3959-527: The 2020 election ; he has received criticism over his views on climate change, and been labelled a climate-change sceptic. 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. 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
4066-533: The 21st century, neo-nationalism came to prominence after the Cold War in the Western world . It is typically associated with cultural conservatism, populism , anti-globalization , and nativism and is opposed to immigration . The ideology takes historical association in determining membership in a nation, rather than racial concepts . Right-wing politics typically justifies a hierarchical society based on natural law or tradition . Traditionalism
4173-532: The ACT Party opposed Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman 's motion calling for members of parliament to recognise the rights of Palestinians to self-determination and statehood while reaffirming its support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict . Deputy Leader Van Velden justified ACT's opposition to the Green motion on the basis of Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March 's tweet that said "From
4280-507: The BJP, populism is a core part of the party's ideology. The main populist idea is that the ordinary, "good" individuals are continuously under attack from the "bad" political forces, media, etc. Since Narendra Modi became the leader of the BJP, it has increasingly been associated as a populist radical right party (PRR), however, traditionally the party was viewed as a Hindu nationalist party. Philosopher and diplomat Joseph de Maistre argued for
4387-583: The CCP as a right-wing political party, pointing to an ideological change within the party under Jiang Zemin 's leadership during the 1990s. The political term right-wing was first used during the French Revolution , when liberal deputies of the Third Estate generally sat to the left of the presiding officer's chair, a custom that began in the Estates General of 1789. The nobility, members of
ACT New Zealand - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-417: The Crown, iwi (tribes), and hapū (subgroups) but refers only to "New Zealanders". ACT Party leader Seymour refused to identify whom his party had consulted when developing its co-governance and Treaty of Waitangi policies, particularly its redefinition of "tino rangatiratanga" as property rights. As part of ACT's non-racial (colour-blind) policies, its social-development spokesperson Karen Chhour advocated
4601-529: The Government would adopt ACT's policies of restoring interest deductibility for rental properties and pet bonds. In addition to adopting National's youth crime and gang policies, the new Government would adopt ACT's policies of rewriting firearms legislation. The new Government would also scrap the previous Labour Government's fair pay agreements, proposed hate speech legislation, co-governance policies, Auckland light rail, Three Waters reform programme , and Māori Health Authority . The Government would also establish
4708-471: The Labour Government was not considering the use of ankle bracelets for young offenders but would keep "all options on the table". National Party leader Christopher Luxon and education spokesperson Erica Stanford initially indicated that they would not support ACT's ankle-bracelet policy, with Stanford describing it as "heartbreaking". New Zealand rugby-league player Sir Graham Lowe criticised
4815-402: 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
4922-540: 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 . 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
5029-526: The Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence. Simon Court was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Minister for Infrastructure and RMA Reform . On 7 February 2024, the ACT Party launched a campaign to support its Treaty Principles Bill, aiming to "restore the meaning of the Treaty of Waitangi to what was actually written and signed in 1840." ACT also reiterated its call for a referendum on
5136-525: The Right during their conflicts with workers after 1848. In France, the Right's support of capitalism can be traced to the late nineteenth century. The so-called neoliberal Right, popularised by US President Ronald Reagan and UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , combines support for free markets , privatisation , and deregulation with traditional right-wing support for social conformity. Right-wing libertarianism (sometimes known as libertarian conservatism or conservative libertarianism ) supports
5243-538: The Right has gone through five distinct historical stages: The political terms Left and Right were first used in the 18th century, during the French Revolution , referencing the seating arrangement of the French parliament . Those who sat to the right of the chair of the presiding officer ( le président ) were generally supportive of the institutions of the monarchist Old Regime . The original "Right" in France
5350-441: The Treaty of Waitangi and a video featuring Seymour. Seymour also contested claims that the opposition was trying to rewrite or abolish the Treaty of Waitangi. The public information campaign also came after a leaked Justice Ministry memo claimed that the proposed bill clashed with the text of the Treaty. ACT went into the 2008 general election with a policy that in part stated "New Zealand is not warming" and that their policy goal
5457-468: The Treaty's application if the bill progresses past the initial stages. Opposition to the bill included criticism from Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer , who accused Seymour of deliberately trying to divide New Zealand, and outgoing Labour MP Kelvin Davis , who stated that his party will continue to oppose the "Pākehā Government spiders". Right-wing politics Right-wing politics
SECTION 50
#17327724946005564-463: The United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. The party wants to protect freedom of expression and to limit funding for universities that do not uphold freedom of speech on campus. It supports immigration while it calls for compulsory measures for immigrants to assimilate and for limiting citizenship or permanent-residency status to those who pledge to uphold the values of New Zealand. On its website, ACT states "that all New Zealanders should have
5671-434: The United States, high-level candidates must hold the same stances on key issues as a party's base in order to gain the party's nomination and thus be guaranteed ballot access . In the case of legislative elections , base voters often prefer to support their party's candidate against an otherwise appealing opponent in order to strengthen their party's chances of gaining a majority in the legislature. This article about
5778-505: The West, the Hindu nationalist movement has attracted privileged groups which fear encroachment on their dominant positions, as well as "plebeian" and impoverished groups which seek recognition around a majoritarian rhetoric of cultural pride, order, and national strength. In Israel, Meir Kahane advocated that Israel should be a theocratic state , where non- Jews have no voting rights, and
5885-400: The abolition of Te Aka Whai Ora. Following the 2023 election and the formation of a National-led coalition government , ACT embarked on a public information campaign in early February 2024 to promote its Treaty Principles Bill . This campaign includes the creation of a new website called "treaty.nz," which has a Questions and Answers section outlining the party's approach to the principles of
5992-560: The adoption of several domestic policies that are collectively known under the term McCarthyism . While both liberals and conservatives were anti-communist, the followers of Senator McCarthy were called right-wing and those on the right called liberals who favored free speech, even for communists, leftist . Early forms of corporatism would be developed in Classical Greece and used in Ancient Rome . Plato would develop
6099-478: The ankle-bracelet policy, while Waikato retailer Ash Parmer supported it. In November 2022, National reversed its initial opposition to fitting young offenders with ankle bracelets; with justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith stating that a law change was necessary to impose electronic monitoring or intensive supervision on child offenders aged under 12 years. In May 2023, Seymour announced that ACT, if elected into government, would build youth-detention centres run by
6206-449: The best for our natural environment and for smaller, smarter government in its goals of a prosperous economy, a strong society, and a quality of life that is the envy of the world". ACT states that it adheres to classical-liberal and small (or limited ) government principles coupled with what the party considers as a high regard for individual freedom and personal responsibility . ACT sets out its values: ACT has been characterised as
6313-426: The church, the family, the state, and business. Right-wing populism is a combination of civic-nationalism , cultural-nationalism and sometimes ethno-nationalism , localism , along with anti-elitism , using populist rhetoric to provide a critique of existing political institutions. According to Margaret Canovan, a right-wing populist is "a charismatic leader, using the tactics of politicians' populism to go past
6420-497: The counterpart to left-wing politics , and the left–right political spectrum is the most common political spectrum . The right includes social conservatives and fiscal conservatives , as well as right-libertarians . "Right" and "right-wing" have been variously used as compliments and pejoratives describing neoliberal , conservative , and fascist economic and social ideas. The following positions are typically associated with right-wing politics. Early communists used
6527-596: The demise of the Suharto authoritarian regime. Islamic populism in Indonesia has similar properties with Islamic populist regimes like in the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa (MENA). The emphasis on social justice, pluralism, equality and progressive agendas could be potentially mobilized by Islamic cultural resources. In India, Bharatiya Janata Party supporters have more authoritarian, nativist, and populist ideas than other Indian citizens. Under Narendra Modi,
SECTION 60
#17327724946006634-856: The far-right Lehava strictly opposes Jewish assimilation and the Christian presence in Israel. The Jewish Defence League (JDL) in the United States was classified as "a right wing terrorist group" by the FBI in 2001. Many Islamist groups have been called right-wing, including the Great Union Party , the Combatant Clergy Association /Association of Militant Clergy, and the Islamic Society of Engineers of Iran. Right-wing politics involves, in varying degrees,
6741-437: The first Minister for Regulation and was designated as Deputy Prime Minister from 31 May 2025. Van Velden became Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety. Nicole McKee became Minister for Courts and Associate Minister of Justice (firearms). Andrew Hoggard was appointed as Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety while Karen Chhour was appointed as Minister for Children and Minister for
6848-567: 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 . 3 News also obtained copies of the recording suggesting the two politicians were discussing issues related to ACT New Zealand's leadership. Media dubbed the affair teapot tape . 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. The election
6955-473: The future perspective. 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 . ACT leader 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 . The law passed in 2019,
7062-573: The hereditary nobility. They were uncomfortable with capitalism, the Enlightenment, individualism, and industrialism, and fought to retain traditional social hierarchies and institutions. In Europe's history, there have been strong collectivist right-wing movements, such as in the social Catholic right , that have exhibited hostility to all forms of liberalism (including economic liberalism ) and have historically advocated for paternalist class harmony involving an organic-hierarchical society where workers are protected while class hierarchy remains. In
7169-502: The ideas of totalitarian and communitarian corporatist systems of natural based classes and social hierarchies that would be organized based on function, such that groups would cooperate to achieve social harmony by emphasizing collectives interests over individual interests. Corporatism as a political ideology advocates the organization of society by corporate groups —such as agricultural, labour, military, scientific, or guild associations—based on their common interests. After
7276-407: The incumbent Labour Party revised the motion to raise concerns about human rights abuses in Xinjiang but omitting the term genocide, which was subsequently adopted by the New Zealand Parliament on 5 May. In response, the Chinese Embassy claimed that the motion made "groundless accusations" of human rights abuses against China and constituted an interference in China's internal affairs. On 19 May 2021,
7383-420: The indirect authority of the Pope over temporal matters. According to Maistre, only governments which were founded upon Christian constitutions—which were implicit in the customs and institutions of all European societies, especially the Catholic European monarchies—could avoid the disorder and bloodshed that followed the implementation of rationalist political programs, such as the chaos which occurred during
7490-410: 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. The Association grew out of the ' Backbone club ', a ginger group in
7597-415: The internationalism of the communists. The 1920s and 1930s saw the decline of traditional right-wing politics. The mantle of conservative anti-communism was taken up by the rising fascist movements on the one hand and by American-inspired liberal conservatives on the other. When communist groups and political parties began appearing around the world, their opponents were usually colonial authorities and
7704-407: The laws, but unequal in all else; hierarchy is the order of nature, and privilege is the reward of honourable service". American conservative Russell Kirk also rejected egalitarianism as imposing sameness, stating: "Men are created different; and a government that ignores this law becomes an unjust government for it sacrifices nobility to mediocrity". Kirk took as one of the "canons" of conservatism
7811-591: The left- and the right-wing. In British politics, the terms right and left came into common use for the first time in the late 1930s during debates over the Spanish Civil War . In the United States, following the Second World War , social conservatives joined with right-wing elements of the Republican Party to gain support in traditionally Democratic voting populations like white southerners and Catholics . Ronald Reagan's election to
7918-452: The nineteenth century, the Right had shifted to support the newly rich in some European countries (particularly Britain) and instead of favouring the nobility over industrialists, favoured capitalists over the working class. Other right-wing movements—such as Carlism in Spain and nationalist movements in France, Germany, and Russia—remained hostile to capitalism and industrialism. Nevertheless,
8025-421: 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." In early December 2020, the New Zealand Parliament officially declared a climate emergency , of which ACT
8132-549: The party list. This was the party's best-ever result. Some political analysists attributed ACT's strong result as partly benefiting from the collapse in support for the National Party and New Zealand First . In late April 2021, the ACT party sponsored motion asking the New Zealand Parliament to debate and vote on the issue of human rights abuses against the Uyghur ethnic minority community in China 's Xinjiang province. In early May,
8239-465: The party proposed reducing GST and decreasing the marginal tax rate paid by those on the median wage, but did not advocate a flat tax rate. During the 2020 general election , the ACT party campaigned on a broad policy platform. It prioritised economic recovery ( see: COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand § Long-term effects ), keeping national debt low, and signing up to a CANZUK agreement which would enable free movement of people and goods between
8346-507: The party that morning. Brash's leadership was unanimously approved by the party board and parliamentary caucus on 30 April. 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. In November 2011, a recording of a conversation held between John Key and
8453-1055: 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. 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 . 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
8560-432: The party vote, making it eligible for nine list MPs. In the 2002 election , ACT obtained 7.14% of the party vote, making it eligible for nine list MPs. 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. Prebble's sudden departure from the leadership of ACT in 2004 signalled
8667-462: The party vote, placing eighth out of 13 on party vote percentage. 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. 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. Their previous partners,
8774-486: The politicians and intellectual elite and appeal to the reactionary sentiments of the populace, often buttressing his claim to speak for the people by the use of referendums". In Europe, right-wing populism often takes the form of distrust of the European Union , and of politicians in general, combined with anti-immigrant rhetoric and a call for a return to traditional, national values. Daniel Stockemer states,
8881-427: The presidency in 1980 cemented the alliance between the religious right in the United States and social conservatives. Political base In politics , a candidate or party's base or core support refers to the voters who support them for elected office based on core values. On the left-right political spectrum , left-leaning bases tend to be liberal while right-leaning bases tend to be conservative. In
8988-414: The principle that "civilized society requires orders and classes". Italian scholar Norberto Bobbio argued that the right-wing is inegalitarian compared to the left-wing, as he argued that equality is a relative, not absolute, concept. Right libertarians reject collective or state-imposed equality as undermining reward for personal merit, initiative, and enterprise. In their view, such imposed equality
9095-565: The radical right is, "Targeting immigrants as a threat to employment, security and cultural cohesion." In the United States, the Tea Party movement stated that the core beliefs for membership were the primacy of individual liberties as defined by the Constitution of the United States, preference for a small federal government, and respect for the rule of law. Some policy positions included opposition to illegal immigration and support for
9202-492: The rejection of some egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics , claiming either that social or economic inequality is natural and inevitable or that it is beneficial to society. Right-wing ideologies and movements support social order . The original French right-wing was called "the party of order" and held that France needed a strong political leader to keep order. Conservative British scholar R. J. White, who rejects egalitarianism, wrote: "Men are equal before God and
9309-642: The river to the sea, Palestine will be free!." Final results of the 2023 general election indicated that ACT won 8.64% of the party vote, resulting in 11 seats. Seymour retained his Epsom seat and Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden won the Tāmaki electorate. In November 2023, ACT entered into a coalition deal with the National party to form part of the Sixth National Government of New Zealand . As part of National's coalition agreement with ACT,
9416-512: The safe Labour seat of Wellington Central , and served as ACT party leader from after the election until 2004. Under Prebble's leadership the party held nine seats in Parliament. Rodney Hide served as leader from 2004 to 2011. ACT was briefly led by former National Party leader Don Brash for the 2011 election , after which the party caucus was reduced to one seat. ACT gave support to the Fifth National Government from 2008 to 2017. It
9523-612: The same fundamental rights, regardless of race, religion, sexuality or gender". The party says "the rights of victims should trump the rights of criminals" and has a number of tough-on-crime policies focused primarily on trying to control gangs . Party leader, David Seymour, wants to reintroduce the " three strikes law " (repealed in 2022 by the Labour Government ) and to impose three-year prison sentences—without parole—on anyone who commits three burglaries. ACT advocates repealing New Zealand's 2019 firearms legislation , and taking
9630-438: The state derives its political legitimacy from the organic unity of those who it governs. This generally includes the language, race, culture, religion, and customs of the nation, all of which were "born" within its culture. Linked with right-wing nationalism is cultural conservatism , which supports the preservation of the heritage of a nation or culture and often sees deviations from cultural norms as an existential threat. In
9737-635: The states of India. Multiple political parties however identify with terms and beliefs which are, by political consensus, right or left wing. Certain political parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party , identify with conservative and nationalist elements. Some, such as the Indian National Congress , take a liberal stance. The Communist Party of India , Communist Party of India (Marxist) , and others, identify with left-wing socialist and communist concepts. Other political parties take differing stands, and hence cannot be clearly grouped as
9844-467: The term right-wing came to be applied to colonialism . After World War II , communism became a global phenomenon and anti-communism became an integral part of the domestic and foreign policies of the United States and its NATO allies. Conservatism in the post-war era abandoned its monarchist and aristocratic roots, focusing instead on patriotism, religious values, and nationalism. Throughout
9951-431: The term "right-wing" in reference to conservatives, placing the conservatives on the right, the liberals in the centre and the communists on the left. Both the conservatives and the liberals were strongly anti-communist , although conservatives' anti-communism is much stronger than liberals'. The history of the use of the term right-wing about anti-communism is a complicated one. Early Marxist movements were at odds with
10058-491: The three most powerful monarchies in continental Europe before World War I . Many monarchists (except constitutional monarchists ) viewed inequality in wealth and political power as resulting from a divine natural order. The struggle between monarchists and communists was often described as a struggle between the Right and the Left. By World War I , in most European monarchies the divine right of kings had become discredited and
10165-652: The traditional monarchies that ruled over much of the European continent at the time. Many European monarchies outlawed the public expression of communist views and the Communist Manifesto , which began "[a] spectre [that] is haunting Europe", and stated that monarchs feared for their thrones. Advocacy of communism was illegal in the Russian Empire , the German Empire , and Austria-Hungary ,
10272-402: The treaty which (he argued) guaranteed Māori participation in the social sector. In response, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reiterated her government 's commitment to co-governance arrangements. Meanwhile, National Party leader Christopher Luxon refused to commit to a referendum on co-governance, but acknowledged that further clarity on co-governance was needed. In October 2022, ACT released
10379-422: The wealth redistribution measures characteristic of social democracy . The dominance of the political right of inter-war Hungary , after the collapse of a short-lived Communist regime, was described by historian István Deák : Although freedom fighters are favoured, the right-wing tendency to elect or appoint politicians and government officials based on aristocratic and religious ties is common to almost all
10486-458: 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
10593-458: Was advocated by a group of United States university professors (labelled the "New Conservatives" by the popular press) who rejected the concepts of individualism , liberalism , modernity , and social progress , seeking instead to promote what they identified as cultural and educational renewal and a revived interest in concepts perceived by traditionalists as truths that endure from age to age alongside basic institutions of western society such as
10700-548: 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. Wang resigned as deputy leader on 9 July 2017, the same day ACT released its party list; Beth Houlbrooke was announced as his replacement. The party list had 39 candidates, none of whom were elected. Party leader David Seymour
10807-773: Was approved by the public in a 2020 referendum , and took full effect in 2021. Grant Duncan cited the euthanasia law as an example of ACT neoliberalism. In 2020, Seymour voted for the Abortion Legislation Act which introduced abortion on request. However, he criticised a particular aspect of this law which created "free protest zones" which would ban protests near abortion clinics, saying this limits freedom of expression. In 2021, ACT expressed support for liberalisation of surrogacy law so as to facilitate availability of surrogate services to heterosexual and same-sex couples as well. (Currently, New Zealand law permits altruistic surrogacy only.) ACT proposes abolition of
10914-702: Was between supporters of the republic and those of the monarchy, who were often secularist and Catholic respectively. On the right, the Legitimists and Ultra-royalists held counter-revolutionary views, while the Orléanists hoped to create a constitutional monarchy under their preferred branch of the royal family, which briefly became a reality after the 1830 July Revolution . The centre-right Gaullists in post-World War II France advocated considerable social spending on education and infrastructure development as well as extensive economic regulation, but limited
11021-432: 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". The party supports repealing the 2019 " Zero Carbon Act ". In 2019, ACT expressed sympathy with the Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests with party leader David Seymour speaking at a Hong Kong pro-democracy rally at
11128-475: Was formed in reaction to the "Left" and comprised those supporting hierarchy, tradition, and clericalism . The expression la droite ("the right") increased in use after the restoration of the monarchy in 1815 , when it was applied to the ultra-royalists . From the 1830s to the 1880s, the Western world 's social class structure and economy shifted from nobility and aristocracy towards capitalism . This shift affected centre-right movements such as
11235-423: Was re-elected in the Epsom electorate , giving the party its only seat. 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. Following the election, held on 17 October (postponed from September), ACT increased their share of the party vote to 7.6%, winning 10 seats including Seymour's Epsom seat and nine from
11342-702: Was replaced by liberal and nationalist movements. Most European monarchs became figureheads, or they yielded some power to elected governments. The most conservative European monarchy, the Russian Empire, was replaced by the communist Soviet Union . The Russian Revolution inspired a series of other communist revolutions across Europe in the years 1917–1923 . Many of these, such as the German Revolution , were defeated by nationalist and monarchist military units. During this period, nationalism began to be considered right-wing, especially when it opposed
11449-425: 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 ". 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
#599400