88-456: Te Tai Rawhiti ( lit. ' The East Coast ' ) was one of the five new New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates created in 1996 for MMP. It largely replaced its English-named predecessor, Eastern Maori , though Te Tai Rawhiti's boundary was retracted significantly in the central North Island . Te Tai Rawhiti only existed for one electoral term, and in 1999 was largely replaced by Waiariki and Ikaroa-Rāwhiti . The electorate
176-470: 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
264-547: 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
352-472: A National-led coalition. Prebble unexpectedly won, though ACT's vote share would have qualified them for MMP in any event. Other unusual occurrences was the large amount of new Māori MPs – leading to the backronym "More Māori in Parliament" for MMP. With the introduction of MMP in 1996, the proportion of Māori in Parliament increased from 8% to 14%, to an all-time record of 17 MPs. In the 1993 election,
440-586: 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
528-598: 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,
616-593: 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 the Labour Party ). Under Douglas, ACT had languished at 1% in opinion polls, but with Prebble's populist rhetoric
704-566: 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
792-564: 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 a protectionist one into a free market through extensive deregulation . After Labour lost
880-557: 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 the initials of the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, founded in 1993 by Sir Roger Douglas and Derek Quigley . Douglas and Quigley intended
968-736: 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
#17327866116501056-458: 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
1144-467: A straight majority of the 65 electorates. The National Party, the governing party, was three seats short of a majority, gaining 30 seats. The Labour Party, in opposition, won 26 electorate seats. New Zealand First won six electorate seats, the highest number of any minor party for over 50 years. The Alliance, ACT and United managed to win one electorate seat each. For United, this was a significant loss – established by break-away MPs from National and Labour,
1232-455: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to the Māori people of New Zealand is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 1996 New Zealand general election Jim Bolger National Jim Bolger National The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament . It
1320-494: Is frankly a scary proposition." 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". The party supports repealing the 2019 " Zero Carbon Act ". In 2019, ACT expressed sympathy with
1408-405: 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 ". In September 2008, ACT Party Leader Rodney Hide stated "that the entire climate change – global warming hypothesis is a hoax, that
1496-437: 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 the safe Labour seat of Wellington Central , and served as ACT party leader from after
1584-504: The 1999 election it was substantially replaced by Waiariki . Key NZ First Alliance Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A [REDACTED] Y or [REDACTED] N denotes status of any incumbent , win or lose respectively. This article about New Zealand politics
1672-613: 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
1760-449: 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 ,
1848-502: 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
#17327866116501936-707: 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 is an acronym of the name of the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers ,
2024-635: 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
2112-681: 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
2200-431: 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
2288-541: The National Party and the Labour Party had won 50 and 45 seats, respectively. The Alliance and the New Zealand First party had each won two seats. In the approach to MMP, however, there had been considerable rearrangement in parliament, with three new parties being established. As such, the situation just before the 1996 election was markedly different from the situation that had been established at
2376-530: The Nga Iwi Morehu Movement . Most unregistered parties stood only a single candidate, with only four parties running in multiple electorates. In total, around 1,500 people voted for candidates from unregistered parties. In addition, 26 independents contested electorate seats. A total of 16,436 people voted for independent candidates. No candidate from an unregistered party or an independent candidate won an electorate seat. No party managed to win
2464-481: 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
2552-647: The 1993 election. The 1996 election was notable for the significant change of electorate boundaries, based on the provisions of the Electoral Act 1993. Because of the introduction of the MMP electoral system, the number of electorates had to be reduced, leading to significant changes. Under MMP, there would be only 65 district members, down by 34 from the number elected in the 1993 election. Many electorates were abolished, with their territories being incorporated into completely new electoral districts. More than half of
2640-663: The 1996 election and onwards, the number of South Island electorates is fixed at 16. The number of electors on the general roll of the South Island divided by 16 gives the target size for North Island and Māori electorates ; this is referred to as the South Island quota. The electorates of Avon , Awarua , Christchurch North , Clutha , Dunedin West , Fendalton , Lyttelton , Marlborough , Rangiora , Selwyn , St Albans , St Kilda , Sydenham , Tasman , Timaru , Waitaki , Wallace , West Coast , and Yaldhurst were abolished in
2728-532: 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
Te Tai Rawhiti - Misplaced Pages Continue
2816-435: 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 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
2904-417: 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
2992-529: 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
3080-672: 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 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
3168-473: 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
3256-402: 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
3344-540: 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
3432-1151: The North Island. Twenty existing electorates ( Albany , Auckland Central , Hamilton East , Hamilton West , Mangere , Manurewa , Napier , New Lynn , New Plymouth , North Shore , Pakuranga , Palmerston North , Rangitikei , Rotorua , Tamaki , Tauranga , Wairarapa , Waitakere , Whanganui , and Whangarei ) were kept. Seventeen electorates ( Mahia , Owairaka , Waipareira , Karapiro , Ohariu-Belmont , Port Waikato , Epsom , Hutt South , Mana , Manukau East , Maungakiekie , Northcote , Northland , Rimutaka , Rongotai , Taranaki-King Country , and Tukituki ) were newly formed. Eight electorates ( Bay of Plenty , Coromandel , Hunua , Otaki , Rodney , Taupo , and Wellington Central ) were recreated. All four existing Māori electorates ( Eastern Maori , Northern Maori , Southern Maori , and Western Maori ) were abolished. The calculation described above resulted in five Māori electorates being required; these were Te Puku O Te Whenua , Te Tai Hauauru , Te Tai Rawhiti , Te Tai Tokerau , and Te Tai Tonga . The House of Representatives
3520-527: 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
3608-526: The South Island. Six existing electorates ( Christchurch Central , Dunedin North , Invercargill , Nelson , Otago , and Rakaia ) were kept. Seven electorates ( Aoraki , Banks Peninsula , Clutha-Southland , Ilam , Kaikoura , Waimakariri , and West Coast-Tasman ) were newly formed. Three electorates ( Christchurch East , Dunedin South , and Wigram ) were recreated. Based on the calculation described above,
Te Tai Rawhiti - Misplaced Pages Continue
3696-399: 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
3784-528: 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
3872-401: 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
3960-480: 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
4048-452: 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
4136-420: The candidates, 459 were electorate and list, 152 were electorate only, and 231 were list only. 73% of candidates (616) were male and 27% (226) female. The 1996 election eventually saw a victory for the governing National Party , which won around a third of the vote. The opposition Labour Party won slightly less. The election, however, was not decided by the comparative strengths of the major parties – rather,
4224-492: 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." 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
4312-599: The difference made by the new electoral system. The Alliance and New Zealand First , both of which held two seats each in the old parliament, increased their representation to 13 and 17 seats, respectively, as a result of the change. The new ACT New Zealand also benefited, taking eight seats. The new United New Zealand party however was virtually wiped out, retaining only a single seat. The Conservative Party also only established only in previous Parliament by defecting Members of Parliament fared even worse, failing to remain in parliament at all. Strategic voting took place for
4400-697: The election debates and running a strong campaign on health, education and social services, while Bolger was said to have run a lackluster campaign. Also notable in the 1996 election campaign was the Christian Coalition , an alliance of the Christian Democrats and the Christian Heritage Party . Although the party had briefly crossed the 5% threshold in some polls, it gained only 4.33% at the election, and therefore did not qualify for parliamentary representation. With
4488-491: 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 is currently led by David Seymour , who became
SECTION 50
#17327866116504576-425: The electorates contested in 1996 were newly constituted, and most of the remainder had seen significant boundary changes. Wanganui was renamed as Whanganui . In total, 73 electorates were abolished, 29 electorates were newly created, and 10 electorates were recreated, giving a net loss of 34 electorates. Since the 1967 electoral redistribution, the South Island had its number of general electorates fixed at 25. For
4664-402: The environment". 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, 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
4752-520: The exception of the Maori Ratana movement, this is the closest that an overtly religious party has come to winning representation in parliament. Voters were prepared with MMP to vote for minor party candidates with their electorate vote, hence in a number of electorates won by National or Labour the other major party candidate came third or even fourth; previously the two top polling candidates were almost always National and Labour. In addition to
4840-437: 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
4928-543: The first time in a New Zealand MMP election in the Wellington seats of Ohariu-Belmont and Wellington Central . However, Labour did manage to retain its status as among the top-two parties, as polls in the 1993–1996 period had shown Labour was in danger of being overtaken by the Alliance or New Zealand First . Labour 's success was credited largely to its leader Helen Clark being seen as having convincingly won
5016-624: 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
5104-524: 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,
5192-584: 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,
5280-529: The nationwide party vote. 1996 saw the National Party , led by Jim Bolger , retain its position in government, but only after protracted negotiations with the smaller New Zealand First party to form a coalition. New Zealand First won 17 seats—including sweeping every single Māori electorate , all of which had been dominated by the Labour Party since the Second World War. Particular emphasis
5368-433: The need for a by-election following the resignation of Michael Laws , as a by-election is not needed if there will be a general election within 6 months of a seat being vacated. Of the 2,418,587 people registered to vote, 88.3% turned out to vote. The turnout was a slight improvement on the previous two elections, but still slightly lower than what would have been expected during the 1980s. The number of seats being contested
SECTION 60
#17327866116505456-578: The parliamentary representation of the ACT New Zealand , a newly-formed libertarian party which had largely split from the Labour Party after the end of Rogernomics . National endorsed ACT leader and former Labour minister Richard Prebble against their own for Wellington Central , a consistently safe Labour seat. Under New Zealand's MMP rules, a party qualified for list seats if it won at least one electorate seat, regardless of vote share. Bolger thus wanted to ensure ACT could potentially be part of
5544-452: The party entered the election with seven seats, but only Peter Dunne managed to retain his position, being helped by National's decision not to field a candidate in his electorate of Ohariu-Belmont . For the most part, traditional patterns prevailed when it came to the distribution of electorates – National performed best in rural areas, while Labour was strongest in the cities. A very significant departure from traditional patterns, however,
5632-470: 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 the party vote, making it eligible for nine list MPs. In the 2002 election , ACT obtained 7.14% of
5720-554: 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,
5808-466: 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
5896-509: 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
5984-916: 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
6072-405: 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 a decline in the party's electoral fortunes. Rodney Hide led ACT into
6160-466: 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,
6248-661: 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
6336-497: 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
6424-566: The registered parties listed above, a number of unregistered parties also contested the election. Being unregistered, they could not submit party lists (and thus receive party votes), but they could still stand candidates in individual electorates. Among the parties to do this were the Indigenous Peoples Party, the New Zealand Progressive Party (unrelated to the 2002–2012 party of the same name) and
6512-648: 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,
6600-614: 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
6688-537: The smaller New Zealand First party, which won 17 seats, including 5 Māori seats won by the Tight Five , and was placed in the position of "kingmaker", able to provide the necessary majority to whichever side it chose. Although predicted by many to ally with Labour, on 10 December 1996 New Zealand First leader Winston Peters chose to form a coalition with National, thus preserving Prime Minister Jim Bolger 's administration. The 1996 election effectively showcased
6776-760: The target size for North Island electorates resulted in 44 of them being required. The electorates of Birkenhead , East Coast Bays , Eastern Bay of Plenty , Eastern Hutt , Eden , Far North , Franklin , Gisborne , Glenfield , Hastings , Hauraki , Hawkes Bay , Henderson , Heretaunga , Hobson , Horowhenua , Howick , Island Bay , Kaimai , Kaipara , Kapiti , King Country , Manawatu , Matakana , Matamata , Miramar , Mt Albert , Onehunga , Onslow , Otara , Pahiatua , Panmure , Papakura , Papatoetoe , Pencarrow , Porirua , Raglan , Remuera , Roskill , Taranaki , Tarawera , Te Atatu , Titirangi , Tongariro , Waikaremoana , Waikato , Waipa , Waitotara , Wellington-Karori , and Western Hutt were abolished in
6864-405: 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
6952-461: Was 120, an increase of 21 from the previous election, but as 55 of the new seats were for list candidates, the number of electorates was reduced considerably and many electorates had their boundaries amended or were abolished. While the number of general electorates decreased from 95 (1993) to 60 (1996), the number of Māori electorates increased from 4 to 5. In the election 842 candidates stood, and there were 21 registered parties with party lists. Of
7040-610: Was New Zealand First's capture of all five Maori seats, which had traditionally been Labour strongholds. Although Labour was to reclaim these seats in the subsequent election, Labour's monopoly was no longer so secure as it had been. The table below shows the results of the 1996 general election: Key National Labour Alliance NZ First ACT United NZ Mana Māori Independent ACT New Zealand Defunct ACT New Zealand ( Māori : Rōpū ACT ), also known as
7128-406: 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
7216-552: 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
7304-778: 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
7392-541: Was based in the Bay of Plenty and East Cape regions, as well as parts of eastern Waikato , and included the following population centres: The electorate included the following tribal areas: Te Tai Rawhiti was one of the five new Māori electorates created for the 1996 election with the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation, and which were all won by the Tight Five of New Zealand First . In
7480-443: Was notable for being the first election to be held under the new mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system , and produced a parliament considerably more diverse than previous elections. Under the new MMP system, 65 members were elected in single-member districts by first-past-the-post voting, while a further 55 "top-up" members were allocated from closed lists to achieve a proportional distribution based on each party's share of
7568-432: Was placed on New Zealand First's unprecedented success, particularly among Māori; their five Māori electorate winners became known as the " Tight Five ". The party's position as " kingmaker " meant they were able to place either of the two major parties into government, a significant election outcome for such a new party. Various other unusual results occurred under the new system. For one, the National Party sought to ensure
7656-425: 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
7744-434: Was to have 120 seats, of which 65 were filled through electorate MPs (16 from South Island electorates, 44 from North Island electorates, and 5 from Māori electorates). This left 55 list seats to be filled. An outcome of the election was that no overhang seats were required. Eleven MPs intended to retire at the end of the 44th Parliament. The date of the 1996 election was 12 October; it was brought forward slightly to avoid
#649350