Acting PM David Seymour visits Tauranga for first city council election in five years

Acting Prime Minister, Act leader David Seymour was in Tauranga on Friday talking about democracy as the city's election wraps up. Photo / Andrew MacDonald

The “critical” part of Tauranga’s election ending tomorrow is that voters will “have a council that you’re able to vote out”, Acting Prime Minister David Seymour says.

He said the first Tauranga City Council election in five years marked a return to the “status quo” for democracy in the city.

The Act Party leader was in Tauranga today speaking to people in the CBD. He was accompanied by resident Act MP Cameron Luxton, who cast his vote at Tauranga Library.

The final day to vote is tomorrow. A mayor and nine councillors are being elected to replace the four government-appointed commissioners who have been in place since 2020.

Speaking to media, Seymour acknowledged Luxton voting – “something that’s been rather difficult for people in Tauranga for far too many years right now”.

Seymour said there would be “conflicting views” about some of the projects the commissioners had funded.

“But what is critical is that at least now you’re going to have a council that you’re able to vote out.

“That is the fundamental point of democracy. That if you don’t like what’s happening in your society, you can ... move them on and get better government.

“That is now going to be the status quo of Tauranga from tomorrow and I think it shows our Government’s commitment to one-person, one-vote democracy across the board.”

Seymour was asked if it was a bad move not to have a hybrid local government model, given the voter turnout was on track to be lower than the 2019 election.

Tauranga’s commissioners previously called on the Government to change the law to allow for a “hybrid” governance arrangement with four commissioners and five councillors instead of a fully elected council.

Act MP Cameron Luxton voting in the Tauranga City Council election. Photo / Andrew MacDonald

Just over a quarter of eligible people had cast a vote as of Thursday evening. The turnout at this point in the prior three elections was closer to a third.

“Ultimately, democracy has a value and we should not devalue it purely because of participation,” Seymour said.

“To take away the right of any group of New Zealanders to choose their representatives and to be able to vote out their representatives is a really significant move.

“I’d be very cautious of saying, well here’s one standard which was the 2019 turnout, if you don’t meet that standard, then you could actually lose your wider democratic rights. That’s quite a serious call to make – I don’t agree with that.”

He said more participation was desirable in all elections but it was “not the be-all and end-all of democracy”.

“I think if you were to ask many people around the world who are literally fighting for freedom and democracy, would you like a democracy with a low participation rate or no democracy, they’d go with democracy.”

Seymour’s public meeting disrupted by protesters

Seymour was asked about his public meeting at the Trinity Wharf Hotel in Tauranga yesterday, which was disrupted by pro-Palestine protesters.

“I’m, like anybody, absolutely mortified at what is happening in the Middle East. It’s just all kinds of horrible on every level – there’s no question about that,” Seymour said.

“If I thought that the New Zealand Government could do something effective to resolve what is a 4000-year-old conflict, I’d certainly be doing even more.

“But as it stands, the Government has called for restraint on both sides, it’s called for the release of hostages and it’s called for the cessation of fighting, and yet you’re dealing with some people who have deep grievances that have been carried out over a long period of time.”

Act leader David Seymour and Act MP Cameron Luxton in the Tauranga CBD. Photo / Andrew MacDonald

Seymour said about 300 people went to the meeting – “that’s democracy in action”.

“I’d just ask people, if you want to promote democracy in the Middle East, how do you achieve that by interrupting the right of people to engage in democracy here?”

Seymour said he always supported people’s right to protest but some protesters risked pushing people away from their cause.

In a statement, Western Bay of Plenty Police area commander inspector Cliff Paxton told the Bay of Plenty Times there was a protest outside an event in the Trinity Wharf Hotel in Tauranga on Thursday.

“The group were initially well-behaved but unfortunately a person or persons decided to set the fire alarm off triggering an evacuation of the building and a Fire and Emergency New Zealand callout.”

Paxton said two people also entered the building and were escorted out by the police without incident.

“Police respect the right to lawfully protest but do not condone behaviour that infringes on the rights and freedoms of others.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.