As the Herald revealed on Tuesday morning, leader David Seymour is calling for expressions of interest from New Zealanders to stand for their local council under the Act Party banner. Local elections will be held in October.
This will be the first time Act has looked to field candidates in local elections.
Seymour told the Herald it was an “exploratory campaign”. He said national political parties putting forward local candidates had not always been popular, but he reckoned “better representation” was needed on councils.
“If good people show up wanting to stand and we think we can win some, we will go for it.
“I think it’s better to be trying new things even if they don’t work out the first time than never try at all.”
Act would not be considering challenging mayoral seats as Seymour said the party needed to be “realistic”. He believed people needed to “show what you can deliver before you try and take on big prizes”.
“Start with people that can get around the council, learn the skills, and then work their way up.”
Candidates would be expected to raise money to fund their campaigns.
“You’re not going to see helicopter candidates funded from outside your town ... If you can’t fundraise money for your campaign, maybe people are trying to tell you something.”
Speaking at a press conference, Seymour said he had spoken to existing councillors who think Act’s entry into local politics makes sense.
“We have had discussions with them. Obviously, we are not going to tell everyone who they are straight away because they will just be feeling their way through it. We will be checking them out and they will be checking us out.
“In a month or two, we will have a pretty good idea: is this on, or is it a good idea that maybe is for another time?”
He said the party would be targeting everywhere from Cape Reinga to Bluff.
Seymour highlighted Act’s key focuses in Government, such as addressing the cost of living, wasteful spending, and co-governance, and suggested Act councillors would prioritise core issues like these, such as lowering rates and scrapping “nice-to-haves”.
“We want to end wasteful spending, end massive rate rises, end the war on cars, and start treating people respectfully regardless of race.”
He said councils have missed the memo that Kiwis voted for “real change” in 2023 and believes it is “time for a clean-out” in local politics.
Act leader David Seymour is expected to make the announcement on Tuesday. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Act has grown its support significantly over the past decade in central Government elections.
In 2017, it received just 0.5% of the vote. That jumped to 7.6% in 2020 and then 8.64% in the 2023 election, enough to help National and NZ First form a Government.
Seymour has held the Epsom seat since 2014. In 2023, the party’s deputy, Brooke van Velden, scored the party’s second electorate seat with Tāmaki.
Although Act has not had councillors elected under its banner previously, that has not stopped the party making its thoughts heard on local politics.
Last week, Seymour issued a statement saying local councils should ditch complex procurement policies in favour of new rules from the Government.
An Act policy at the 2023 election was to share GST with councils to fund local infrastructure. The party’s coalition agreement with National commits to considering this.
Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.
