Revealed: How Act’s David Seymour was gifted a plane for the election campaign

The wealthy businessman who gifted Act leader David Seymour his personal plane without cost to help his election campaign says he did so to allow Seymour to replicate the “whistle-stop” tours commonly seen in the United States.

The businessman says his generosity doesn’t come with strings attached should Act form part of the next Government, saying he and Seymour only had “philosophical” discussions about topics including education, building consent laws and the “nonsense of climate change”.

Seymour told the Herald the pair hadn’t had any conversations regarding the next Government and the man’s business interests. He agreed their discussions largely concerned their shared political views, but Seymour said he disagreed with the businessman’s characterisation of climate change.

The businessman, a US and New Zealand citizen who lives in Hawke’s Bay, said he didn’t want his name published because he wishes to “keep a low profile”.

The businessman, who moved to New Zealand seven years ago but had visited for more than 40 years prior to that, said he met Seymour about 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic through his involvement with Rako Science, which became a provider of saliva testing.

Act leader David Seymour speaking at a public meeting in Te Awamutu. Photo / Mike Scott.

He said he had a similar political outlook to the Act leader. That outlook included the belief that people were responsible for their own actions and that Government shouldn’t provide “cradle-to-grave welfare”.

The businessman said he offered the use of his plane, a Cessna Caravan, to Seymour about six months ago.

“I was having dinner with David and I said, ‘Look, this is a big country’. In the US, you know what we call barnstorming with the old airplanes or whistle-stops where you’re going to four or five towns a day on the back of a train.

“And I said, I’m happy to give you my airplane for a couple of trips where you can hit four or five cities in one day and get to see more people because I think David is a very engaging, articulate, intelligent, sagacious person and that doesn’t come across in the left-wing media, no offence.

“I think the more people he meets, the more votes he’ll get.”

While he wasn’t involved in the day-to-day decisions of the plane’s use, the businessman presumed it was benefitting Seymour’s campaign despite recent poor weather.

David Seymour working on the plane between campaign events. Photo / Mike Scott.

The plane was free of cost for Seymour, the businessman describing it as a “campaign contribution”. The plane reportedly cost less than $2000 per day to operate.

Asked whether he stood to gain if Act formed part of the next Government, the businessman said he did not as most of his business interests were offshore. He also said he’d never had a discussion with Seymour about business, instead keeping conversations “philosophical”.

His New Zealand-based business interests included a farm, three pine plantations and a waste management company. Rako Science had since been sold.

He did say he was looking into another laboratory company, one that could provide “high-tech tests” not available in New Zealand.

However, he was adamant there had been no conversations with Seymour about working with the next Government.

“Let me be very clear, I want nothing out of government other than to be left alone to enjoy my peace and quiet,” he said.

“I’m giving access to the plane to David so that he can further articulate his answers to the key republic and let them decide.

“I’ve never had a government contract in my life in 40 years of business and I don’t intend to because governments are too slow for me and they’re too constraining.”

Seymour confirmed there had been no discussions about the man’s business interests in relation to who might form the next government.

He acknowledged the businessman’s contribution would likely have to be publicly declared as it would probably exceed $5000. If so, it would be included in the party’s annual returns published around May. Donations exceeding $20,000 had to be declared within 10 days of receipt.

Seymour added the cost of the plane was hardly the biggest contribution the party had received. On Tuesday, it was declared New Zealand’s richest man Graeme Hart had donated $104,000 to Act.

Act has received millions in donations from wealthy supporters. Photo / Mike Scott

He agreed the pair had similar political views but differed on climate change.

“We’re both people who have a pretty consistent view that the government should be out of the boardroom and out of the bedroom.

“But climate change, there’s a real risk that New Zealand by overtaxing productive and efficient producers could actually cause carbon leakage that will make us a lot worse off so we need a much simpler way forward, but no, I certainly wouldn’t say that it’s nonsense.”

Regarding the plane, Seymour said he was thrilled when he was offered it. He said he had use of the plane for about four days of the campaign

“Planes are good fun and we thought it might be helpful so that we could reach more people during the campaign, although so far it hasn’t turned out to be the case.”

Seymour’s intention to visit towns including Ohakune and Taumaranui had been scotched because overcast conditions prevented the plane from being able to land safely on more rural airstrips.

Seymour said he’d met the businessman “about half a dozen times” and described him as a “fascinating individual”.

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.