David Seymour
Economy
ACT has pledged to maintain a "no new taxes" policy and opposes the Greens' proposed wealth and corporate taxes, while reversing a law that would tax charity donations before it takes effect. It opposes what it calls $18 billion in unfunded Labour spending promises and $5.5 billion a year in Green Party spending plans, and has proposed restructuring government into a Cabinet of 18 ministers and 19 departments — down from a cited 43 departments, 28 ministers and 267 regulatory bodies — with each department reporting to a single accountable minister and the Public Service Commission abolished in favour of ministers directly choosing department chief executives.
Health
ACT would let pharmacists manage more conditions, raise Pharmac's medicines budget to 13% by 2033, and build a new National Cancer Centre.
Education
The party has proposed cheaper school uniforms, allowing teachers to use "reasonable force," and a Working with Children Card.
Security
ACT would add burglary to the three-strikes sentencing regime and continue a welfare policy — carried over from 2023 — under which people on a work-ready benefit for more than four months would have rent or mortgage paid directly and receive a payment card restricted to staple items; people assessed as not work-ready would be seen by a doctor employed by the Ministry of Social Development.
Immigration
ACT's immigration plan includes deporting serious non-citizen offenders regardless of how long they have lived in New Zealand, a daily infrastructure surcharge on temporary work visa holders, a five-year exclusion from government benefits for new residence-class visa holders, and abolishing the permanent residency category.
Governance
ACT's Treaty policy, "One Law for All with One Future Together," would write parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law, and equality before the law into the Constitution Act, add a property right to the Bill of Rights Act, restrict courts' use of tikanga to cases where Parliament has expressly allowed it, require Cabinet to specify which Treaty interests are engaged before drafting any bill that references the Treaty, and review and remove vague or high-level Treaty clauses from existing law whenever it is amended. The party would also replace the Resource Management Act with legislation based on property rights and dissolve the Waitangi Tribunal once its existing claims are resolved.
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