ACT: NZ First coalition ‘disastrous’
Seymour might be out in the cold, writes Craig Hoyle.
He was the Little Engine That Could. ACT leader David Seymour has once again swept to victory in Auckland’s Epsom electorate.
However, it remains to be seen whether he can negotiate another support agreement with National as it seeks to form a new government.
Seymour toasted his success surrounded by several hundred cheering supporters at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Westhaven – a question as to why ACT wasn’t celebrating in Epsom was met with a firm reminder: ‘‘We’re running a national campaign’’.
The party leader mingled with the crowd following his victory speech, posing for selfies and obligingly sucking helium from a yellow balloon at the request of young supporters.
ACT once again failed to come anywhere close to the five per cent threshold, but no matter – Seymour’s Epsom win means the maverick politician is guaranteed a return to Parliament.
‘‘I want to thank my neighbours in the Epsom electorate for sending me again to Wellington to represent them,’’ Seymour said. ’’It’s a great honour, and my door will be open at 27 Gillies Ave at 9am on Monday morning.’’
Seymour acknowledged ACT’s party vote was less than he had hoped for, but told supporters ‘‘we’re still in the fight’’.
He added the election had been a ‘‘massacre for smaller parties’’ and said ACT had done well to hold its ground.
He said for the next three years he would focus his attention on charter schools, assisted dying, and fixing the housing market through infrastructure funding and reforming the Resource Management Act.
It’s unclear whether ACT would be included in any coalition deal with National.
On current numbers New Zealand First holds the balance of power, and Winston Peters has made it clear he would rather not work with David Seymour.
‘‘ACT has kept New Zealand First out of government three times, and we won’t be surprised if they try and do the same thing to us,’’ Seymour said.
Seymour said any coalition between National and New Zealand First would be ‘‘disastrous’’, and if that were the case he thought it might be better to be in the opposition benches.
Former ACT deputy leader Ken Shirley agreed the party could perhaps better promote its agenda it it were out of government.
‘‘In a way, I think it’s strangely almost better for ACT to be in opposition,’’ Shirley said.
‘‘David has been a very strong voice in Parliament holding the government to account on a number of issues, so he hasn’t just been a sycophantic toady to John Key and Bill English.’’
It’s been a tightrope for Seymour, who supports National in principle but has diverged on issues such as voluntary euthanasia and overhauling the Resource Management Act.
‘‘National won’t admit it,’’ Shirley said, ‘‘but I think many of them secretly admire David Seymour.’’
Now, the question Seymour can leverage is how far that admiration.