Ranked #1 of 17 on the Trump-o-Meter
ACT Party
Classical liberal / libertarian; coalition partner. Party website
TREMENDOUS. The best, maybe ever.
88
27 policies & bills rated
One-stop consenting for new supermarkets, accept US/UK/EU labels
ACT proposes a single consenting point so new supermarket entrants can get consents, liquor licences and approvals "in months, not years", and would let food labelled for trusted overseas systems such as the US, UK and EU be sold without relabelling. ACT opposes forced supermarket break-ups proposed by other parties.
Cut spending and foreign aid back to 2017 levels
ACT's fiscal plan would return non-welfare spending to 2017 levels (adjusted for inflation and growth), cut the annual operating allowance from $2.4b to $2b, reduce foreign aid to 2017 levels (excluding aid to Ukraine) and abolish 'demographic' ministries. ACT says net core Crown debt would be $12.4b lower than forecast; health, education, defence, police and children's services are exempt.
'One Law for All' constitutional changes and limits on tikanga in courts
ACT's 2026 Treaty policy 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, and restrict courts to using tikanga only where Parliament expressly allows it. Bills referring to the Treaty would require Cabinet to specify the interests and obligations involved; it replaces the Treaty Principles Bill and referendum from the previous campaign.
Repeal the Zero Carbon Act and end net zero
ACT would repeal the Zero Carbon Act and drop the 2050 net zero target, replacing it with an emissions cap tied to major trading partners, remove the ETS auction price floor and return net carbon auction revenue to households as a refund. It opposes pricing agricultural emissions and says New Zealand should be prepared to leave the Paris Agreement if it cannot be renegotiated.
Tax-free KiwiSaver earnings, no government contributions
Announced at ACT's 4 October campaign launch, the policy would remove tax on KiwiSaver investment earnings, currently taxed at up to 28%, and end government contributions to KiwiSaver accounts. ACT claims the change could roughly double savings for some workers by retirement.
Six-point immigration plan
ACT proposes deporting resident visa holders convicted of offences carrying 10-year-plus sentences regardless of time in New Zealand, a $6 daily charge on temporary work visa holders, a five-year stand-down from welfare for new residents, and a dedicated Immigration NZ unit targeting an estimated 20,000 overstayers. It also proposes higher English requirements for some visas and an annual review of the skilled jobs list.
Regulatory Standards Act
David Seymour's Regulatory Standards Bill passed its third reading 68-55 in November 2025 and took effect on 1 January 2026. It sets principles of responsible regulation and creates a Regulatory Standards Board to review legislation against them; nearly all select committee submissions opposed it.
Fair Pay Agreements Act Repeal Act 2023
Repeals the Fair Pay Agreements Act 2022, which provided for sector-wide bargaining on minimum employment terms, before any agreements were concluded. Passed under urgency in December 2023 with National, ACT and NZ First support.
Employment Relations Amendment Bill (contractor gateway test)
Introduces a gateway test under which workers meeting set criteria are treated as contractors rather than employees, removes unjustified dismissal grievances for earners above $200,000, ends remedies for serious misconduct, and removes the 30-day rule for new employees under collective agreements. Passed its third reading on 17 February 2026.
Regulatory Standards Act 2025
Sets out principles of 'responsible regulation' that new and existing legislation is assessed against, and establishes a Regulatory Standards Board to review laws for consistency with them. Passed its third reading on 13 November 2025 by 68 votes to 55 and came into force on 1 January 2026.
Sell the government's Air New Zealand stake
In February 2026, after Air New Zealand reported a $40 million half-year loss, David Seymour renewed ACT's call for the government to sell its 51% shareholding. Luxon said there would be no asset sales this term, and Winston Peters called the idea economically reckless.
Cut ministers from 28 to 18 and merge 43 departments into 19
ACT would reduce the number of ministers from 28 to 18, merge 43 government departments into 19, and scrap the Public Service Commission. Ministers would appoint chief executives on fixed terms and could dismiss those who underperform or refuse to implement lawful policy, subject to specified grounds.
Lift medicines spending to Australian levels by 2033
ACT would raise the share of the health budget spent on medicines by one percentage point a year until it matches Australia's level by 2033, funded from expected health budget growth. The same health package includes 'Pharmacy First' changes letting pharmacists treat more everyday conditions and relaxing restrictions on opening pharmacies.
Treaty Principles Bill
ACT's bill to legislate its own definition of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi was a condition of the coalition agreement but was defeated at second reading 112-11 in April 2025, with only ACT voting in favour. Seymour has said ACT will keep campaigning on the issue.
End race-based hiring in the public service
ACT would repeal section 73 of the Public Service Act and section 118 of the Crown Entities Act, which it says impose ethnicity-based employment requirements, and legislate that public services follow need rather than race. Public employers would be barred from initiating or funding spiritual practices at work, and irrelevant cultural requirements would be removed from job ads.
Treaty Principles Bill
ACT bill that would have set statutory definitions of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, framed around equal rights for all citizens, and put them to a referendum. Voted down at its second reading on 10 April 2025 by 112 votes to 11, with only ACT in favour.
Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Act 2025
Repeals section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act, which required the chief executive to give practical commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi and reduce disparities for Māori children, stating child wellbeing should be the paramount consideration. Passed third reading on 3 April 2025 with coalition support.
$2b National Cancer Centre with philanthropic naming rights
ACT would establish a National Cancer Centre with campuses in Auckland and Christchurch, with about $2b set aside as a contingency alongside potential private and philanthropic investment. It would create a philanthropic foundation offering naming rights to major donors and remove the $33,333 cap on tax benefits for charitable donations.
Tax relief for cryptocurrency holders
ACT's digital economy policy would adjust the retail bright-line test for holding crypto and the de minimis settings for using it in everyday transactions, which it says would give tax relief to 355,000 New Zealanders. It would also improve ministerial coordination across agencies working on the digital economy and seek a regulator-backed example of digital issuance.
Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 (pay equity changes)
Raises the threshold for establishing pay equity claims, including the test for historical undervaluation, and discontinued 33 existing claims, which must restart under the new rules. Introduced and passed under urgency on 6 May 2025 with coalition support; royal assent on 13 May 2025.
Ministry for Regulation
A Seymour coalition win, the Ministry for Regulation was established on 1 March 2024 to identify and remove unnecessary or poorly working rules and oversee regulatory quality. It was funded by closing the New Zealand Productivity Commission.
Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Act 2024
Restores a three-strikes regime for serious violent and sexual offending, repealed by the previous government in 2022: a warning at first strike, no parole at second, and the maximum penalty without parole at third, subject to sentence thresholds. Passed its third reading in December 2024 and came into force on 17 June 2025.
Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2025
Replaces much of the overseas investment screening process with a national interest test under which most consents must be granted within 15 working days unless risks are identified, and lets Active Investor Plus visa holders seek consent to buy or build one residential property worth $5 million or more. Passed under urgency on 12 December 2025 and assented on 18 December 2025.
Arms Act 2026
Repeals and replaces the Arms Act 1983, moving firearms licensing functions to a new regulator separate from Police and updating offences, while retaining the ban on most semi-automatic firearms and the firearms registry. Passed third reading on 29 July 2026 and assented on 4 August 2026.
Charter schools reinstated
The Education and Training Amendment Act 2024, an ACT coalition priority, created charter schools as a new type of state-funded school outside the usual state system, overseen by a Charter School Authorisation Board, and allows state schools to convert.
Raise the NZ Super age to 67 by 2035
ACT's 2026 fiscal plan would lift the NZ Superannuation eligibility age by three months a year, reaching 67 by 2035, and pause contributions to the NZ Super Fund. It includes 'compassionate access' for people who spent much of their career in physically demanding jobs.
Health benefit reassessments and electronic money management
ACT would require health and disability benefit assessments to be made by MSD-approved designated doctors, with phased reassessment of existing recipients starting with mental-health grants made after the pandemic. Work-ready Jobseeker recipients on a benefit for more than four months would have payments loaded onto a card that blocks alcohol, gambling, tobacco and cash withdrawals.