End race-based hiring in the public service
What it actually does
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.
Source: act.org.nz · 2026-08
The Trump take
“I signed the order ending DEI on day one, and now New Zealand copies me. Everybody copies me. Merit, folks, merit!”parody
Why it scored this way
Identity politics
Removes DEI-style hiring obligations in government
+2
Loves it
On the same topics
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.
Disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority
A National 100-day plan commitment, the bill to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora passed under urgency 68-54 in February 2024, with most of its functions and staff moving to Health New Zealand from 30 June 2024.