ACT New Zealand

A classically liberal party, ACT promotes free market economics, low taxation and reduced government expenditure.

It sees itself as promoting personal accountability and transparency in government.

The ACT Party states its aim is to:

"Promote an open, progressive and benevolent society in which individual New Zealanders are free to achieve their full potential."

Don Brash, former National Party leader and Reserve Bank Governor, will be leading the ACT Party into the elections this year.

Brash took over the party’s leadership earlier this year after he challenged former leader Rodney Hide, who lead the party from 2004 to 2011.

ACT was founded in 1994 by Roger Douglas and Derek Quigley and started out life as the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers.

At the 2008 election, ACT produced a 20 Point Plan to turn the country around and help us catch up to Australia.

The popular vote heading ACT’s way has hiccupped along – dropping severely from 7 per cent in 2002 to 1.5 per cent in 2005.

Party Policy

ACT’s policy plan covers a wide range of issues - government expenditure, education taxation, law and order, and climate change.

ACT advocates lowering tax rates and supports a scheme similar to flat tax.

They also want to reinstate private prisons and free up police for a “zero tolerance” approach.

ACT advocates the selling of state assets, would scrap the Emissions Trading Scheme and reforming the Resource Management Act.

ACT's education policy would see more popular schools take over less popular ones (for example, Auckland Boys Grammar would have a campus in Mangere.

Teachers with the best performance would be paid more, with the power given to the Board of Trustees, and education funding would follow the child rather than the school so parents could decide where to use it.

Candidates

Don Brash: North Shore
Catherine Isaac
Don Nicolson: Clutha/Southland
John Banks: Epsom
David Seymour: Auckland central
Chris Simmons: Pakuranga
Stephen Whittington: Wellington Central
Kath McCabe: Maungakiekie
Robyn Stent: list
John Thompson: Papakura
John Ormond: Napier

Lyn Murphy: Botany

Contact

ACT New Zealand
PO Box 99651
Newmarket

Auckland 1149

Phone: 09 523 0470

Fax: 09 523 0472

Email: info@act.org.nz
http://www.act.org.nz/