ACT rally to focus on supermarkets, free speech, economy
ACT is holding their annual rally on Sunday in Auckland. Shown: ACT leader David Seymour at last year's rally in Auckland.
Photo:
RNZ / MARIKA KHABAZI
The ACT Party is hosting its annual "Free & Equal" rally in Auckland, as it takes stock of the first half of its term in government and unveils a policy to help competition in the supermarket sector.
ACT leader David Seymour said the Sunday event was a chance to look back at what had been achieved, as well as forward towards "what New Zealand needs from us and from the government over the next 15 months".
But speaking to RNZ, he rejected the notion it marked the start of the election campaign, saying the best campaigning is simply doing "our job in government".
The rally will feature policy updates from ACT ministers and MPs, as well as a keynote speech from Seymour, currently deputy prime minister, and an international guest speaker that is causing concern for a group in Pōneke.
ACT MP Cameron Luxton will MC the event, and ACT ministers due to speak are Brooke van Velden, Nicole McKee, Karen Chhour, Andrew Hoggard and Simon Court.
Updates will include outlining progress on crime, economic reform, and reducing regulatory burdens, as well as on the government's policy programme.
This will be an opportunity for the party to outline to its supporters the progress made while in government, and look ahead to the second half of the political term.
The party will also outline its policy to tackle the lack of competition in the supermarket sector, which will likely look at cutting red tape to help overseas players get a foothold.
Seymour said the coalition was elected to tackle the cost of living, crime and co-governance, and added that the country now faces a "challenge with health."
But he said in each of those areas the government could point to "significant progress", while acknowledging there were still "substantial challenges" - particularly around the cost of living.
"Our challenge is to see economic growth occur so that salaries grow in a real way, keeping up with the increase in prices they've faced."
Asked whether - like NZ First - the halfway point was an opportunity to turn into campaign mode, Seymour said no, because it was "important that we do our job in government."
"That's the best campaigning that you can do," he said.
Seymour acknowledged there would be a different set of issues in 2026 than what was present in 2023, and if that wasn't the case, "it means that we haven't done a very good job of addressing the tasks they gave us".
"So we do need to start thinking about the next election, but it's not here yet."
In terms of what ACT supporters had been indicating the key issues were, Seymour said there had been "six years of long trouble" starting with the terror attacks in 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic, then inflation and high interest rates, recession and unemployment.
"Now we face, probably the most uncertain geopolitical situation in several generations.
"What we need is some hope to stop scapegoating, to start problem solving, really rally together as the pioneering nation that we can be so that we can address some of those long term problems around productivity, healthcare, cost of living, and really just having a sense that now we're getting somewhere."
Last year, the rally was sold out and broadcaster Paul Henry's keynote speech had more than 200,000 views online.
ACT described its annual gathering as an opportunity to connect with supporters, outline the party's policy direction, and foster open debate on the country's future.
The latest RNZ Reid research poll, taken after the release of the Budget in May, had
ACT down 2.8 points to 6.8 percent
.
More recently, the Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll, published on Thursday,
showed ACT on 9.1 percent
, unchanged from their last poll in June.
There will also be an "international guest keynote" from Dr James Lindsay, an American author, mathematician, and "prominent advocate for free speech".
"Dr. Lindsay is one of the world's leading lights in challenging ideological extremes," Seymour said.
"His insights on defending free expression and liberal values are especially relevant in New Zealand today."
The Pōneke Anti-fascist Coalition has raised concerns about the ACT party hosting Lindsay, claiming he peddled harmful conspiracies and held radical views.
The group was founded in 2022 following the occupation at Parliament. Since then they've organised various rallies and community events to show opposition to "far right ideas".
A member of the group, Anne Campbell, said she was concerned the party had invited Lindsay to "rark up their base" and pointed to an article
on the Southern Poverty Law Centre website
outlining claims by Lindsay.
The SPLC was established in 1971 to carry on work from the civil rights movement in the United States of America. Its website states it works in partnership with communities to "dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people".
The SPLC article highlighted statements by Lindsay, including reference to the pride flag as "the flag of a hostile enemy": Screenshots show a tweet under Lindsay's handle @ConceptualJames.
Lol what?
pic.twitter.com/NetlMFM21r
It also highlighted a post on social media by Lindsay from 2023, saying "Drag Queen Story Hour is an initiation rite into the cult of Queer Gnosticism".
Drag Queen Story Hour is an initiation rite into the cult of Queer Gnosticism.
https://t.co/R75ffdxkSp
The tweet linked to
a podcast on Lindsay's website
stating "Queer Theory is the doctrine of a cult". The synopsis for the podcast told listeners to join Lindsay to "understand our danger."
"This discussion will not only lay Queer Theory bare for the social-spiritual cult belief system that it is, but it will also make sense of the destructive phenomena like sexual graphic novels in our school libraries, Drag Queen Story Hour, and the relentless push for queer and trans everything into all aspects of our culture. Join him to understand our danger."
Campbell said it was "really troubling" to bring these ideas into New Zealand and further "stoke that kind of hatred". She acknowledged Lindsay may not directly be "doing damage to minorities himself" but said it was "poisoning the well of political discourse and turning it further right".
Seymour told RNZ he admired Lindsay's book
Cynical Theories
and met him while he was in New Zealand earlier in the year.
"We got together, and we hit it off, and I think he's a very thoughtful and decent person."
The Free Speech Union
hosted Lindsay for a speaking tour earlier this year
, where he also
appeared on TVNZ's Q+A
.
In response to the concerns of the Pōneke Antifascist Coalition Seymour said he did not agree with the description of the pride flag as an enemy flag.
"I march in the Pride Parade most years myself, so I wouldn't say that I agree with this. I wasn't aware that James Lindsay had said that.
"If he has, it doesn't really bother me, because I've got lots of friends I disagree with, and I think it's healthy.
"If I agreed with everything that everybody I associated with had ever said, we'd have a very boring place or maybe no friends."
In regards to the claims about Drag Queen Story Time, Seymour said parents could decide for themselves who read stories to their children.
"I don't really know why anyone else would think it was their business."
The concerns were coming from a "pretty obscure extreme left so-called Anti-Fascist group," Seymour said.
"They're entitled to their view, but I'm certainly not going to let them define what I think," he said. "People are a little tired of cancel culture and ideological purity tests."
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