Act leader David Seymour to make celebratory speech as New Deputy Prime Minister
David Seymour has been sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister, succeeding Winston Peters.
Seymour's appointment marks a milestone for the Act Party, which now has 11 MPs.
He is set to outline his vision for the country at a celebratory brunch in Auckland this morning.
New Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour is holding a brunch with supporters and party members this morning to celebrate his fresh appointment.
Seymour, leader of the Act Party and a Cabinet Minister, is expected to outline his vision for the country for his 18-month tenure as deputy Prime Minster and beyond.
The address, taking place in Auckland, will be live-streamed at the top of this article from 10.45am.
Seymour drove himself to the venue, Hyundai Marine Sports Centre, on Auckland's Tamaki Drive, and pro-Palestine protesters chased his car as he pulled in.
Seymour was sworn in as deputy Prime Minister yesterday at Government House in Auckland, taking over from New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.
The Act leader was joined by family members, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.
Kiro congratulated Seymour, and Luxon called it a 'great privilege'.
The Act Party called it a 'historic milestone'.
'Not only for Seymour personally, but for the Act Party, which has grown from a caucus of one in 2014 to 11 MPs and seats at the Cabinet table in 2025.'
In a speech after the swearing-in ceremony, Seymour said he would be judged he would be judged by how much was delivered for the people of New Zealand – 'all of the people, those who support Act and those who don't.'
'If I proved anything, it's that anyone can dance, not always that well, but well enough to earn people's respect and give a lot of entertainment along the way,' he said, in reference to his stint on Dancing With The Stars.
Seymour is the 21st person to hold New Zealand's deputy prime ministership.
His predecessor, NZ First leader Winston Peters, has held the role three times.
Several deputies have gone on to become Prime Minister, including Keith Holyoake, Jack Marshall, Robert Muldoon, Geoffrey Palmer, Helen Clark and Bill English.
On the deputy prime ministership, Seymour told the Front Page this week, 'It's one of those things you probably didn't think would happen in your life, but here we are'.
'I think it's good for New Zealand. It shows if you're a bit quirky but if your heart's in the right place and you put in the work, as Crowded House say, 'You can get somewhere'.'
Seymour was first elected to Parliament as MP for Epsom in 2014. The Act Party's sole MP would become its leader. Just over a decade later, he sits beside 10 others after leading the party to its best result ever in the 2023 general election.
His latest tenure in the Beehive hasn't come without controversy.
His Treaty Principles Bill, which Act heralded as a 'promise of equal rights for all New Zealanders' was fiercely criticised for its perceived impact on Māori rights.
It was one of the drivers behind a massive hīkoi to Parliament in November, where tens of thousands of people rallied in protest. It received an unprecedented amount of public submissions, more than 300,000.
Despite it being dead in the water at the start (coalition partners had always intended to vote it down), Seymour said he was not at all surprised it created so much backlash.
This week, Nicola Willis claimed ignorance about the importance of today to the Government on Heather du Plessis-Allan's Newstalk ZB Drive show.
Du Plessis-Allan told her it was the day Seymour became Deputy PM.
'You can imagine it is not marked as an enormous love heart on my calendar,' Willis said, claiming not much would change.
Du Plessis-Allan replied: 'I want to say 'stop pretending' but I know you have to pretend because you have to work with the guy'.
Seymour is the Minister for Regulation and the Associate Minister of Health, Finance, Education, and Justice.
Before politics, he worked as an electrical engineer in New Zealand and for private sector think tanks in Canada.
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