This election is in your hands and it belongs to you. Party Vote ACT.

𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 “Today’s decision by the Reserve Bank to hold the Official Cash Rate shows that spending discipline is working, but the job isn’t done. The biggest influence on the cost of living is the cost of government, and progress on savings must continue if we want to keep downward pressure on inflation and interest rates,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Government needs a party that watches spending like a hawk. Otherwise, inflation will be our future as well as our past. Taxpayers need more ACT in Government to cut more waste and grow the economy. “When we entered Government, inflation was high and the OCR was 5.5 per cent. The Coalition has turned the tide with more disciplined Government spending. “ACT Ministers have driven $14 billion of savings across three Budgets, helping avoid more debt, taxes, and pressure on interest rates. That discipline has helped put the Government on a path back to surplus a year earlier. “ACT has been effective at getting our partners to agree with us. In Budget 2026, we agreed on a target for a smaller public service and fewer departments. The best time to listen to us would have been three years ago, but the second best time is now. “Today’s hold is welcome, but it is no reason to ease off. Government is inherently wasteful, and the fight against waste is never truly won. Keeping inflation and interest rates down requires discipline year after year. “Saving should start at the top. New Zealand cannot afford a Government that is twice the size of similar countries. ACT has released a plan for fewer Ministers, fewer departments, clearer accountability, and a smaller, more efficient Government. “Just as ACT has set the agenda on No New Taxes, we set the agenda on cutting waste. “The alternative is a nightmare. Labour and its coalition partners are lining up hundreds of billions of dollars of new promises that would send inflation and interest rates up like a rocket. “Labour has already promised $34 billion. Then you look at their coalition partners in the Greens, who are past $250 billion, with TOP hot on their heels at $229 billion. Hello again, 2022. We can’t afford another Government pouring fuel on the fire. Inflation and interest rates would be much higher. “If we want New Zealand to be the best little country in the world, we need a Government that is smaller, more efficient, and focused on getting results from every dollar."

Government jobs should go to the best person for the job. Your race shouldn’t get you to the front of the queue.

10 days to Polling Day. But why wait? Party Vote ACT today 🗳️

Law-abiding New Zealanders deserve a Government that’s on their side. ACT is backing the people keeping communities safe and will make sure criminals face real consequences.

𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 (𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺) “Marama Davidson couldn’t say on Herald NOW this morning how much the Green’s policy will cost taxpayers. Luckily for the Greens, ACT is always willing to help,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The biggest threat to the cost of living is higher taxes, more borrowing, and the inflation it drives. If you’re worried about the cost of living now, wait till you see the prices after they blow out inflation. “The Greens are promising $254 billion in new spending according to the Taxpayer Union’s tally. On conservative estimates, and assuming lenders don’t hike interest rates, that’ll mean an extra $4,045 annual interest bill for every household – or even higher taxes than they’re already promising. “Their spending promises would see net core Crown debt balloon to at least $463 billion by 2030/31. That’s $246 billion more debt than under ACT’s plan, and $233 billion more than Treasury’s forecast. "The Greens would make government bigger than it was in the middle of the pandemic. Pandemic spending was an emergency. The Greens' fiscal plan would put New Zealand’s economy in a permanent state of emergency. “These are the people angling for the finance portfolio in Hipkins’ Government, it’s not an exaggeration to say they would deliver financial ruin for New Zealand. “ACT has released a fully costed fiscal plan identifying $22 billion in savings over four years, returning the books to surplus earlier, with no new taxes and $12.4 billion less debt than Treasury forecasts by 2031. “We’re cutting waste so we can invest in frontline services, make it easier for New Zealanders to access primary healthcare, and remove tax on qualifying KiwiSaver investment earnings. “New Zealand is already paying more than $1 million every hour in interest on government debt. We cannot afford to keep borrowing against the next generation’s future to pay for today’s political promises. “The stakes could not be higher. To lock the Greens out, we must lock Labour out. A Party Vote for ACT achieves that, while also helping the Coalition to go further and faster in paying down the debt."

𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 “While other political parties have spent this campaign living in a gangsta’s paradise, ACT has released a law and order policy package that promises tougher consequences, stronger protections, and practical tools to keep New Zealanders safe in their homes and businesses,” says ACT Deputy Leader Nicole McKee. “ACT has spent the past term restoring consequences for criminal behaviour. We've brought back Three Strikes, scrapped the prisoner reduction target and ended taxpayer funding for culural reports. We’re campaigning to make the next government go further and faster. “We’ll target repeat offending before more victims are created. ACT will introduce Three Strikes for Burglary, ensuring offenders convicted of a third burglary offence face at least three years in prison without parole. This builds on my work re-introducing Three Strikes for violent offenders. “I've heard from countless exasperated business owners who are forced to watch criminals walk out the door with their stock, knowing there's little they can do to stop them. They feel like the criminals have more rights than they do to protect their livelihood. “ACT would change that. Our policy would create a new class of Accredited Security Operators with the power to remove people threatening safety, require identification and detain people in certain circumstances until Police arrive, and issue exclusion notices lasting up to three years across multiple premises. “The most isolated parts of rural New Zealand will benefit from an additional 100,000 Police patrol hours every year, establishment of a dedicated rural crime unit, and a crackdown on livestock theft and poaching with stronger penalties. We’ll also expand Text 111 coverage to areas where unreliable mobile service can make it difficult to contact emergency services. “The introduction of a national Working with Children Card will keep children safer and give parents peace of mind when leaving their children in the care of other adults by ensuring vetting and safety checks are kept constantly up to date. “On top of all that, ACT will protect victims by criminalising coercion through animal abuse in family violence situations, outlaw non-consensual deepfake pornography, end ‘good character’ sentence reductions for child sex offenders. Relocatable noise cameras will help tackle anti-social vehicle noise, while illegal dumping fines will increase to $1,000, or $2,000 for repeat offenders. “Alongside these measures, ACT will continue reforms aimed at improving court timeliness so victims see justice delivered more quickly and offenders face consequences sooner. “ACT has spent the last three years restoring consequences for crime. Our policy package will build on that work to make New Zealand a safer place to live, work, do business, and raise a family.”

𝗛𝗶𝗽𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀’ 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀 “Chris Hipkins’ opposition to charter schools is based on claims that have been proven false. ACT is challenging him to accept the facts, change his position, and let children learn in the way that works best for them,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Hipkins has gone on Newstalk ZB this morning and repeated the same false claims that charter schools cost more than state schools, despite official figures showing otherwise. “At the NZ Herald Leaders’ Debate, Ryan Bridge asked Hipkins whether he’d ever lied. Hipkins said not deliberately, but acknowledged making incorrect statements based on outdated information and claimed he had always corrected them. “Last week we asked him to prove that. The figures are publicly available on the Charter School Agency's website, but Hipkins has chosen to keep spreading false claims. “The figures show charter schools receive broadly the same funding as state schools, and slightly less for staffing and operations. Compared like for like the number are: Primary schools: $8,762 per student at state schools, compared with $8,278 at charter schools. Secondary schools: $11,040 per student at state schools, compared with $10,741 at charter schools. “Even the establishment funding figures show charter schools receive less. A new primary charter school with 100 students receives $401,675 in staffing and operating funding, compared with $638,249 for an equivalent state school. “If Hipkins can't accept these facts, it suggests the real reason he opposes charter schools is that he and the unions are afraid they're becoming too successful. “Since the first charter schools opened last year, enrolments have grown from 215 to more than 2,100. Five of the original seven schools exceeded their attendance targets in their first year, and five exceeded their achievement targets. “Families are choosing these schools because they offer something different. For many students, the traditional system simply wasn't working. Now they're attending school, learning, and getting opportunities they didn't have before. “Charter schools are contracted to deliver results. If they fail to meet their attendance and achievement targets, they risk losing their funding. That's a level of accountability not seen elsewhere in the state school system. “Chris Hipkins should be celebrating schools that are helping students succeed, not threatening to abolish the model to keep his union mates happy. “He now has the opportunity to put the interests of students ahead of the unions by accepting the facts and letting families choose the education that works best for their children.”

𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 “The stakes could not be higher this election. The result will determine whether we have a productive, high-wage economy with growing businesses for years to come – or if it’s back to the future with higher taxes, higher spending, and higher inflation. ACT has a suite of policies that will deliver the former,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Every single other party vying for Parliament wants to spend more of your money. ACT alone is proposing to save your money. By reducing waste, we’re still able to invest in what matters. Our policies boost primary healthcare, ensure the safety of law-abiding citizens and provide more educational opportunities for future generations. “We’ve resisted the temptation to announce sugar-hit policies that sound good in focus groups but do little to improve people’s lives. Decades of politicians chasing headlines instead of making hard choices has left New Zealand in a deep financial hole. “ACT is the only party that has published a fully costed fiscal plan to balance the books sooner, pay down debt faster, and do it without introducing new taxes. Our plan ends wasteful spending, makes Government smaller and more accountable, and delivers $12.4 billion less debt by 2031 than currently forecast. “When you’re paying over a million dollars an hour in interest on government debt, it’s not the time to spend more. Someone needs to make the choices now that will allow future generations to build a life here. “We will make Government focused, effective and affordable, starting at the top with fewer Ministers and Department heads. The savings will fund policies such as removing tax on KiwiSaver investment earnings so New Zealanders can keep more of their money and build wealth for the future. “We will boost primary healthcare by funding pharmacists to treat more common illnesses and investing an additional $400 million in general practice over four years, so more New Zealanders can get the care they need without adding to the pressure on overflowing hospitals. “We will put law-abiding citizens first, putting repeat burglars behind bars with Three Strikes for Burglary. Offenders convicted of burglary for a third time will face at least three years in prison without parole. “We will ensure one law for all and one future together, where every New Zealander has the same rights, responsibilities and protections under the law, regardless of their ancestry. We will ensure public services are based on need, not race. “We will make farming fun again by letting farmers farm, protecting their property rights and cutting the red tape imposed from Wellington so farmers can spend more time and money improving their farms. “Party Vote ACT to re-elect the Coalition and make it go further and faster on all of these issues.” ACT's policy manifesto for the 2026 election is linked here: act.org.nz/manifesto

It's on.

𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 “Reports in today’s Sunday Star-Times about the ‘bureaucratic priesthood’ of the public service provides another insight into why it's essential the next Government takes the power back from the bureaucrats and returns it to the people who elect the Government,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Research conducted by the New Zealand Initiative reportedly finds that around 20 per cent of policy advisers and their managers aren't prepared to accept the results of an election or the coalition agreements that follow. Only 60 per cent agree that democratically elected ministers should decide policy and trade-offs. “That means four out of every ten respondents didn't agree that elected ministers should make the policy decisions. If the politicians elected by the people aren't making the decisions, who is? The bureaucratic management class in Wellington believe they're the ones in charge, which is why voters throughout the rest of the country find the public service doesn't really work for them. “I wish I could say I was surprised by the figures, but over the last three years in Government, two things have become apparent about the public service. “First, it's enormous, and too tangled to act. Housing, infrastructure, welfare dependency, crime, and health all cut across multiple agencies. When seven departments share a problem, it stops being anyone's job to solve it. Kiwis are left frustrated, bouncing between departments or denied straight answers. “Second, the lines of accountability are broken. Ministers are held responsible for the performance of their departments, but they don't appoint the chief executives who run them. Those appointments are controlled by the Public Service Commission, a bureaucracy that is effectively accountable to itself. “The result is an enormous Government that costs taxpayers billions, struggles to deliver change, and too often appears more interested in maintaining its own processes than delivering results. “ACT has a plan to fix this. “We would reduce the number of Ministers from 28 to 18 and consolidate 43 departments into 19. Departments would generally report to one Minister, who would be accountable for their budget and outcomes. “We would also remove the Public Service Commission and allow Ministers to appoint chief executives on fixed terms, renewable once. Chief executives who fail to perform or are unwilling to implement the Government's lawful policy direction could be removed, subject to specified grounds and protections. “Effectively, Ministers will have the ability to sack Chief Executives who are not prepared to carry out the will of the people. The “bureaucratic priesthood” will have their clerical lanyards removed. “ACT would also reset the public service around the basic principles of equal treatment, individual freedom, political and religious neutrality, and accountability for results. “We would end race-based hiring requirements by repealing section 73 of the Public Service Act and section 118 of the Crown Entities Act, legally enforce need before race in the delivery of public services, and stop public service employers from using taxpayer resources to initiate spiritual practices. “We've already passed a Need Not Race Cabinet circular, but a circular is only as effective as the willingness of departments to follow it. Unsurprisingly considering this report, many departments ignored it. ACT would put the principle into law so that decisions which breach it could be challenged in court. “The Coalition Government has accepted the argument for a smaller Government, but current changes are tinkering around the edges. Kiwis are tired of piecemeal change that takes forever. ACT has done the work on what the whole system should look like, so a re-elected Government can start implementing it immediately next term. “New Zealand needs a smaller, more efficient government if we are going to balance the books, lift wages, restore trust in democracy, and unlock New Zealand's potential."

If someone keeps breaking into people’s homes, they belong behind bars.

𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 “ACT will give every Year 11 student $500 to invest in a Sharesies-style account,” says ACT Leader David Seymour, launching a financial literacy policy previously teased in April. The policy will be included in the Party's election manifesto, to be released on Monday. “Financial literacy should absolutely be part of the curriculum. In the modern world it’s extraordinary to think otherwise. But the real challenge is getting children motivated to learn. “ACT’s policy, already fully costed in our fiscal plan, literally gets young people invested. Instead of just learning about investment in a textbook, students will have real skin in the game. “Students will start with a term deposit, then graduate to managed funds, New Zealand shares, and international investments as they demonstrate their understanding of risk and reward. “Too many young New Zealanders leave school without understanding how wealth is created, how businesses grow, or how they can put their savings to work. “This policy will help unlock the potential of generations of young New Zealanders, introducing them to saving, investing, and taking responsibility for their financial futures. “Combined with ACT’s policy to remove tax on KiwiSaver, it will help set Kiwis up for life by making it easier to build wealth and secure their financial future. “Meanwhile, Nicole McKee’s AML reforms have already simplified the process of opening a child’s bank account and further improvements are in a bill that she has already introduced to parliament. “Young New Zealanders will see themselves not just as workers and consumers, but as investors and owners with a stake in our country’s success.”

𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀' 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: $𝟯𝟵 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗖𝗧'𝘀 "The Green Party’s fiscal plan makes crystal clear what’s at stake: taxpayers face a choice between $12.4 billion less debt under ACT’s plan, or $26.6 billion more debt under the Greens’ plan. It is a choice between financial security or financial ruin," says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The Greens' plan would send the bill to those too young to vote and not even born. By their own working, they’d swell net core Crown debt to $256.4 billion in 2030/31, or 44 per cent of GDP. That's $26.6 billion more than Treasury's forecast and $39 billion more than ACT's plan. "The Greens would make government bigger than it was in the middle of the pandemic. Pandemic spending was an emergency. The Greens' fiscal plan is a permanent emergency for taxpayers. "Taxpayers already pay $1.2 million every hour covering interest on the debt. The Greens seem to think that’s not enough. "The Greens' plan is worse than the extra debt. Debt means more tax in the future, but they want more tax in the present, too. The Greens expect to raise $28.75 billion in new taxes over four years, but they don't allow for the deadweight loss of higher taxes: discouraging investment and growth. If taxing cigarettes discourages smoking then discouraging investment, rental housing and savings will discourage them, too. Less growth means less tax revenue and more debt than the Greens admit. "Then there's the Greens’ pay equity fudge. The Greens promise to restore it, but budget just $4.5 billion over four years. That’s $8 billion short of Treasury’s estimates. Clearly, someone’s going to miss out. The Greens will do anything for women but actually fund their promises to women. They say the Coalition doesn’t care about women because we cancelled pay equity. We reject that thinking, but by their own logic, they don’t either. "ACT's plan is different. We would reduce the size of government and cut waste to reach surplus earlier, with $12.4 billion less debt than Treasury's baseline by 2031. "Chlöe Swarbrick is angling for the Finance portfolio. She is prepared to deliver financial ruin to the next generation. “The stakes could not be higher. To lock the Greens out, we must lock Labour out. A Party Vote for ACT achieves that, while also helping the Coalition to go further and faster in paying down the debt."

Last night, tackling the Greens and Gangs.

ACT has rewritten the Arms Act and cut unnecessary red tape. Now the regulations need to deliver on those reforms. Party Vote ACT to finish the job.

Your rights should never depend on who your ancestors were.

𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 “You can't pick your whānau, but you can pick where you campaign. Chris Hipkins has been caught out lecturing other parties about their judgement while his candidates campaign with gang members,” says ACT Deputy Leader Nicole McKee. “Footage has circulated of Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni wearing Labour campaign branding, standing alongside her hoardings, and encouraging people to vote at a Mongrel Mob event. It shows once again why we need to lock Labour out. “It also shows what's at stake this election. On the left you have two parties openly campaigning for gang votes, and one trying to do it secretly. Meanwhile ACT has restored Three Strikes for serious violent and sexual offending, redirected funding away from gang-run programmes towards victims and crime prevention, and is campaigning to extend Three Strikes to burglary." "Chris Hipkins has tried desperately to distance himself from TPM and the Greens and their pro-gang antics. He can't distance himself from his own candidates when they have been caught soliciting votes and fundraising from gangs though. I wonder how many donations she got, and where that money came from? “Even now he is saying that campaigning with gang members is acceptable, so long as it's not at their pad. What sort of distinction is that? "Ms Leoni says she wants to be a role model for her whānau. A role model would condemn the criminal behaviour that is ruining so many lives."

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 - 𝗖𝘆𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 “As if to demonstrate that he is firmly in the pocket of left-wing teachers’ unions rather than on the side of students, Chris Hipkins has been caught repeating their false claims about charter school funding,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Cynical Chris says charter schools cost four times as much as state schools. In reality, they cost broadly the same, and slightly less when you calculate all the figures. “At last week’s NZ Herald Leaders’ Debate, Ryan Bridge asked Hipkins whether he’d ever lied. Hipkins said he hadn't deliberately, but acknowledged making incorrect statements based on outdated information and claimed he had always corrected them. “Well, here's his chance to put that to the test. The facts are publicly available on the Charter School Agency's website. Will he correct the record, or keep repeating false claims? Compared like for like, the costs are: Primary schools: $8,762 per student at state schools, compared with $8,278 at charter schools. Secondary schools: $11,040 per student at state schools, compared with $10,741 at charter schools. “Even the establishment funding figures show charter schools cost less. A new primary charter school with 100 students receives $401,675 in staffing and operating funding, compared with $638,249 for an equivalent state school. “The real reason Hipkins opposes charter schools is that he and the unions are afraid they're becoming too successful. “Since the first charter schools opened last year, enrolments have grown from 215 to more than 2,100. Five of the original seven schools exceeded their attendance targets in their first year, and five exceeded their achievement targets. “Families are choosing these schools because they offer something different. For many students, the traditional system simply wasn't working. Now they're attending school, learning, and getting opportunities they didn't have before. “Charter schools are contracted to deliver results. If they fail to meet their attendance and achievement targets, they risk losing their funding. That's a level of accountability not seen elsewhere in the state school system. “Chris Hipkins should be celebrating schools that are helping students succeed, not threatening to close them to keep his union mates happy. “It's time Cynical Chris put students ahead of union politics.”

𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 “ACT will drive down the costs of farming by cutting red tape, preventing new taxes and bringing discipline to government spending,” says ACT Agriculture spokesperson Andrew Hoggard. “A strong payout is welcome, but what matters is what’s left after paying for staff, interest, fuel, fertiliser, animal health and compliance. Rising costs can swallow the rewards of a good season. “ACT understands farming because we have farmers in our team. We know how decisions made in Wellington flow through to bills at the kitchen table. “We’re strengthening our plan to Make Farming Fun Again with further commitments to cut costs, protect property rights and give farmers more freedom to farm.” ACT’s additions to the plan to drive down costs for farmers include: ⁠- Introducing at least ten new permitted activity standards covering farm plans, vegetable growing, on-farm water storage, gravel extraction, drain maintenance, effluent management, fertiliser application, farm quarries, wetland restoration, and small-and-medium-scale solar, removing resource consent costs for activities that meet those standards. - Guaranteeing flexible land use, so changing what you farm won’t require a resource consent where it is consistent with National Standards. ⁠- Setting water limits using science and local realities, removing spiritual concepts like Te Mana o te Wai from the methodology. - Requiring fair compensation when councils impose overlays such as Significant Natural Areas or Outstanding Natural Landscapes on private land. - Committing to long-term funding to eradicate wilding pines, with DOC directed to coordinate pest control across public and private land, reducing the burden on individual farmers. This is on top of already-announced proposals to drive down costs by: - Keeping freshwater farm plans practical and affordable, with clear rules focused on actual environmental harm and local conditions. - Removing unnecessary restrictions on agricultural drones and other technology that can improve productivity and reduce operating costs. - ⁠Keeping agriculture permanently out of the ETS and opposing any agricultural emissions tax or pricing scheme. - Cutting the carbon tax that drives up the price of fuel and other farm inputs. - Introducing a Rural Workforce Visa and maintaining employment settings that make recruiting and employing staff easier. - Balancing the books without new taxes, returning to surplus faster and paying down debt, helping ease pressure on inflation and interest rates. - Retaining the Reserve Bank’s focus on controlling inflation. - Requiring permanent forest owners to carry the long-term costs and risks of their forests, including sufficient pest control. - Removing red tape around homekill and making it easier for farmers to sell their products directly to consumers. ⁠- Funding 100,000 additional rural Police patrol hours each year, establishing a dedicated rural crime unit, and strengthening penalties for livestock theft, poaching and repeat burglary to reduce the costs of theft and damage. - Increasing penalties for illegal rubbish dumping to deter offending that leaves farmers facing clean-up bills. - Allowing rural children to use spare seats on existing school buses wherever practical, reducing transport costs for families. - Speeding up access to proven agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines, and recognising trusted overseas approvals to reduce regulatory costs and improve access to competing products. - Expanding healthcare through pharmacies and enabling 24-hour prescription e-lockers, reducing travel and time away from the farm. Other additions to ACT’s rural plan include: - Keeping Agricultural and Horticultural Science as a standalone Year 11 subject. - Strengthening vocational pathways to support students into careers such as agriculture and horticulture. ⁠- Reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act so it reflects how farming businesses operate today. “ACT has the strongest record of any party of backing farmers, and the most comprehensive plan to continue to boost farm productivity, drive down costs, and let farmers farm.”

ACT will protect charter schools from Labour's attempts to shut them down, and offer real choice in education for thousands more young Kiwis.