David Seymour, who will take over as deputy prime minister in May next year, said ACT had shown that it could perform in government. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
ACT leader David Seymour is riding high on the coalition's one year anniversary, saying his party wields a disproportionate influence at the decision-making table.
But Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report he "wouldn't describe it that way".
Seymour told RNZ he was feeling "fantastic" after Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti last week, dismissing the show of opposition to his brainchild bill as either ignorance or theatrics.
And on his public criticism of the prime minister, Seymour is doubling down calling it "a fair observation".
One year into the coalition
If Seymour could only use one word to sum up the last year it would be "exciting".
"I think we've shown that ACT can perform in government," he told RNZ in an interview ahead of the coalition marking its first year in power.
"I suspect in some people's minds, and maybe even deep down in our own minds, there was a question about that because ACT has never had people in Cabinet before.
"We haven't been in government, really, for over a decade, and all of a sudden here we are at the centre of government."
It took two election cycles for Seymour to grow ACT from a one-man-band to a team of 11, three of which are Cabinet Ministers.
Having campaigned on delivering 'real change', he now takes credit for pushing the government to go further than it otherwise would.
"I think we've made a disproportionate contribution to policies of the government.
"If you look at these quarterly plans, often half the ideas come from the party that has only one sixth of the MPs in the government."
It's something Prime Minister Christopher Luxon disagreed with when it was put to him last week, saying ACT had "a fair influence".
Seymour even credited lower inflation rates to the impact his party has had on Cabinet decisions.
"ACT is always there; putting the pressure on, saying we've got to make a surplus, we've got to reduce spending, we've got to get on top of inflation.
"And I think that pressure has paid off for New Zealanders because now you see inflation at 2.2 percent."
Speaking on Morning Report, Christopher Luxon said all parties had made a contribution to the government and he was proud of the National government as well as the minor parties.
"I think we've all worked very well together and we've been very united on the programme and the agenda that we're working through, and we've got a lot more to do."
Luxon said it was "still a very tough time for Kiwis" but the government was focused on the economy and bringing down inflation.
The Treaty Principles Bill
Seymour continues to claim "massive support" for the government's Treaty Principles Bill, citing a Curia poll done in October.
"You've got to remember that at the end of the day, we're all politicians and we are politicians in a democracy, a representative democracy, where overwhelmingly people are in favour of these principles by almost two to one in the polling that's been done."
National and New Zealand First have ruled out supporting the legislation past first reading, though Seymour was still holding out hope that might change.
"I think there's a very strong chance that you'll see people urging their representatives and their representatives may well listen to them."
No matter what happens next year, Seymour has been clear he would have at the very least laid the groundwork for change.
"Now those ideas are in the public domain, they're legitimate, they're normalized and it's going to be very, very difficult for opponents to say, oh, no, the treaty is something that gives unequal rights based on ancestry, and no, you don't get a say."
Seymour has openly criticised his coalition partners over the last year, most recently saying National was too afraid to tackle hard issues by ruling out supporting the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading.
It's criticism he stands by, saying it was "a fair observation".
"The National Party has been a tremendously successful political machine. They've won a lot of votes and been in power for a long time but they, by and large, have been good at managing the status quo rather than reforming it.
"And I don't think anyone that looks at the history of the two parties would dispute that. I don't think we need to get to a place where people aren't allowed to state basic truths."
Luxon has said these comments are "quite fine" and simply a part of the "maturity of MMP".
"There's been no dramas and screaming, shouting, ranting or raving," he says. "We don't run that way. It's a pretty calm... and consistent show," Luxon said.
Seymour said it had not affected his relationships with his coalition partners who all had a common focus on improving economic conditions.
"With both leaders I have good, cordial, professional relationships. It's allowed us to work through a lot of issues and have a coalition that is robust in the sense that if we don't agree on one issue, we can still work on others.
"Probably one of the biggest surprises, especially for our opponents, is just how stable and robust the coalition is."
The year ahead
Seymour will take over as deputy prime minister in May next year and does not anticipate any difficulties.
"I think for a whole lot of people who were frankly beaten down and really felt that ACT was their representative after Jacinda's government of kindness really beat down on landlords, farmers, small business, licensed firearm owners who felt that they haven't been heard by the government.
"They voted for ACT and to see their guy become deputy prime minister is significant. I'm quite excited about it for what it means for New Zealand. It shows that there's a place for everyone in this country."
His priorities for the year ahead included fixing the economy, working hard across his portfolios, making the revamped school lunch system work, getting kids back to school, the Ministry of Regulation's sector reviews and passing the Regulatory Standards Bill.
And while it's not yet December he's already turning his mind to ideas ACT might push next year, hinting privatising the healthcare system would be one of them.
Seymour said a conversation about the future of the health system was needed as it was not working as is.
"Fundamentally, for the number of patients and their demands and the amount of money that's going in we've got very good health professionals stuck in the middle and the system is failing them and the patients."
"I think that it is going to need to change and I think we'll have more to say about that in 2025."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
