Seymour, the leader of Act New Zealand, hopes that in less than a month that will change and the country will see its first drastic swivel propelled by the right wing of its parliament. Act, the once-minuscule,
sub-1% libertarian party now polling about 10%, has risen to become a decisive force in the looming October election. If current polling holds, it hopes to usher in New Zealand’s most rightwing-reformist government in decades.
Touting a platform of welfare and government spending cuts, crime crackdowns and opposition to Indigenous “co-governance” reforms, Act has risen to be New Zealand’s third-largest political party, with 10 MPs in parliament. It is likely to hold significant leverage in any centre-right coalition, which current polling projects will form the country’s next government.
