Act leader David Seymour talks to Clark Ellery (left) and Cameron Smith after the party's public meeting in Palmerston North on Sunday. Photo / Judith Lacy
Act leader David Seymour talks to Clark Ellery (left) and Cameron Smith after the party's public meeting in Palmerston North on Sunday. Photo / Judith Lacy
David Seymour doesn’t know how to say goodbye in Spanish but multitud (crowd) was a more apt word for his visit to Palmerston North.
The Act leader opened his speech at Sunday’s public meeting by remarking he was going to say kia ora or gidday but decided to say hola, mainly because he doesn’t know what goodbye is in Spanish.
Seymour was making his feelings known about a report Spain’s Fifa Women’s World Cup team had left their Palmerston North base early because they were bored.
Seymour was born in Palmerston North and lived in the city until he was 18 months old.
The Government had spent way too much money and borrowed too much. Act would review government spending and cut taxes.
Referring to the resignation of justice minister Kiri Allan, Seymour said Labour could not replace her.
“The fact they dragged her back to work, I think, reflected the fact that they knew they had no subs and, as a result, they look a little bit like the Wallabies last night. They are simply unable to field a full cabinet and if they can’t manage themselves how are they able to manage their spending?”
Act would stop putting red tape, regulation and bureaucracy on to “everything that everybody does”.
“The whole attitude has to shift away from if in doubt, make a rule and make some poor bugger jump through another hoop, to if we can’t absolutely justify the problem we are solving and show that people are better off with this rule in place, weighing up the cost and benefit, then you don’t do it.
“And if we can fire half the bureaucrats that are making these rules, it’s a win-win. You don’t have to pay them and you don’t have to comply with the rule. We could all end up much better off and life could become more affordable.”
Act leader David Seymour told about 450 people at a public meeting in Palmerston North on Sunday the party will end "Labour's soft on crime experiment".
Seymour referred to the “fairy tale” told by former prime minister Jacinda Ardern: “If only we would all be kind to each other again everybody would be kind back.”
The results of the “mad ideological experiment are now in”.
“If you let criminals out they commit more crime and the problem is that all the emphasis on law and order for the last six years, you hear so much about the offender, you never hear about the victim.”
Seymour said prisoners should not be allowed out on early parole if they haven’t learned to read and obtained a driver licence, and ideally a trade.
“Change the whole culture of prisons towards self-improvement and you might find that fewer people are going around and around in a revolving door committing crimes during the upcycle.”
Seymour said in a liberal democratic state each person should have the same rights and duties. Yes, we should celebrate Māori language and culture, respect Māori property rights and put right the genuinely wrong things that have happened since the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.
But there also needs to be a place for everyone else in New Zealand.
“People that stand and support Act are humanists, they want the same rights and duties for all. They don’t want to see people divided, they lament the country that they love suddenly having labels put on everybody.”
He encouraged the audience to tell everyone they know why they are voting for Act.
“Word of mouth is the most powerful means of political persuasion known to democracy.”
Seymour was met outside the venue by five people from environmental movement Extinction Rebellion holding signs about climate change.
Referring to the vigil holders, Seymour said he hoped they would come inside but “it is a deodorant-only policy in the meeting”.
Act’s Rangitīkei candidate Andrew Hoggard spoke briefly. The former Federated Farmers president is No 5 on the party list. Also present was Palmerston North candidate Mike Harnett, who is No 49.
