Election 2023: Act list could see two MPs out of Parliament, making way for fresh faces

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By Michael Neilson

Senior political reporter, NZ Herald·NZ Herald·

16 Jul, 2023 05:38 AM4 mins to read

The Act Party announces their retail crime policy.

Two of Act’s current MPs have been demoted to potentially unwinnable positions, making way for new talent in the form of a former Federate Farmers president and a former National MP.

The Act Party today unveiled its list for the 2023 general election, while also revealing a second of its current MPs, James McDowall, would be retiring.

It came after Damien Smith announced this week he would not be running again, just days before the list came out.

The list sees current MPs Chris Baillie plummet to 17 from his previous position of four, and Toni Severin, previously nine, demoted to 14th.

Act currently has 10 MPs, and according to the Herald’s poll of polls - based on current polls and historic data - could see that number rise to 15 after the election on October 14.

The remarkable rise comes after Act held only one seat across three election periods from 2011 until the 2020 election.

The latest poll from the Taxpayers’ Union-Curia this week even had them at just over 13 per cent, which would give them 17 seats.

The top three are unchanged, with leader David Seymour followed by deputy leader Brook Van Velden and then Nicole McKee.

The big risers are newcomers Todd Stephenson in Southland at four and former Federated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard at five. Stephenson has been working in the health industry.

First-term MP Karen Chhour, who has been holding the Government to account of late in the Oranga Tamariki space, has been rewarded with a bump from seven to six, while farmer-turned-politician (although he still gets out on the farm) Mark Cameron also gets a small promotion from eight to seven.

Simon Court in Te Atatū drops from five to eight, which on current polling is still a very winnable position. Court was recently referred to the privileges committee after sharing information that was alleged to have breached committee confidence.

There are several more newcomers who could very well see themselves becoming MPs: former National MP Parmjeet Parmar in Pakuranga at nine, Laura Trask in Banks Peninsula at 10, Cameron Luxton in Bay of Plenty at 11, Antonia Modkova in Panmure-Ōtāhuhu at 12 and Ash Parmar in Hamilton East at 13.

On McDowall, Seymour said he had a young family and indicated while he was “very proud to have served the last three years in Parliament”, he was not seeking re-election in 2023.

It comes after Smith this week said he would not stand for Parliament again in the 2023 election.

In a statement just days before the list announcement, Smith did not give a reason for his decision, but said he was grateful to those who had provided him with support and mentorship during his term as an MP.

Seymour said today New Zealanders were demanding change and the party list represented a “talented and diverse team of Kiwis” who could achieve it.

He said his current team had “defied expectations in the best way, being far and away the most disciplined and high-performing caucus in Parliament”.

The full list for 2023 was a “true representation of New Zealand society”, he said.

“There are farmers, legal experts, business executives, tradies, mothers and fathers, army lieutenants, policy experts, small business owners, teachers, engineers, licenced firearms owners and more.

“We have candidates from all walks of life. The one thing they all have in common is that they share a vision for real change.”

Seymour said Act’s policies were focused on the cost of living crisis, restoring law and order, getting rid of “divisive race-based policy” and making it easier to build affordable homes.

Act Party list (top 20 of 55 candidates - full list here):