David Seymour has told east Auckland voters Government spending needs to be brought under control and the country needs to change its attitude toward crime.
The ACT Party’s leader delivered his campaign message to an audience of more than 100 people at a recent public meeting in Pakuranga.
He was joined by ACT candidates including Parmjeet Parmar, who’s standing in the Pakuranga electorate, and Bo Burns, who’s standing in Botany.
The meeting was held the same night the latest 1News Verian political poll revealed the National Party had risen two per cent to 39, while Labour had fallen one per cent to 28.
ACT was down three to 10 per cent and the Greens were down two to 10.
New Zealand First was up one per cent, hitting the five per cent threshold needed to re-enter Parliament.
Based on these numbers, National and ACT would have a combined 62 seats in Parliament and would be able to form a coalition Government.
Seymour covered a range of subjects during his talk including the cost of living crisis, the Treaty of Waitangi, co-governance, law and order, and education.
On crime, he said there are two types of offenders who “nick people’s stuff” in New Zealand.
“The first is criminals who are ram-raiding, the gangs, the people who are stealing and burgling and mugging.
“Unfortunately, that’s got out of control in recent times.
“There is 30 per cent more victimisation than there was five years ago.
“That’s why we say we have to change our attitude toward crime.”
He said the second way “people get their stuff nicked” is a grey area and is called Inland Revenue.
“This is arguably the worst gang in New Zealand. Last year they ripped off about $120 billion and they’re doing it in broad daylight.
“Standing over people and locking them up if they don’t give their money, and they’re driven by a gang leader called ‘Big G Robertson’.
“He’s one of the worst gangsters in the country.”
Seymour was referring to Labour Government Finance Minister Grant Robertson.
He said Robertson needed to be kicked out of his current job and a stop brought to the “rapacious taxation that’s occurring and also the borrowing and spending”.
There’s an idea that under the Treaty of Waitangi there has to be a partnership between races and not a country where everyone has the same rights and duties, he said.
“That approach is doing an enormous amount to stop people from making a difference in their own lives because they’re judged on their identity – who they are – rather than on what they do.”
Seymour said many Kiwis are struggling to cope with the cost of living and the country is running on borrowed time and on borrowed money.
More money will be spent servicing New Zealand’s debt than on primary and secondary education.
He said ACT would increase fiscal responsibility, introduce performance targets for the chief executives of Government departments, reduce bureaucracy, raise economic productivity, scrap co-governance, introduce tougher sentences for crime, and increase choice in education.
