Leader of ACT New Zealand

Leader of ACT New Zealand
Photo of David Seymour
Incumbent
David Seymour
since 4 October 2014
TypeParty leader
Formation1994
First holderRoger Douglas
DeputyDeputy Leader of ACT New Zealand
Websitehttps://www.act.org.nz

The leader of ACT New Zealand is the highest-ranked political position within ACT New Zealand. The current leader is David Seymour, who became the leader in October 2014. He is the longest serving ACT Leader, serving more than 10 years as of 2024.

The leader is appointed by the party board. The leader is not required to be a member of parliament; when the leader is a member of parliament, the party constitution states that the leader is responsible for "the supervision, co-ordination and conduct of the Party’s activities in Parliament."[1] The leader serves until they resign or the board removes them.

The party leader and deputy party leader are ex officio members of the ACT board. The board consists of a maximum of thirteen members, consisting of regional representatives, party MPs, the party president, party vice-president, the party treasurer, and others at the discretion of the board.[2]

List of leaders

No. Leader Portrait Electorate List placement[a] Term start Term end
1 Roger Douglas

(b. 1937)

 None

(was previously a Labour MP; re-elected as the third-ranked ACT list MP in the 2008 election, after leadership term)

 1994 24 March 1996
2 Richard Prebble

(b. 1948)

 Wellington Central 1st 1996–1999 26 March 1996 13 June 2004
List 1999–2005
3 Rodney Hide

(b. 1956)

 List 7th 1996–1999 13 June 2004 28 April 2011
5th 1999–2002
2nd 2002–2005
Epsom 1st 2005–2010
4 Don Brash

(b. 1940)

 None

(was previously leader of National; was first on the ACT party list for the 2011 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

 28 April 2011 26 November 2011
5 John Banks

(b. 1946)

 Epsom 4th 2011–2014 15 February 2012 2 February 2014
6 Jamie Whyte

(b. 1965/1966)

 None

(was first on party list for the 2014 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

 2 February 2014 3 October 2014
7 David Seymour

(b. 1983)

 Epsom None 2014–2017 4 October 2014 incumbent
1st 2017–present

Timeline

David SeymourJamie WhyteJohn Banks (New Zealand politician)Don BrashRodney HideRichard PrebbleRoger Douglas

Deputy leader

Deputy leader
McKee in 2025
Incumbent
Nicole McKee
since 28 June 2026

The party also has a deputy leader who acts as leader when required in the leaders absence. The current leader is Nicole McKee.

No. Deputy leader Portrait Electorate List placement[a] Term start Term end Leader
1 Ken Shirley

(b. 1950)

 List 3rd 1996–1999 1994[13] 2004[14] Douglas
2nd 1999–2002 Prebble
7th 2002–2005
None

(was sixth on party list for the 2005 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

2 Muriel Newman

(b. 1950)

 List 8th 1996–1999 2004 2005[15] Hide
7th 1999–2002
3rd 2002–2005
None

(was third on party list for the 2005 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

3 Heather Roy

(b. 1964)

 None

(was tenth on party list for the 1999 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

 17 September 2005[16] 17 August 2010[17]
List 9th 2002–2005
2nd 2005–2008
2008–2011
4 John Boscawen

(b. 1956)

 List 4th 2008–2011 17 August 2010[17] c. November 2012[18]
Brash
5 Kenneth Wang

(b. 1955)

 None

(was tenth on party list for the 2002 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

 15 April 2014[19] 9 July 2017[20] Whyte
List 10th 2004–2005 Seymour
None

(was seventh on party list for the 2005 election, and second on party list for the 2014 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

6 Beth Houlbrooke

(b. ?)

 None

(was fourth on party list for the 2014 election, second on party list for the 2017 election, and twelfth on party list for the 2020 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

 9 July 2017[21] 28 June 2020[22]
7 Brooke van Velden

(b. 1992)

 None

(was third on party list for the 2017 election but ACT did not gain enough party votes)

 28 June 2020[22] 28 June 2026[23]
Tāmaki 2nd 2020–2026
8 Nicole McKee

(b. 1971 or 1972)

 List 3rd 2020–present 28 June 2026[23] incumbent

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 List placement sources[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

References

  1. ↑ ACT Constitution (2019), p. 14
  2. ↑ ACT Constitution (2019), p. 10
  3. ↑ "Part III – Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties" (PDF). Election Results. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Election Results. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Election Results. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Election Results. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Election Results. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "2011 General Election – Party lists from the 2011 General Election". Elections NZ. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "2014 General Election Party – lists for the 2014 General Election". Elections NZ. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "2017 General Election – Party lists from the 2017 General Election". Elections NZ. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "2020 General Election & referendums – Party lists from the 2020 General Election". Elections NZ. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "2023 General Election – Parties". Vote NZ. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  13. ↑ "Ken Shirley to lead road transport lobby". National Business Review. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2026. A foundation member of Act [sic] and deputy leader since its formation, Mr Shirley returned to Parliament in 1996 as an Act list MP, serving until 2005.
  14. ↑ "Appointment Questioned". ACT New Zealand. 1 March 2004. Retrieved 2 July 2026 – via Scoop.
  15. ↑ Harman, Richard (11 April 2016). "Former ACT MP heads anti Maori water campaign". Politik. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Hon Heather Roy". New Zealand Parliament. 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Roy ousted, John Boscawen Act's new deputy leader". National Business Review. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Boscawen, John (7 November 2012). "Missed Opportunity on ETS". ACT New Zealand. Archived from the original on 24 February 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  19. ↑ Dastgheib, Shabnam (15 April 2014). "Kenneth Wang elected Act deputy leader". Stuff. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "Kenneth Wang to leave ACT Party". Radio New Zealand. 9 July 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  21. ↑ McCulloch, Craig (10 July 2017). "ACT's new deputy will 'broaden voter appeal'". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  22. 1 2 Cooke, Henry (28 June 2020). "ACT reveals new list, elects 27-year-old staffer deputy leader and puts gun lobbyist at number three". Stuff. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  23. 1 2 Bradford, Katie (28 June 2026). "'Lock Labour out' the rallying cry as Act kicks off election campaign". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 July 2026.

Sources

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