Politics in Full Sentences: ACT New Zealand

Max Whitehead is joined by ACT Leader David Seymour and Deputy Leader Beth Houlbrooke to discuss the right economic policies for a rapid recovery. What's the Government been doing and are they about to make a big mistake?Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics 

Tonight, on Politics in Full Sentences Max Whitehead discusses the lockdown's impact on SMEs with ACT Leader David Seymour and Deputy Leader Beth Houlbrooke. SMEs are unable to operate, but rents and creditors still need to be paid. Is the Government failing to understand the urgency of the situation?Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

The economic pain is starting to become real to more and more people. The most important question is how and when we reopen the Economy. Tonight we talk about what a Government should do for a high-information, high-transparency, hi-tech, resilient recovery.Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

On this week’s episode of Politics in Full Sentences we discuss how you can help us keep democracy strong while Parliament is shut. What is the Epidemic Response Committee, how will ACT offer constructive criticism, and how can you be involved? Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

On this week's episode of Politics in Full Sentences Max Whitehead joins David Seymour and Beth Houlbrooke from self-isolation to take your questions and provide answers on the COVID-19 situation and the government's response. 

In this episode of Politics in Full Sentences Max Whitehead speaks to ACT Leader David Seymour and ACT Deputy Leader Beth Houlbrooke about Abortion Law Reform. A new abortion law could pass as soon as this week. So how's it different to the current law, why does it need changing, and what happened to 'safe areas'?Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

In this episode of Politics in Full Sentences Max Whitehead speaks to New Zealand Property Investors' Federation Executive Officer Andrew King and Young Act Policy Advisor Jackson Graham. Universities are back for 2020 and rents have once again risen for students. Does the rental market need more regulation or reform?Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

In this episode of Politics in Full Sentences, Max Whitehead speaks to ACT Leader David Seymour about the importance of property rights. How are property rights being eroded by the Labour-led Government? It's also an election year. What's in store for ACT and New Zealand in 2020?  Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

IntroductionThank you Beth and thank you to our wonderful ACT Party volunteers and President. Did you know our online donations averaged a thousand dollars per day for the hundred days before the election was called? ACT has its best momentum and support in a decade.I want to thank Sang Cho and the team at Eden Bistro for opening up especially in Waitangi. Eden Bistro is a new business, and I think it’s going to be a big success. Here in the north of Mt Eden is one of the Epsom Electorate’s most exciting up-and-coming neighbourhoods.Many people here are from the Epsom Electorate. I’m proud to represent you as your local MP. This month marks six years since I started my campaign to represent Epsom in 2014. This year I will be campaigning anew for my neighbours to send me to Wellington for a third time.The state of Our Nation is strong. We are a democracy with a diversified free market economy. We have a rich civil society with voluntary organisations of every kind.We saw in the aftermath of our nation’s tragedy in Christchurch that we may be the warmest people on earth. We are lively, entrepreneurial people who moved further than anyone for a better tomorrow.We live on the greatest piece of physical real estate on earth.The State of our Nation is strong. Our strength has been built up by generations. The question we need to ask ourselves is: Are we adding to or subtracting from the legacy we inherited up until today?I want to talk about some issues we face as a country.Erosion of Rights and FreedomsFree SpeechThe number one political issue is the erosion of freedom under this Government. The foundational freedom of any free society if freedom of speech. It is a good place to start.The ACT Party says it’s a sacred right to think our thoughts and share our views. Freedom of speech allowed Galileo to say the Earth goes around the Sun. It allowed Kate Shephard to say Women have equal rights. Every chance of a better tomorrow depends on people thinking and speaking freely.The current Government thinks free speech is dangerous. It doesn’t want you involved in planning tomorrow. If you are allowed to just think whatever you want, you might think the wrong thing!That’s why they want so called hate speech laws. Someone, somewhere, will be employed by you to decide what you can say. If that sounds nuts, it is. But don’t blame me, I’m just describing their proposal honestly.Normally when the state comes after you, you’re allowed to defend yourself with facts. You can’t be convicted of theft if you didn’t actually take something. When charged with hate speech, no fact can come to your defence. The question is simply whether you said something unpopular, it is mob rule at its worst.It gets worse. Imagine a job that lets you punish the unpopular. Who would apply? Bad people, of course. The worst. We already have a guy called Paul Hunt in charge of the Human Rights Commission who thinks Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-Semitism is okay. That’s the sort of person we’re talking about giving the power to persecute.The ACT Party says hate speech laws are wrong. A government dependent on ACT will never pass laws that restrict your speech. We will expect National to join with us in repealing any hate speech laws introduced in the dying days of this Government.Firearm LawsFree speech allowed ACT to point out that the Government’s firearm laws wouldn’t work, couldn’t work, and haven’t worked. Make no mistake, we are now less safe from gun violence than we were on the 14 March. For three reasons.One. The buy-back failed. It didn’t just fail to get three quarters of the prohibited firearms; it got the least powerful firearms from the most honest people. Incidentally, they took the money and spent it on more firearms. Firearm retailers just had their best Christmas...

In this episode of Politics in Full Sentences, we look back at ACT’s achievements in 2019, including the passage of the End of Life Choice Bill, being the only party to hold Labour to account on free speech, rushed firearms law and the flawed Zero Carbon Bill, and helping to defeat Labour’s capital gains tax and radical education proposals.Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

In this episode of Politics in Full Sentences, Max Whitehead speaks to ACT’s Deputy Leader Beth Houlbrooke about Labour’s election year bribes, the worsening economic outlook, and asks if New Zealanders are overtaxed. Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

We speak with new Young ACT President Felix Poole and ACT Leader David Seymour on how ACT is connecting with younger voters and whether free speech on campus is under threat.Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

This week on Politics in Full Sentences, we speak to former ACT MP and President of Federated Farmers Owen Jennings and ACT’s Deputy Leader Beth Houlbrooke. Why does the current Government not understand the rural sector? How damaging will the Zero Carbon Act and other red tape be for the economy? And is the National Party missing in action on rural issues after voting for the Zero Carbon Bill? Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

This week on Politics in Full Sentences, we talk to ACT Leader David Seymour and Deputy Beth Houlbrooke. What does the NZ First scandal mean for its political future? Will changes to rental laws do anything to help fix the housing crisis? And are Police now admitting that the gun ‘buy-back’ has been a complete failure?Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics

David Seymour talks to Max Whitehead about the End of Life Choice Bill after this week passing its final reading. What does the Bill actually do, and where to from here?Free SpeechACT New ZealandPolitics in Full Sentences - Podcasts NZSchool of Practical Politics