Roger Douglas, who as Finance Minister under the fourth Labour Government caused major harm and the founder of the Act Party, has publicly declared that he has lost faith in the Act party and is now a swing voter.
From Adam Pearse at the Herald:
[Douglas] claimed Labour and the Greens promoted policies that made people dependent on the government in order to get their vote, while National “stand for very little” and didn’t introduce “new and exciting policy”, Douglas believed.
But he reserved a stinging criticism for his former party, claiming recent Act articles and policies reinforced a view among New Zealanders that it “represents only the wealthy”, citing his displeasure with Act’s opposition to ending “bracket creep”, which increases tax paid by average wage and salary earners because doing so would require higher taxes on wealthier people.
“This was never the intention of those who founded Act. I know that with absolute certainty because I was one of those people,” he said.
“Act in my opinion lost the plot circa 2001, when they dropped their savings-based approach to welfare and joined the other parties in a pay-as-you-go approach to welfare.
“While I have voted Act, in the last nine elections, since 2002 I have not done so with much enthusiasm. As a result, 2023 finds me as a swing voter for the first time.
“Some people will be surprised [to] see me criticise Act and their approach to welfare as much as I do. It needs to be remembered I have always said what I believe to be the truth not what others would have me say.”
His claim that New Zealanders have a view that Act only represents the wealthy is more than just an opinion, it is a clear reality. You just have to note who is funding the party. It is essentially the same wealthy donors that also support National. It is no wonder that Act’s policies are so attuned to supporting the wealthy.
Douglas is correct in saying that Act lost the plot in 2001. Ever since then it has become National’s play thing, saved by National gifting the Epsom seat so that the right could have representation disproportionate to its actual support. All that we have now is a party that would introduce Ruth Richardson style austerity on steroids if it has the chance. There is no fresh thinking, no radical ideas, just a desire to inflict extreme cruelty in pursuit of an Ann Rand dystopian future.
I am pleased that Douglas may see this election out. Hopefully a bunch of his mates will do the same.
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