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All parties on Democracy & Government
Democracy & Government · Party position

ACT on Democracy & Government

Equal rights, smaller government, one law for all

ACT says every person should have the same rights regardless of their background or ancestry. They want government to be smaller so ministers can be held responsible for what they do. They say they will write equal rights into law, keep local referendums, and make sure the public service is based on merit, not race or group identity.

What they say they've done

  • Enshrined equal rights in the Constitution Act
  • Protected lawful speech from professional regulators
  • Put need before race in government decision making
  • Restored local referendums
  • Reinforced merit in the public service
  • Put property rights and better lawmaking standards into law

Who this affects

All New Zealanders
The proposals aim to give every person the same legal rights and equal say, regardless of ancestry or group identity.
Regulated professionals (e.g. doctors, lawyers)
Protections for lawful speech mean professional regulators would have less power to discipline members for what they say.
Local community members
Restored local referendums mean communities can vote directly on local issues rather than leaving all decisions to appointed or elected councils.
Public servants
Reinforcing merit in the public service means hiring and promotion decisions are intended to be based on ability rather than other factors.

In their own words

“ACT stands for one person, one vote and one law for all.”
“In Government, ACT has put need before race, restored local referendums, reinforced merit in the public service and put property rights and better lawmaking standards into law.”
“The people who exercise public power should answer to voters, and taxpayers should be able to see who is responsible when government fails.”
Verify at ACT — official policy page

Summarised neutrally from ACT’s own official policy (as at 2026-09-08) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Arapono is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Democracy & Government →

In depth — from ACT’s policy document · 28 June 2026

A consolidated bureaucracy: 43 departments into 19

ACT would merge New Zealand’s 43 government departments into 19 and its 78 ministerial portfolios into 18, so that each department answers to a single minister. Ministers would appoint their own chief executives on fixed renewable terms and be able to remove them for non-performance or policy misalignment, and the Public Service Commission’s functions would move into the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The document maps every current department and portfolio to where it would land.

Departments
43 → 19
Portfolios
78 → 18
Chief executives
Appointed by ministers
Read the full breakdown6 sections · 4 quotes · 7 open questions

Coverage at a glance

Which party holds a published position on which topic.

Open the compare tool →

Swipe across to see all 11 topics — the party column stays put.

PartyEconomyHousingHealthEducationClimateEnvironmentCrime & JusticeTreaty & Māori AffairsImmigrationForeign PolicyDemocracy & Government
National
Published position∅ No stated position (verified) Not captured yet
Labour∅∅∅∅∅∅
Green
ACT
NZ First
Te Pāti Māori
TOP
Also contesting, without seats in Parliament
Women’s Rights
Animal Justice
ALCP
Conservative
Outdoors & Freedom
Vision NZ
Alliance
Free Palestine
NZ Loyal∅
Te Tai Tokerau∅