Economy · Party position

ACT on Economy

Lower taxes, less red tape, smaller government to grow wealth

ACT says the cost of living is high because prices are up and wages are low. They want the government to spend less, keep taxes low, cut unnecessary rules, and make it easier for people to start businesses, upskill, and earn more. They believe wealth grows when people are free to succeed without being held back by taxes or red tape. They also want more competition in supermarkets, more affordable electricity, no tax on KiwiSaver earnings, and unlocking New Zealand's mineral wealth.

What they say they'll do

Abolish Labour's Rental Tax
No tax on KiwiSaver earnings
Keep taxes low and limit government spending to essential services
Remove unnecessary red tape and regulate only when no other solution exists
Open the door to supermarket competition
Back small businesses and make it easier to end dead-end employment
Provide abundant and affordable electricity
Scrap Net Zero targets and cut the carbon tax

Who this affects

KiwiSaver members

ACT proposes removing tax on KiwiSaver earnings, which would change how savings in those accounts are taxed.

Small business owners

ACT says it would reduce red tape and regulation, aiming to make it easier to run a small business.

Renters and landlords

ACT proposes abolishing what it calls Labour's Rental Tax, which would affect the tax settings around rental properties.

Everyday shoppers

ACT says it would open the door to more supermarket competition, which it says relates to the cost of groceries.

In their own words

“The cost of living crisis is half about high prices, and half about having a low wage economy.”

“The Government cannot create wealth itself, because every dollar the Government has is taxed from someone who created it.”

“Government should regulate carefully, making rules when there is no other way to solve a problem, and removing red tape when it's no longer needed.”

Verify at ACT — official policy page

Summarised neutrally from ACT’s own official policy (as at 2026-10-14) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Politika is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Economy →

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

Party	Economy	Housing	Health	Education	Climate	Environment	Crime & Justice	Treaty & Māori Affairs	Immigration	Foreign Policy	Democracy & Government
National
Labour
Green
ACT
NZ First
Te Pāti Māori
The Opportunities Party
Parties not in Parliament
	Economy	Housing	Health	Education	Climate	Environment	Crime & Justice	Treaty & Māori Affairs	Immigration	Foreign Policy	Democracy & Government
Women’s Rights
Animal Justice
ALCP
Conservative
Outdoors & Freedom
Vision NZ
Alliance
Free Palestine
NZ Loyal											∅
Te Tai Tokerau											∅

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ACT on Economy

What they say they'll do

Who this affects

In their own words

A consolidated bureaucracy: 43 departments into 19

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