This is not true. I think a more accurate term would be we swung for change. Green vote held up, it was mainly labour that dived. Having said that, the extreme right, Act, did do well with about 9%. And it’s also worth noting that both national (right) and labour (left) would be considered quite middle of the road elsewhere.
Act is waaaaaay to the right of any other party in NZ.
NZ First have partnered with Labour (left) and with National (right) over the years. Their strength is mainly around the leader (Winston Peters) who is a real firebrand and somehow they pull 5-7% or so every year (although they disappeared below the threshold in the 2020 election). IIRC their support is more in the older generation.
I would say their economics are centrist, but they tend to be conservative on other issues.
In the 2017 govt when they partnered with Labour (left), Winston became deputy prime minister and foreign minister and the rumours were that he was pretty effective and hardworking in the foreign minister position.
Thanks - interesting. I’d never heard before about Act (from here in the UK) but I was vaguely familiar with NZ First and always assumed they occupied the populist-conservative position analogous to UKIP/Front National/AfD. Very helpful to hear the wider perspective on where they sit in the NZ party system.
One other (slightly funny) aspect, for some of us older people. The leader of the Act party - David Seymour - is a dead ringer for Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf. As Lister would say - they are both complete knobheads.
This is not true. I think a more accurate term would be we swung for change. Green vote held up, it was mainly labour that dived. Having said that, the extreme right, Act, did do well with about 9%. And it’s also worth noting that both national (right) and labour (left) would be considered quite middle of the road elsewhere.
How do ACT and NZ First compare in terms of extremism?
Act is waaaaaay to the right of any other party in NZ.
NZ First have partnered with Labour (left) and with National (right) over the years. Their strength is mainly around the leader (Winston Peters) who is a real firebrand and somehow they pull 5-7% or so every year (although they disappeared below the threshold in the 2020 election). IIRC their support is more in the older generation.
I would say their economics are centrist, but they tend to be conservative on other issues.
In the 2017 govt when they partnered with Labour (left), Winston became deputy prime minister and foreign minister and the rumours were that he was pretty effective and hardworking in the foreign minister position.
Thanks - interesting. I’d never heard before about Act (from here in the UK) but I was vaguely familiar with NZ First and always assumed they occupied the populist-conservative position analogous to UKIP/Front National/AfD. Very helpful to hear the wider perspective on where they sit in the NZ party system.
One other (slightly funny) aspect, for some of us older people. The leader of the Act party - David Seymour - is a dead ringer for Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf. As Lister would say - they are both complete knobheads.
Oh my God…
That’s the sucker. Just stick an “H” on his forehead…