The Country 03/11/25: David Seymour talks to Jamie Mackay

We ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Act Party leader, who’s really calling the shots in the Coalition government? Plus, we discuss Chris Hipkins’ capital gains tax, and Trump at Apec.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
David Seymour is the act Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister.
In fact, I thought today I might be getting the
acting prime minister, but Christopher Luxon's back in town. But
here's a question for you, David Seymour, who's rarely calling
the shots in the coalition government. Is it lux and
you or is it Winston?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
It's actually a combination of the three, and that's why
it's worked so much better than our worst enemy's greatest fears.
We've been very effective. We've got a huge amount of done,
We've fixed a lot. That's not to say that we're
finished or that everything's perfect, but actually I think that
we've worked pretty well together.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Well, you don't agree on the Fonterra and Alliance votes.
You and Christopher Luxon are in agreement, but Winston is
hee yelling at clouds, barking at cars.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Look, I'll let him speak for himself, but it's pretty clear. Right.
The farmers dated eighty five and a half percent to
fourteen and a half is pretty resounding. I mean it
was much more resounding than the abs versus Ireland though
that was pretty good. And even if the farmers voted
to go the other way, I'd still respect their choice

(01:09):
because I'm not the one who gets up at five
am to milk the cows. I haven't earned the right
to have a say the way Mark Cameron or Andrew
Hogart are, And even though they are in my caucus
as a politician, I wouldn't dream of telling them how
to vote. So, you know, it's up to them. It's
their call. Good on them, and the government was never
going to intervene. Yeah, but what Winston was up to
is up to Winston.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Now the glove's starting to come off ahead of the election.
I note that he had to correct his Prime Minister
on social media, changing an eye to a wee.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah again, I let him speak to that. I mean,
I generally find that, you know, you're best to stay
off to it a generally, but especially at night.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
What do you make a chippy's capital gains tax? I
call it the Clayton's CGT, the capital gains tax when
you're not really having one. It's very mild. And then
strain he's decided to use the proceeds to take from
the rich and give to the rich.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Well, there's so many things wrong with it. You know,
it's not really funding the doctor's visit because it won't
bring in revenue for a few years, whereas presumably if
they won the election, they'd want to offer the doctor's
visits straight away. So that's a total weird hearing. Even
if it was for the doctor's visits, we already have
free visits for under four teens, community service cards, holder

(02:26):
low and come people get highly subsidized if not free visits,
So really you'd be filling in the blanks. Giving three
free doctors visits for older, wealthier people in an economy
where actually it's availability and getting appointments that's the issue,
would probably make that a little bit worse. So you know,
there's really nothing to really commend what he's doing. But

(02:51):
for me, that's all detail. The real question is is
this a country where we believe that our potential is
unlimited and the challenges to create the conditions where people
achieve or do we believe it's a country with a
finite amount of wealth and resources, and the task of

(03:12):
politicians is to find someone that's got something, take it
off them and give it to something else. Because if
it's the second one, I'm out. I want a country
that is based on prosperity. And creativity and innovation and
unlimited potential. Not voting for people to take off someone else, okay.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
But putting on your fairness and equity. Hat is there
a fair argument? I mean, I think this capital gains tax,
the policy is completely wrong around this particular proposal. But
is there an argument for broadening the tax space.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
We got one of the lowest rate, broadest based tax
systems in the world. I'd rather that the rates are
a bit lower, But we have a very good tax
system and actually to the extent New Zealand has a
success and in any way it is I suspect one
of the things that we've done is choose to be
like Switzerland. It's all these people say, oh, there'll be

(04:06):
only countries that don't have a capital gains tax in
New Zealand and Switzerland. I say, that's great, Let's be
like Switzerland, not like the rest of the world.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
What do you make of Apek and everyone basically dancing
to Trump's tune? Is that just the food chain?

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Well, you know, I don't want to speak for other
world leaders who you know, you characterizes dancing to Trump's tune.
They probably wouldn't appreciate that characterization. I'm not going to
buy into it. All I would say is that I
think Chris has done a good job, as he always does.
He loves being overseas, loves meeting with other world leaders.

(04:43):
I think that's because he's very good at Our government
is renewing our connections with the rest of the world
after they were frankly neglected for a few years. And
you know, I would say what's in it for New
Zealand rather than trying to be a political commentator. Maybe
I'll do that in a future life.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
Is Trump a bully?

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, I mean I've never met the guy. He's a
very assertive leader of the United States as he sees it.
He's got a mandate to rebalance trade and defense spending,
and he's going about doing that, and we have to
respect that and then ask the question what's best for
New Zealand. That is re maintaining strong relationships with as
many countries as possible, both for security and for trade.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Yeah, but I mean, what's best for New Zealand It
would be if Trump didn't have his tariffs.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Well, that may be true, but he's been elected by
the American people to put in place the policies that
he believes are best for his country. Unless your suggestion
as New Zealand should start rigging American elections, not a
lot we can do about it, so our goal is
to get on with who the American people elect and
build a positive relationship.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
David Seymour, thank you very much for your time.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
As always, thank you,