The Country 15/12/25: David Seymour talks to Jamie Mackay

The Deputy Prime Minister and Act Party leader makes his final appearance for 2025 as we discuss tomorrow’s Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update (Hyefu). Plus, who is his Ag Person of the Year?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
For the final time and twenty twenty five and kicking
off the country today Deputy Prime Minister Act Party leader
David Seymour a good defender of farmers, that would be
fair to say. And I'm very keen David to hear
your agg Person of the Year, but I want you
to keep your powder dry just for a moment, HIFU
the half year Economic and Fiscal Update one pm tomorrow.

(00:23):
What's going to be in it?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Well, if I tell you that, I'll probably listen. My
job is one of the things I've ever been minister,
is that you're supposed to be able to keep secrets.
And I'm just sim to Damie McKay. So there's some
supports us here in Wellington, Davy. And if I tell
you what was in the HAU now very bad. You

(00:45):
have to wait until it some amounts tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Okay, we'll throw me a bit of a bone here.
Am I going to feel more inspired about the future
of our economy after one pm tomorrow?

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yes? Or no? I think you're going to be glad
that we've got a government but is actually holding the
line on fiscal discipline, because if we don't hold the line,
go loose again. Like the days of Robbo. Then you
won't feel better, You'll feel a lot worse.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
We are supposedly going to get back to surplus by
what twenty seven to twenty eight financial year or is
that now a pipe dream?

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well again, it could be the same, it could be different.
Every higafu can change that, and I can't say what's
in it, but I know that the ACT Party has
done an honorable job of saving taxpayers money around fourteen
billion directly attributable to ACT policies and ministers in this government.
In fact, if you're one of the people who gave

(01:43):
your party vote to ACT, on average, you've saved fifty
seven thousand dollars for the taxpayer. So maybe we need
a few more of those next time to get back
in Oh well.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
There you go, vote ACT and save fifty seven thousand dollars. Hey,
I was mistakenly calling it hifu. Is it hi efu?

Speaker 2 (02:00):
It's the half year Economic and Fiscal Update, So hi yifu. Yeah,
you were quoted this.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Week is saying or over the weekend, I think is
saying this debate and this is going to be reached
for the popcorn grab a makays as sit back and
enjoy This one is Ruth Richardson versus Nikola Willis. You
said it's like an early Christmas dinner. It's your aunt
arguing with your sister.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Well it feels that way, doesn't it. I mean, it's
probably not really helping make the bunt go faster, if
I'm honest. Nicolas, our finance minister, has I think, done
a pretty good job of battling down the hatches. The Party,
of course, always argues that we should be saving more
despite what we've already done, and Ruth is advancing that view.

(02:48):
I believe it's more important to be in the government
making the change you can than outside the government wishing
that we could make even bigger changes that aren't real.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
See I guess and principle, you'd be backing Ruth more
than Nicola, even though Nichola is your finance minister, because
ACT sort of believes in Ruth and Asia.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Well, I mean, before we went into this government, we
left a message in a bottle and that was our
alternative budget. And yes, our alternative budget said that we
should be saving more. When the government spends less, the
people eat more. And the ACT Party is so the
right of this government there's no doubt about that. On
the other hand, we have formed a government precisely to

(03:32):
keep the other guys out, and our commitment is to
be collegial and keep keeping them out while also you know,
driving the savings and driving the change, which I think
we could say.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
But surely David seem more extreme. Austerity isn't the answer.
We saw that in Ruth Richardson's days.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
And saw what two point four percent productivity growth year
on year through the nineties after her corrections. Now we
couldn't dream of that today. We couldn't dream of it.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
David seymore depthy Prime Minister, who is your agg person
of the Year for twenty twenty five And you're not
allowed to say Andrew Hoggard or Mark Cameron?

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Well, I'm going to say Mark Cameron because he has
led the charge for the last five years on methane
and it's come true. I mean, the guy's been in
his sick bed in isolation, waiting for his kidney to
be transplanted so that he can get off dialysis for
most of this year and he's still managed to keep
a presence. He has held the line on methane and

(04:30):
the methane numbers have been halved. That's pretty good for
a backbench MP, the chair of a select committee. He's
put a stake in the ground. He's been fearless and
the change has happened. And the net result is the
New Zealand farmers can keep on farming without the kind
of disruptions that the Zero CARBONAC would have had. And
again it's something you know. ACT was the only party
to vote against the Zero CARBONAC. Now it's been significantly

(04:54):
downgraded and that I think reflects the influence that we've had.
And I know you didn't want me to puck Mark Cameron,
but I think this year he absolutely deserves it.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
Okay, I might let you off because I'll tell you
what about Mark Cameron, from what I know of him
anyhow and my dealings with him, he's just a bloody
good bloke, a humble Northland cowcocky who went down to Wellington,
took his gun boots off, put a suit on and
actually made a bit of a difference. Has made a
bit of a difference.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah, thank you very much. I couldn't agree, So well,
there you go.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
You're agreeing with me. You and enjoy and Mackay's over
Christmas on me and feel free to give it some
shameless plugs on your social media channels.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
I will be sure to thank you for all the chats, Jamie,
and thanks to everyone who's put up with and listened
to us for the year.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
Okay, Chris, good on you remember Vote Act and save
fifty seven thousand dollars.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Merry Christmas, both for them