Brigitte Morten: Political Commentator on Paul Henry standing for ACT in the 2026 election

Paul Henry's profile is expected to provide ACT with the exposure it may need going into the election.  

The former broadcaster's running as a party list candidate but is gunning for a ministerial role if elected.  

He's best known for hosting TVNZ's Breakfast in the early 2000s, where he famously mocked an Indian politician's name on air. 

Political commentator Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge people like Henry can change the dial. 

She says ACT's stagnated in the polls and is in need of attention in a crowded market, which Paul Henry has the power to bring.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we all need saving. The country needs saving. Who's
going to do it? Apparently Paul Henry in act.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
You know, I'm enormously disappointed with national Yes, if I
want to be a minister, why do I want to
be a minister? As I said before, I'm sixty five
years old. I'm not doing this to waste my time at.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Bridget Morton political commentator with us this morning. Hey Bridget,
good morning. Do celebrity candidates swarm a broadcast that kind
of thing? Do they ever really change the dial in
terms of polling?

Speaker 3 (00:29):
I think they do, and that they bring attention, and
I think, particularly with someone like Paul Henry, you've seen
act sort of stagnate in the polls. They haven't gone
dizziery down, but sitting around that seven to eight percent
whilst they are others are a Coalish and part in
New Zealand services actually skyrocketed in the polls. So they
actually do need a bit of attention currently in a
crowded stead of market going into the election, and Paul

(00:50):
Henry has the power to do that.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Anyone going to roll Luxeon.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
I don't think anyone's going to roll Lutson at the moment.
I don't think it's Paul Henry for instance, it's going
to roll on them.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
But I mean the bad polling numbers that changing now
is not going to change those numbers necessarily, are they No.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
I think one of the key things that every political
party is always aware of is that generally the voters
don't reward you for spending time talking about yourself rather
than talking about them and what's happening in their households.
So any kind of leadership discussion is trying to keep
it minimum as possible. Hence why luxon, you know, push

(01:29):
the vote earlier in the year that to rely on
under it and it has been very quiet since then.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
If we assume that we are going to get the
result that the polls assume we're going to get right now,
it'll be a very different government, won't it. With maybe
a quarter of cabinet made up of New Zealand first,
if they get a bump from Paul Henry, act could
have a few more as well, and you start to
look at half national in caucus, sorry, in cabinet.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, You've also got to take into account that actors
campaigning on having a smaller cabinet as well. That's one
of the things I said is really important that actually
they want less ministers, and they said they're prepared to
have less act ministers as well, so that's going to
have quite a change dynamic on what that cabinet looks like.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Bridget Mordern Political Comment had a good TV on the
show this morning.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
to News Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.