June 21, 2026 • 7 mins
Has the Act leader and Deputy Prime Minister been knifed in the back by Simeon Brown, who compared him and Winston Peters to fighting children?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's the act party leader and the deputy Prime Minister.
And if you're to believe sime And Brown, campaign chair
for the NATS, is a very very naughty boy. Now,
David Seymour, welcome to the country. You can only come
on here if you promise to be good.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I'm always good.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Simeon Brown has compared you and Winston to being fighting
children and while the National Party was mum and dad.
And to be fair to you, I think Winston's the
naughtiest of the two children.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, you know, I think it's just election season, isn't
it is. It's surprised to hear that from Simeon. I mean,
we both work together as health ministers. We've done a
lot to expand access to medicines, sort out the long
contest between Health New Zealand and Farmac about who buys
medical devices in this country. Not very sexy but pretty important.
(00:51):
And I was a bit surprised that, you know, someone
I've worked really well with us trying to make the
point that we don't work well together. You know, I'd
rather that people in the government were pointing at the
things we've achieved together rather than pointing the finger at
each other.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Hardly becoming from a coalition partner. Are the Nets getting
away bit desperate here? Because as it stands at the moment,
if they polled it, I don't know, twenty nine or thirty,
they're going to lose some serious senior cabinet ministers, Bishop Brownly,
the Speaker, Goldsmith. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Maybe, but I would just put the coalition first. If
you look at the coalition overall, we actually are on
track to be re elected. Now, maybe that means there's
less National, maybe there's more ACT and more New Zealand First,
or maybe all of that will change before the election.
What I do know is our first job is to
lock labor out, and giving your party vote to ACT
(01:47):
is just as powerful at keeping labor out of power
as National or New Zealand First for that matter. On
the other hand, there's a second job we have, which
is to unlock New Zealand's potential. It's not enough to
just keep labor out and then sit on our laurels.
We've actually got to go forward here. And I think
one thing about this government. I just look at what
(02:08):
we've achieved with the methane targets, the new resource Management law,
the farm environment plans, the Holidays Act, the Arms Act.
I mean, all these things that the Act parties long
stood for have come true. We've actually found that this
government is an environment where you can make a lot
of progress for New Zealand. So I'm surprised that the
(02:30):
National Party aren't pointing more at the things we've achieved.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
David Semo. One thing the two squabbling children I EU
and Winston can agree on is that you don't want
to borrow the Paris Agreement.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, that's right, and I think that is attention in
the coalition. Of course, we've been consistent on this. We
voted against the Zero Carbon Act, every other party voted
for it. We would never work with Clabor. The reason
that we're in the Paris Agreement with such a strong
commitment to reduce gases as of course, because Winston and
(03:04):
Labor sent James Shaw over to Paris to make the deal.
So you know, I just make the point there's something
about consistency here. But it's absolutely true that we're not
going to send billions of dollars overseas. We're not going
to kill Kiwi business and agriculture at the altar of Paris.
So there's going to have to be an adjustment, and
(03:24):
that's why the Act Party says Paris has to change
or we're going to leave. We've put out at skilled
days a detailed plan to renegotiate along the lines of Uruguay,
where we actually say, look, sorry, guys, but methane is
different from CO two and our commitments should be based
on science. If they're not prepared to do a Uruguay
(03:46):
style deal for New Zealand, I think we should tell them, look,
we've done our best, but we're out.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
I'm having sleepless nights over the prospects of the Greens
having any say in a future government. I'm sure you
are as well. Their tax poll'll see released yesterday, is
that of madness. They're going to drive the wealth creators
out of the country. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And look there will be people who will say, oh,
it doesn't affect me, so I don't care. That's what
really irks me about this policy. They'll say things like
ninety nine point seven percent of people won't be affected
by this tax. What they're saying underneath that or is
that the problems we face are caused by someone else's success,
(04:28):
and the solution to our problems is to vote for
them and they'll pull those guys down a peg or two,
take their money, and somehow we're going to be better off. Well,
I'm sorry, but this country was built by people who
lived in better futures for their children. That's why we
all came out to these islands, broken the land, built
(04:48):
the roads, and did all the rest. As soon as
you start adopting a cultural norm that it's okay to
pull down people as long as they are a minority,
you have trashed the place. I know. We could talk
about all the economics and will businesses leave them? Is
it bad for the economy, all of that stuff. True,
it's all bad. But what really heoks me about this
(05:08):
policy is that they want to take the dark side
of our otherwise happy culture, being tall poppy syndrome and
promote it to the status of official government policy. Well,
not on our watch. We want to be a country
that has unlimited potential and we're not afraid to make
the most of it.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
And that tax threshold of just one hundred and sixty K.
When I say just one hundred and sixty K, I think,
especially if you're living in a city and that's your income,
forty five percent tax on that is quite a bit,
because I don't think in this day and age that
makes you wealthy at all, not to mention, and we've
seen what it's done for Sakia Starma in the UK,
(05:46):
where he's about to get the heave ho. But this
inheritance tax, effectively a death tax, would be spell the
end for a lot of farming families well exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And you know the Beatles once sung my advice to
those who die, declare the pennies on your eyes. Now
that was the song Taxman, which I don't think was
entirely serious. I think they were joking, but I know
the Greens are not. And it's true, particularly in rural
New Zealand, people try and build up a legacy across generations.
(06:18):
This flies in the face of that, and it actually
means that nothing is sacred. The Greens will tax you
even in death, and I don't think that that is
the kind of community or society that we should be
seeking to build. One of the strongest motivators most people
have is to leave something better for their children. If
we're going to tax anything, which shouldn't be that.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Well, the Greens could be the death of us all.
Certainly the death of business and farming. Let me just
finish on the Primary Industry in New Zealand Summit and Awards,
which are happening tomorrow and Wednesday in Auckland at the
Court's Hotel. No doubt you'll be invited along to give
a keynote speech. I'm looking forward to hearing it, David Seymour.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Well, the invitation must have got lost in the mail,
but I imagine that Andrew Hoggard will be putting in
an appearance there. He's a lot more shall we say,
authentic in the rural area. I'm a sympathizer. He's the
real deal, so I wouldn't be surprised if Andrew popped
up there. I will be preparing for the ACT Party's
(07:20):
annual conference and rally that's at two pm this Sunday,
the twenty eighth. It's also in Auckland and we're heading
for a record ticket sale, so if you're interested, please
check out the ACT Party website. Rally twenty six unlock
New Zealand's potential. It's going to be a great start
to ACT campaign in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
That's shameless selection airing there, David Seymour. But other than that,
I've really appreciated. I've really appreciated you coming on the
show today. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Likewise,
Here's the act party leader and the deputy Prime Minister.
And if you're to believe sime And Brown, campaign chair
for the NATS, is a very very naughty boy. Now,
David Seymour, welcome to the country. You can only come
on here if you promise to be good.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I'm always good.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Simeon Brown has compared you and Winston to being fighting
children and while the National Party was mum and dad.
And to be fair to you, I think Winston's the
naughtiest of the two children.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, you know, I think it's just election season, isn't
it is. It's surprised to hear that from Simeon. I mean,
we both work together as health ministers. We've done a
lot to expand access to medicines, sort out the long
contest between Health New Zealand and Farmac about who buys
medical devices in this country. Not very sexy but pretty important.
(00:51):
And I was a bit surprised that, you know, someone
I've worked really well with us trying to make the
point that we don't work well together. You know, I'd
rather that people in the government were pointing at the
things we've achieved together rather than pointing the finger at
each other.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Hardly becoming from a coalition partner. Are the Nets getting
away bit desperate here? Because as it stands at the moment,
if they polled it, I don't know, twenty nine or thirty,
they're going to lose some serious senior cabinet ministers, Bishop Brownly,
the Speaker, Goldsmith. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Maybe, but I would just put the coalition first. If
you look at the coalition overall, we actually are on
track to be re elected. Now, maybe that means there's
less National, maybe there's more ACT and more New Zealand First,
or maybe all of that will change before the election.
What I do know is our first job is to
lock labor out, and giving your party vote to ACT
(01:47):
is just as powerful at keeping labor out of power
as National or New Zealand First for that matter. On
the other hand, there's a second job we have, which
is to unlock New Zealand's potential. It's not enough to
just keep labor out and then sit on our laurels.
We've actually got to go forward here. And I think
one thing about this government. I just look at what
(02:08):
we've achieved with the methane targets, the new resource Management law,
the farm environment plans, the Holidays Act, the Arms Act.
I mean, all these things that the Act parties long
stood for have come true. We've actually found that this
government is an environment where you can make a lot
of progress for New Zealand. So I'm surprised that the
(02:30):
National Party aren't pointing more at the things we've achieved.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
David Semo. One thing the two squabbling children I EU
and Winston can agree on is that you don't want
to borrow the Paris Agreement.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, that's right, and I think that is attention in
the coalition. Of course, we've been consistent on this. We
voted against the Zero Carbon Act, every other party voted
for it. We would never work with Clabor. The reason
that we're in the Paris Agreement with such a strong
commitment to reduce gases as of course, because Winston and
(03:04):
Labor sent James Shaw over to Paris to make the deal.
So you know, I just make the point there's something
about consistency here. But it's absolutely true that we're not
going to send billions of dollars overseas. We're not going
to kill Kiwi business and agriculture at the altar of Paris.
So there's going to have to be an adjustment, and
(03:24):
that's why the Act Party says Paris has to change
or we're going to leave. We've put out at skilled
days a detailed plan to renegotiate along the lines of Uruguay,
where we actually say, look, sorry, guys, but methane is
different from CO two and our commitments should be based
on science. If they're not prepared to do a Uruguay
(03:46):
style deal for New Zealand, I think we should tell them, look,
we've done our best, but we're out.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
I'm having sleepless nights over the prospects of the Greens
having any say in a future government. I'm sure you
are as well. Their tax poll'll see released yesterday, is
that of madness. They're going to drive the wealth creators
out of the country. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And look there will be people who will say, oh,
it doesn't affect me, so I don't care. That's what
really irks me about this policy. They'll say things like
ninety nine point seven percent of people won't be affected
by this tax. What they're saying underneath that or is
that the problems we face are caused by someone else's success,
(04:28):
and the solution to our problems is to vote for
them and they'll pull those guys down a peg or two,
take their money, and somehow we're going to be better off. Well,
I'm sorry, but this country was built by people who
lived in better futures for their children. That's why we
all came out to these islands, broken the land, built
(04:48):
the roads, and did all the rest. As soon as
you start adopting a cultural norm that it's okay to
pull down people as long as they are a minority,
you have trashed the place. I know. We could talk
about all the economics and will businesses leave them? Is
it bad for the economy, all of that stuff. True,
it's all bad. But what really heoks me about this
(05:08):
policy is that they want to take the dark side
of our otherwise happy culture, being tall poppy syndrome and
promote it to the status of official government policy. Well,
not on our watch. We want to be a country
that has unlimited potential and we're not afraid to make
the most of it.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
And that tax threshold of just one hundred and sixty K.
When I say just one hundred and sixty K, I think,
especially if you're living in a city and that's your income,
forty five percent tax on that is quite a bit,
because I don't think in this day and age that
makes you wealthy at all, not to mention, and we've
seen what it's done for Sakia Starma in the UK,
(05:46):
where he's about to get the heave ho. But this
inheritance tax, effectively a death tax, would be spell the
end for a lot of farming families well exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And you know the Beatles once sung my advice to
those who die, declare the pennies on your eyes. Now
that was the song Taxman, which I don't think was
entirely serious. I think they were joking, but I know
the Greens are not. And it's true, particularly in rural
New Zealand, people try and build up a legacy across generations.
(06:18):
This flies in the face of that, and it actually
means that nothing is sacred. The Greens will tax you
even in death, and I don't think that that is
the kind of community or society that we should be
seeking to build. One of the strongest motivators most people
have is to leave something better for their children. If
we're going to tax anything, which shouldn't be that.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Well, the Greens could be the death of us all.
Certainly the death of business and farming. Let me just
finish on the Primary Industry in New Zealand Summit and Awards,
which are happening tomorrow and Wednesday in Auckland at the
Court's Hotel. No doubt you'll be invited along to give
a keynote speech. I'm looking forward to hearing it, David Seymour.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Well, the invitation must have got lost in the mail,
but I imagine that Andrew Hoggard will be putting in
an appearance there. He's a lot more shall we say,
authentic in the rural area. I'm a sympathizer. He's the
real deal, so I wouldn't be surprised if Andrew popped
up there. I will be preparing for the ACT Party's
(07:20):
annual conference and rally that's at two pm this Sunday,
the twenty eighth. It's also in Auckland and we're heading
for a record ticket sale, so if you're interested, please
check out the ACT Party website. Rally twenty six unlock
New Zealand's potential. It's going to be a great start
to ACT campaign in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
That's shameless selection airing there, David Seymour. But other than that,
I've really appreciated. I've really appreciated you coming on the
show today. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Likewise,
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