Political activity: ACT releases election manifesto, Labour says it will make the cost of living and healthcare its first priorities if elected as party leaders cast their votes early

With early voting now open, several political party leaders have cast their votes ahead of the November 7 election.

ACT leader David Seymour, National leader Christopher Luxon and Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong made their way to voting booths in Auckland, while Labour leader Chris Hipkins voted in Upper Hutt on Monday.

Also on Monday, the ACT Party, released its policy manifesto in Auckland, with leader David Seymour saying: “We’ve resisted the temptation to announce sugar-hit policies that sound good in focus groups but do little to improve people’s lives.”

“Decades of politicians chasing headlines instead of making hard choices has left New Zealand in a deep financial hole.”

Seymour said ACT’s plan ends “wasteful spending”, makes Government smaller and “more accountable”, and would deliver $12.4 billion less debt by 2031 than currently forecast.

Cost of living and healthcare are Labour's first priorities if elected

Meanwhile Labour announced that if elected, leader Chris Hipkins would form a Labour-led government before Christmas, making the cost of living and healthcare his first priorities.

Labour Party's Ginny Andersen and Chris Hipkins on the campaign trail. Image source: Aaron Masagnay

“My first Cabinet meeting will take five immediate actions to ease pressure on households and get essential services working again,” Hipkins said.

Labour’s five actions will be to:

• End the Health New Zealand hiring freeze and start delivering Labour’s guarantee of a job for every eligible New Zealand-trained graduate nurse
• Launch Labour’s Emergency Department Recovery Plan, urgently assessing what hospitals need to open more staffed beds and get patients into wards faster
• Start work on a new Medicard providing three free GP visits and free prescriptions each year
• Approve a three-year fuel tax freeze, progress public transport fare caps of $20 a week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and $10 elsewhere, and begin preparations for a 10% student loan balance reduction for eligible borrowers from July 2027
• Agree to legislation banning price gouging on groceries, power and petrol illegal, ban hidden fees and unfair charges, and meet supermarket leaders to set out plans to separate their wholesale and retail operations

Big Pinky on tour

The launch of ACT’s manifesto comes after long days of campaigning.

On Sunday, Seymour and his fellow ACT candidates made their way around the North Shore in Auckland talking to members of the public, handing out brochures, taking photos and shaking hands.

This was made easier with the help of the party’s bus, Big Pinky. Interest.co.nz hit the road with ACT on Big Pinky for part of the party’s North Shore leg, heading from Takapuna to Devonport and Milford.

Following a media stand up at a Gull petrol station in Takapuna, Seymour fuelled himself up with a Red Bull.

He then spent some time walking around Devonport, talking to people about the party’s pharmacy policies, defence spending and bottom trawling.

Some people weren’t fans, with one person saying they were unhappy with Seymour's “anti-Māori approach”. Another person told Seymour that she hoped ACT had the “worst result” at the election and that she was teaching her son to be the “opposite” of him.

In response, Seymour said: “I hope you teach your son to be polite to people in public.”

The ACT leader was later approached by a boy who asked Seymour to sign his ACT brochure. 

Seymour's walkabout in Devonport ended with some excited teenagers who asked him for a picture before he got back on the bus.

Big Pinky then made its way to Milford - but with it being a long weekend and 4pm, foot traffic was limited so a pit stop was made at local bar, where Seymour shouted beverages for his fellow candidates.