ACT's Simon Court

The past few weeks have seen the New Zealand First Party and the National Party trading jabs, with the crux of the issue beginning with the India Free Trade Agreement. 

The issue began with NZ First refusing to support the trade agreement, leading Labour to collaborate with National and back it to fruition. NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones expressed his concerns over the bill, making derogatory comments about an implied mass arrival of Indian immigrants. 

The comments were rejected by ministers in National, ACT, Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori. Despite these criticisms, little has been done in response, and the coalition government remains intact. 

Following the incident, another disagreement was observed when NZ First Leader Winston Peters leaked emails that indicated a disagreement between him and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon over New Zealand’s response to US Strikes on Iran. The emails allege that Luxon wanted to express support for the strikes, though New Zealand’s official response only acknowledged them. 

Finally, the government has also been looking into changing how treaty principles influence policy. The plan has been criticised for its similarities to the Treaty Principles Bill, which was rejected in parliament and by the public, who protested en masse in 2024 against the bill. The current proposed changes are not set to be discussed by parliament until August. 

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, News Director Castor asked him about each of these issues, beginning with the party’s take on discourse between NZFirst and National.

Fuel prices across the country are rising, and concerns over a potential fuel shortage are growing. In response, the government announced the national fuel response plan late last week. The plan has four stages, named Watchful, Precautionary, Managed, and Protected. The last two remain under consultation, and we’re currently under only the first. 

Analysts have criticised the plan for being vague, especially in later stages, and the early stages for not doing enough. The Watchful stage involves increased monitoring, data publications, coordination, and an ad campaign encouraging people to reduce fuel consumption.

The government has responded to most critiques by comparing its response to that of the previous Labour government to COVID, which they have repeatedly criticised. They say government intervention is the wrong way to deal with a crisis, an idea which many have questioned. 

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked him about the fuel crisis, what the government’s doing, and how the previous government plays into all of this.

On Wednesday last week the findings were released from the second phase of the government’s COVID 19 inquiry. The inquiry broadly found that the Labour government’s approach to managing COVID 19 followed evidence, had strong public approval, and left multiple opportunities for future learnings. While the inquiry acknowledges spaces where the government could have made improvements, dispensations were made due to the unprecedented nature of the COVID pandemic, and the report generally indicates that the government handled the situation well, given the available information. 

Last year, the government announced plans to create MCERT, a new ministry for cities, environment, regions, and transport. This ministry would merge the ministries for the environment, transport, housing and urban development, and the local government components of internal affairs. While the government sez this change will increase efficiency and reduce bureaucratic bloat, critics say the creation of a mega-ministry could reduce the government’s abilities to focus on any of its responsibilities individually. 

For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court this week, News Director Castor asked him about the second phase of the COVID 19 Inquiry and about MCERT.

Last week, ACT leader David Seymour called on the government to sell its shares in Air New Zealand. The statements followed the half-year $40 million loss at the end of 2025, which followed a profit the year before of $106 million.

Seymour criticised Air New Zealand for going “woke”, which included “electric planes, glossy reports on climate change, [and] paper cups in the Koru Lounge.”

This past week also saw the government propose expanding police powers to enforce move-on orders for rough sleepers across the country. The government says this order will help reduce “disorderly behaviour” and “ensure the public can feel and are safe”. However, the order would not just target those who are disorderly or disruptive, but also any form of begging, rough sleeping, or intention to inhabit a public space.

The proposal has been criticised for multiple reasons, including as an inadequate solution failing to address the cause of the problem, and as unnecessarily cruel measures against those who are already struggling. 

This weekend also saw conflict escalating between multiple powers in the Middle East, most notably between Israel and Iran. In our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with a quick question on the government’s stance on issues in the Middle East.