David Seymour has officially been sworn in as New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, taking over from Winston Peters as part of the coalition agreement between National, ACT and New Zealand First.
Speaking to Chris Lynch Media, Seymour said the new role would not dramatically change his day-to-day work but would expand his responsibilities.
“There will be a few changes in Parliament, like where we sit, and I will be standing in for the Prime Minister when he is out of Wellington or overseas,” Seymour said. “But my main job remains the same. I am still the MP for Epsom, still leading ACT, and still working on regulation, PHARMAC, education, charter schools and improving school attendance.”
Earlier in the day, Seymour told ACT supporters, “The one thing worth truly fighting for is human freedom. That means the freedom to live your life the way you choose, provided you do not harm others.”
Asked how that kind of freedom can be protected without harming vulnerable communities, Seymour replied, “You start by protecting individual rights so they do not become vulnerable. You need courts, police, corrections, and clear rules that say you cannot invade someone’s space or property. If disputes arise, they must be resolved in trusted courts. The rule of law and the protection of person and property is the foundation.”
Seymour said New Zealand is among the most successful societies in history.
“For 100,000 years, people were lucky to live past forty. Now we live into our eighties. That kind of progress only happens through the rule of law and democracy,” he said. “There may still be gaps between groups, but the overall gains are undeniable.”
He warned against what he called “the idealisation of envy” in politics. “Opposition parties treat other people’s success not as something to aspire to, but as the reason their supporters are struggling. That thinking divides us and makes everyone worse off.”
Seymour singled out Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick and Te Pāti Māori.
“Chlöe has shifted away from the environment. Now it is all about who has too much money. Her message is, vote for me and I will take it off them,” he said. “But one day, her voters in Auckland Central might realise she is talking about them.”
He accused Te Pāti Māori of taking it further.
“I am astonished this country has a race based party that is increasingly violent in its rhetoric,” he said. “Someone associated with the party said they wanted to fight me, said I deserved a smack. Party MPs liked and commented on that post.”
Seymour said if the roles were reversed, media outlets would be outraged. “Normally the media would chase the story. Instead, it was written up as a charity boxing challenge. That tells you everything.”
Despite the tensions, he said he does not fear for his safety. “No sane person would attack me. It would only generate sympathy. But of course, insane people could, and that risk exists for everyone.”
He criticised Te Pāti Māori’s use of social media, saying it is about showmanship, not solutions.
“They are not contributing to lawmaking or policy debate. They are focused on blaming people for things that happened before anyone alive today was born.”
During the interview, Chris Lynch raised the issue of media imbalance and asked Seymour directly whether he believed Radio New Zealand was serving the public or protecting its ideological allies.
Seymour said, “They hate reporting anything positive. When the school lunch programme was reformed and made more cost effective, they lost interest. We are saving the taxpayer 130 million dollars this year and 170 million next year, but they are no longer interested.”
He said “Their ratings and public trust are falling. While other media outlets have downsized, RNZ had increased its full time staff. “They are not delivering results and they are not being held to the same standard as others.”
When Lynch asked whether Seymour was asking for favourable coverage, he clarified, “I just want balance. We cut their budget because they are not delivering. The rest of the media has had to become leaner and work harder. RNZ should too.”
Seymour said the media’s ability to edit and control narratives has been disrupted.
“We now post full interviews ourselves. People can see the context. That has made us less popular with some journalists, but it is more honest.”
He said his goals as Deputy Prime Minister remain the same.
“I want less red tape, less wasteful spending, and more freedom for New Zealanders to make their own choices,” he said. “We need to fix the Resource Management Act, modernise labour laws, and support economic growth. That is how we improve lives.”
When asked if Winston Peters had congratulated him, Seymour said “Not yet. But to be fair, he is overseas and has a lot on.”
