– by ACT’s candidate for Mt Roskill, Chris Johnston, who has outlined above, what principles and policies ACT stands for. Chris is a Project Manager who was born in Whanganui and has lived around Mt Roskill and Dominion Road for eight years with his wife and children.

Do you know why the ACT billboards do not blow over in the wind? It would be easy to say that this is because ACT New Zealand is based on sound, long standing principles. The real reason is that many ACT supporters who have graciously volunteered to put up our signs are trades people, practical people.

Our candidates have real world experiences. Six of our top eight candidates are business owners. A focus on what we can do Practical people get things done, and find ways to make their changes durable and sustainable. Practical people recognise other practical people, we speak plainly and directly. ACT has a practical plan to help New Zealand recover quickly from our Covid induced crisis. It involves what has worked in the past, let people innovate and do not smother them with regulation.

On Saturday early voting will start. Many people are taking this election very seriously. People are listening closely to the choices for our special island nation. ACT has also been listening, and has a plan based upon how you want to live your life. Safety People want safety, so ACT will emulate Taiwan, who with 25 million people have had seven Covid deaths and no lockdowns. We will double the Public Health budget, control the border and use better technology. It works.

The Government will set the rules of the game and let others in the economy innovate to meet them. There will not be one solution, there will be many. ‘Many solutions’ provide choice and faster results.

Recovery

Kiwis want an economic recovery for themselves and their children. It is unreasonable to borrow $140 billion and expect the next generation to pay it back, $28,000 per person. Saving $7 billion in wasteful, out of control spending will enable us to start paying back debt over a decade earlier than currently planned.

ACT will cut GST from 15% to 10% for one year, and the 30% tax rate to 17.5% permanently, empowering middle-income earners.

Tax cuts will not create a recovery by themselves. ACT will remove the claustrophobic restrictions on our economy so that we can all build houses, lower the risk of employing people changing industries, and make plans without the threat of sudden heavy-handed government action.

Allowing everyone to build houses and businesses more easily enables normal practical people to improve their lives without huge costs.

Reunite

New Zealanders want to feel that our country can be reunited. ACT has offered constructive criticism, provided helpful advice where possible, and held all political parties to account with an honest conversation. Unfair processes and decreasing our civil liberties is not OK. ACT has a plan to restore pride and respect in the diversity of our population. We will empower people with more choice and freedoms to live their lives.

Practical people know that the world is not perfect. Practical people accept that life is an experiment. Mistakes happen and they help us to refine our response. As parents, we let our children make mistakes, it comes naturally.

Many parallel experiments across the economy are better than one big slow experiment on everyone by government.

Vote for it

Practical people know that if you want to achieve something, then you need to take action. The red and blue parties are offering more of the same. Only ACT has a distinct and strong plan. ACT has a track record of listening carefully, representing your voices, and holding the other politicians accountable. This election, ACT will be able to hold them more accountable, but only if you vote for it.

Our candidates are practical, compassionate and innovative. Our creative energies will empower this island nation to succeed strongly – if we all choose it.

Express your desire to Change your Future by using your Party Vote for ACT. Early voting opens on 9am Saturday 3 October 2020.