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Conduct unbecoming

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, June 25th, 2025 - 22 comments
Categories: act, Christopher Luxon, david seymour, social media - Tags:

David Seymour is currently the acting Prime Minister.

He is also trying to shepherd Act’s Regulatory Standards Bill through Parliament.

The Act takes some getting your head around it, such are its contradictory flaws.

It is meant to improve democratic processes and the formulation of laws, by giving Seymour the power to handpick an unelected board that will have oversight powers over laws that infringe Seymour’s view of what a private property right should be.

Criticisms have been numerous. The response to the consultation of the bill was overwhelming with 88% of submitters opposing the bill and only 0.33% in support. Seymour responded to this by making the outlandish claim that 99.5% of the submissions had been made by bots. Which is really weird because the Government used AI to analyse most of the submissions.

Seymour has responded to more recent public expressions of concern by attacking the critics online.

He has been posting tiles showing these critics and accusing them of suffering from Regulatory Standards Derangement Syndrome. Dr George Laking, Dame Anne Salmond, Metiria Turei, and Willie Jackson have been included. The posts are on his facebook page and the tiles indicate that they are paid for by Parliamentary Services funding.

The advertisements have been condemned as being Trumpian. They invoke social media outrage and some rather nasty comments against the victims.

And Seymour’s attacks completely ignore the substance of the critisisms. As an example George Laking has criticised the bill because if passed it will allow tobacco, alcohol industries or environmental polluters to seek compensation, if future legislation costs them profit. This is a valid criticism. Although the question of compensation is complex the bill does establish a principle that legislation should not impair property without the consent of the owner unless there is good justification AND fair compensation is paid. Collective rights do not get a look in. The most rational of regulatory measures will not fly unless the affected party, be they a tobacco supplier or a destroyer of the enviroment, is compensated.

Seymour’s behaviour has been criticised by Dame Anne Salmond. From Radio New Zealand:

University of Auckland professor Dame Anne Salmond – once New Zealander of the Year – has complained that the Acting Prime Minister breached the Cabinet Manual with the posts she claimed were aimed at silencing academics.

She told Morning Report she didn’t think it was acceptable for an acting Prime Minister to “single people out” and “try and silence them”.

“If a teacher, for example, posted up a picture of one kid everyday and called them the victim of the day and said they were deranged then invited the other kids to give online abuse – I don’t think that is very amusing.

“For an acting Prime Minister to behave like that… yeah,” she said.

Salmond added it would be “extraordinarily intimidating” for academics as it was coming from a leader of our country.

“There should be a line drawn about what’s acceptable behaviour from our politicians.”

Her complaint, which mirrors criticism by Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau, is valid. The Cabinet Manual states:

Ministers are expected to act lawfully and behave in a way that upholds, and is seen to uphold, the highest ethical and behavioural standards. This includes exercising a professional approach and good judgement in their interactions with the public, staff, and officials, and in all their communications, personal and professional.”

Picking social media fights with academics who raise valid criticisms of your Atlas inspired pet legislative project is now what I would describe as a professional approach with your interactions with the public.

Seymour responded to Salmond’s criticism by stating that he made no apology for what he said and had responded to false claims. He was rebutting their claims and “no one has immunity from debate”.

The problem is however he is not debating the issues. He is emulating Trump and setting his social media keyboard warriors loose to attack academics who are not in a position to protect themselves. And if you want to see how this can end up read this article about the tsunami of threats Siouxie Wiles received through social media because of her expert commentary on Covid.

Seymour should be sacked. Christopher Luxon is showing how weak he is by refusing to do anything about it.

22 comments on “Conduct unbecoming ”

  1. Anne 1
    25 June 2025 at 10:43 am

    Seymour should be sacked. Christopher Luxon is showing how weak he is by refusing to do anything about it.

    There is no way this sneering piece of shit [sorry but that is what he is] should be allowed near the halls of power let alone be the 'acting prime minister'. His conduct over the years is more than testament to his total lack of suitability.

    His debut to parliament was not conducive to open and honest practice. A deal was struck by National which saw their candidate, Paul Goldsmith withdraw from the campaign proper and his supporters cajoled to vote for Act's David Seymour instead. Goldsmith was rewarded with a high list placing which ensured he would remain in parliament.

    So, from the beginning his arrival was controversial and marred by trickery, deceit and bad-acting practices. He has lived up to the reputation since. I look forward to his demise at the next election – fingers crossed.

    Reply
    • Kay 1.1
      25 June 2025 at 12:41 pm

      Paul Goldsmith withdraw from the campaign proper and his supporters cajoled to vote for Act's David Seymour instead.

      I'm still trying to work out how so many of those electors let themselves be cajoled. Stupidity or greed? Or greedy idiots?

      Reply
    • Rodel 1.2
      25 June 2025 at 12:45 pm

      Amazing that a person elected fraudulently can be acting deputy prime minister, let alone dragging so many of his act party nonentities into parliament.

      MMP was not meant to deliver us these atlas insired fraudsters.Key and Luxton have treated Kiwis with contempt.

      Reply
  2. Phillip ure 2
    25 June 2025 at 10:43 am

    I do hope all this damage being done to us/our world by this cart of clowns is focusing the minds of their opposition..

    ..and that they are way down the road to achieving that end…of ridding us of them ..

    Along with many others… I really really hope that..

    ..that they are getting their shit together

    ..and the winner in the trumpette-stakes at the moment is the person featured in this post..peters is wheezing along behind him ..

    ..and luxon is a distant third..

    Reply
  3. gsays 3
    25 June 2025 at 12:35 pm

    ACTs contradictions are to be found outside the bill as well.

    Claiming to want good legislation then supporting the pay equity reverse without consultation, select committee or a financial impact statement is not how good legislation is made.

    Also… The post repeats itself halfway through. I'm not sure if that's just something on my device.
    Oops, isn’t now

    Reply
    • Drowsy M. Kram 3.1
      25 June 2025 at 2:39 pm

      Claiming to want good legislation then supporting the pay equity reverse without consultation, select committee or a financial impact statement is not how good legislation is made.

      Very good point – the RSB and the Equal Pay Amendment Bill (passed under urgency without consultation or select committee consideration) were both introduced by ACT MPs.

      Key elements of Bill

      The Bill establishes a benchmark for good legislation by introducing a set of principles of responsible regulation in primary legislation, focused on the effect of legislation on:

      – Existing interests and liberties, including the rule of law, liberties, taking of property, taxes, fees, and levies, and the role of courts; and

      – Good law-making processes, including consultation, options analysis, and cost-benefit analysis.

      https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2025/0155/latest/whole.html

      Reply
  4. George 4
    25 June 2025 at 1:06 pm

    It's telling really that when confronted with a debate or disagreement David Seymour has a habit of resorting to name calling before he even engages with the conversation or the actual issue being discussed. It seems lazy at best and arrogant at worst.

    Reply
  5. Patricia Bremner 5
    25 June 2025 at 1:09 pm

    DP Seymour often uses the ad hominem approach to difference of points of view.

    He does not react to the points raised, rather he attacks and belittles the messenger.

    This is a ploy to distract from valid arguments. Using derogatory labels "Deranged Syndrome" is a case in point.

    He also uses his position to give his utterances gravitas. This could be his weakness if he has improperly used Parliamentary services, in his efforts to denigrate the victim of his anger.

    He is often "passive aggressive" smiling while being nasty and calculated. "Any sane person would know…… "

    Not a person who cares for the community. imo.

    Reply
    • Bearded Git 5.1
      25 June 2025 at 1:27 pm

      I asked Seymour a question at an election meeting in Wanaka once and was told that I was a busybody who should mind his own business.

      Reply
      • tc 5.1.1
        25 June 2025 at 3:39 pm

        That arrogance we see time and again as he never seems to answer anything he doesn't want to by playing victim, going on the attack, outright denial of facts etc

        He doesn't care it shows he's been caught out. Skilled pollies have an answer, it goes on and on and never ends up anywhere meaningful but they don't get all stroppy, throw toys and get mischevious on SM like davey baby.

        Journalists could probably go up on his FB page now it's had a PR boost. He’s that kind of guy.

        Reply
      • George 5.1.2
        25 June 2025 at 5:20 pm

        @bearded git… practically a compliment coming from him. 🙂

        Reply
    • Stephen D 5.2
      25 June 2025 at 2:14 pm

      Seymour knows he is immune from consequences.

      Luxon is powerless to act (heh heh) in case ACT pulls the plug. The last thing the CoC wants is an early election.

      Reply
      • George 5.2.1
        25 June 2025 at 5:23 pm

        Stephan D

        Luxon has literally left the building. He's not present in or to NZ at all and leaves his crackpot coalition partners in his stead

        Reply
  6. Dennis Frank 6
    25 June 2025 at 1:15 pm

    He has found a way to leverage his influence. Bomber gives us the gist (his italics):

    Over the past week, something remarkable has happened. The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand has fronted an online campaign of harassment of scholars who have shared their views about his Regulatory Standards Bill, naming each of them as a ‘Victim of the Day.’

    Each scholar has been accused of ‘Regulatory Standards Derangement Syndrome,’ a description borrowed from Donald Trump’s followers, who accuse his critics of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.’ The portraits of each scholar are placed on David Seymour’s Facebook page under this banner, and labelled ‘Victim of the Day,’ with online responses invited.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2025/06/25/100-political-hypocrisy-the-free-speech-party-act-launches-campaign-against-free-speech/

    Being a hypocrite in public is a power-play from Seymour: he's gambling that his political opponents are incapable of getting the public to agree he's a hypocrite. Too many will adopt a `who cares?' posture. Weaponising hypocrisy may be a clever move.

    Reply
  7. Tiger Mountain 7
    25 June 2025 at 1:35 pm

    Micky’s post lays it out in plain language. How many more crackpot bills is the Epsom twerp going to try and further vandalise NZ society with?

    Boomer successors must surely be approaching a voting majority at the next election which provides opportunities for dumping CoC.

    Agree with Patricia Bremner’s take on Seymour’s passive aggression.

    Reply
  8. Incognito 8
    25 June 2025 at 2:34 pm

    Any moment now the Taxpayers’ Union will publish a strongly worded statement heavily criticising Seymour’s apparent misuse of taxpayers’ money to undermine free speech and destroy public political debate. Watch their space …

    Reply
    • Patricia Bremner 8.1
      25 June 2025 at 5:33 pm

      Yes…. waiting!!

      Reply
    • thinker 8.2
      25 June 2025 at 10:03 pm

      Not sure if Ruth Richardson will want to be too harsh on ACT, and she's the new Chair, I believe.

      Reply
      • Incognito 8.2.1
        26 June 2025 at 9:20 am

        You’re correct, Ruth Richardson is the new Chair of the Taxpayers’ Union – it’s such a small world, especially in little ol’ NZ.

        Oh well, there’s always that other union, the Free Speech Union, who will be condemning Seymour’s stifling of free speech and damaging the democratic process, any moment now …

        Reply
  9. SPC 9
    25 June 2025 at 10:24 pm

    The Minister of sneering condescension towards public dissent, is this to be the regular standard of his performance as an "honourable" person.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/565152/regulatory-standards-bill-30-hours-allocated-for-public-submissions-on-act-party-leader-s-bill

    Reply
  10. matthew Campbell 10
    26 June 2025 at 8:36 pm

    Pot, kettle, black

    What a bunch of wimps

    Reply

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