David Seymour facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Seymour
MP
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Seymour in 2023
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| 21st Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand | |
| Assumed office 31 May 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Governor-General | Cindy Kiro |
| Preceded by | Winston Peters |
| 1st Minister for Regulation | |
| Assumed office 27 November 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| 7th Leader of ACT New Zealand | |
| Assumed office 4 October 2014 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Jamie Whyte |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Epsom |
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| Assumed office 20 September 2014 |
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| Preceded by | John Banks |
| Majority | 8,142 (20.29%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Breen Seymour
24 June 1983 Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| Political party | ACT |
| Domestic partner | Alexandra Vincent Martelli (since 2022, engaged in 2025) |
| Alma mater | University of Auckland (BA/BE) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website: https://www.davidseymour.org.nz/ |
| Seymour's voice on interview with The Platform | |
David Breen Seymour (born 24 June 1983) is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 21st deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2025 and as the 1st minister for regulation since 2023. A member of the ACT Party, he has served as its leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom since 2014.
Seymour spent his early years in Whangārei and joined the ACT Party while studying at the University of Auckland. Following his graduation in 2006, he worked in the engineering industry. Subsequently, he worked for conservative think tanks in Canada during the 2000s, before returning to New Zealand and standing unsuccessfully for election to Parliament in 2005 and 2011. He entered the House of Representatives in 2014 as ACT's sole MP, after which he replaced Jamie Whyte as party leader.
Seymour was re-elected in 2017, returning as ACT’s sole MP. In 2020, he led ACT to one of its best results in the 2020, winning ten seats and retaining his Epsom electorate. In the 2023 general election, Seymour was re-elected and the ACT Party increased its representation to 11 seats. This was the best result in the party's history, with the party picking up an extra electorate seat in Tāmaki. ACT subsequently formed a coalition government with the National and New Zealand First parties. Under the coalition arrangement, the position of deputy prime minister was split between Winston Peters and Seymour. Peters served until 31 May 2025, when he was succeeded by Seymour.
Seymour's views on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi have led to robust debate across the political spectrum. During the 2023 general election, he and the ACT party campaigned for a Treaty Principles Bill, followed by a referendum on the principles. ACT proposed several changes to the principles, including the removal of any references to "partnership (co-governance)" (between the Crown and Māori) from the treaty's use in law and instead refer to "all New Zealanders". As per the coalition agreement, National and New Zealand First supported the bill to select committee. Ultimately, the bill was voted down on its second reading on 10 April 2025 by a vote of 11-112, with all ACT MPs voting in favour of the bill.
Contents
Early life
Seymour was born in Palmerston North on 24 June 1983. His family moved to Whangārei when he was a child. He is descended through his mother's father from a Māori great-great-great-grandmother, Maraea Te Inutoto, whose husband was Stephen Wrathall. Te Inutoto was from Tauwhara marae at Waimate North and a member of the Ngāti Rehia hapū of Ngāpuhi. The family's Māori ancestry was discovered through research by Seymour's great-uncles when he was seven years old. Seymour went to Auckland Grammar School and then the University of Auckland, where he graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical & Electronic) and a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy). He then worked in engineering.
During the 2000s, Seymour worked for conservative think tanks in Canada as a policy analyst. These think tanks include the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and the Manning Centre in Canada for five years.
Early political career
ACT activism and candidacy
Seymour is a long-time member of ACT, initially becoming involved in the political party through ACT on Campus while studying at Auckland University. While there, he became leader of the student organisation.
Seymour contested three elections before his eventual success in 2014. He first stood for ACT in 2005 in Mt Albert and was also ranked 37th on the party list. He was unsuccessful in the electorate, which was held by Helen Clark, the prime minister at the time, and with 1.51% of the party vote ACT returned only two members to parliament, leaving Seymour out. While living in Canada, Seymour contested the 2008 election for ACT as list-only candidate, ranked 55th.
At the 2011 general election, Seymour stood for ACT in the Auckland Central electorate, but the electorate was retained by National's Nikki Kaye. Seymour was ranked fifth on the party list, but with 1.07% of the party vote, ACT was unable to return any list MPs to parliament, and John Banks, who had retained the Epsom seat for ACT, was the party's only sitting member.
Path to leadership, 2011–2014
After the 2011 election, Seymour worked as a ministerial adviser for Banks, who was appointed an Associate Minister of Education for the John Key-led National government. Seymour assisted with the development of the government's Partnership Schools legislation.
In late 2013, John Banks resigned from his ministerial positions. In June 2014 he announced he would resign from ACT Party leadership and not contest Epsom in the 2014 election.
In February 2014, at the same time that Jamie Whyte was made leader of the ACT Party, Seymour won the nomination to stand as the party's candidate for Epsom. The electorate had already proven strategically important for ACT. Seymour's selection for Epsom, over former deputy leader and party president John Boscawen, was described by political commentators as the "clean slate" choice and a "fresh face". Seymour was the first confirmed candidate for the Epsom electorate, and at an Epsom public meeting during his campaign he was described as "the most popular with the crowd" and "the star of the night, intelligent, witty and articulate".
During the 2014 election campaign, Seymour released a campaign video online which the ACT Party described as going "viral" after it received around 35,000 views. Seymour said of the video: "I think it was just totally real, we didn't set out to make it funny or make it a viral video, it was just me being me, that combination with rather retro production values ... you wouldn't want to watch it standing up." Seymour was endorsed for the Epsom electorate by Prime Minister John Key, despite Key's National colleague Paul Goldsmith also contesting the electorate.
Fifth National Government
First term (2014–2017)
At the election, Seymour was elected for the Epsom electorate with a majority of 4,250 votes. Jamie Whyte did not win in his bid for the Pakuranga electorate, and Seymour replaced Whyte as the leader of ACT on 3 October 2014.
Ministerial portfolios
National returned as a minority government with ACT in confidence and supply in 2014, and Seymour was appointed parliamentary under-secretary to the Minister of Education and Minister of Regulatory Reform on 29 September 2014, as a result of National's confidence and supply agreement with ACT. Seymour was given responsibility for partnership schools, and reforms to the Resource Management Act 1991 and other regulation.
In October 2015, a Labour Party member's bill to make parliamentary under-secretaries subject to the Official Information Act passed its first reading in Parliament. Seymour accused the bill of personally attacking him, and said it was not necessary because under-secretaries did not have decision-making powers. Nonetheless, Seymour was one of 109 members of Parliament who voted in favour of the legislation at its third reading in June 2016.
Contracts in the second round of applications for charter (partnership) schools were completed on 11 September 2014. In January 2016, the contract was terminated for a Northland charter school from the first round, Te Pūmanawa o te Wairua. Seymour continued to support the policy and push for more charter schools to be established.
Legalisation of Uber drivers and ride-sharing drivers
On 4 August 2017, Seymour and Transport Minister Simon Bridges helped to make Uber become part of New Zealand's transport system. This also opened other ride-sharing apps like DiDi and Ola to enter and co-exist in the market.
In Opposition (2017–2023)
Second term (2017–2020)
Seymour was re-elected to Parliament for Epsom in the 2017 general election as the sole ACT Member of Parliament.
Gun control
Seymour was the sole Member of Parliament to oppose the Labour-led coalition government's Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019, which bans all semi-automatic firearms used during the Christchurch mosque shootings that occurred on 15 March 2019. Although he missed an initial procedural vote on the bill, he still cast a No vote when voting on the actual bill took place with a final result of 119 to 1. Seymour criticised the urgency of the government's gun control legislation.
Zero Carbon Act 2019
Despite announcing that the ACT party would vote against the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act, Seymour was absent from the vote on the bill's third reading. This allowed it to pass into law with unanimous support, 119–0, drawing the attention of local media.
COVID-19 pandemic (2020)
During the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Seymour served as a member of the Epidemic Response Committee from 25 March 2020.
Third term (2020–2023)
During the 2020 New Zealand general election, Seymour contested the Epsom electorate and was re-elected by a margin of 9,224 votes. In addition, ACT won eight percent of the popular vote, winning ten seats in Parliament (with nine on the party list). In the much expanded caucus, Seymour held the specific portfolios of Finance and COVID-19 Response spokespersons, while remaining leader of the ACT party.
Seymour's third member's bill to be debated in Parliament, the Regulatory Standards Bill, was drawn from the ballot in June 2021. It proposed stricter rules around government regulation making but failed its first reading in July 2021 without the support of the Labour government. Following that bill's introduction, but before its defeat, Seymour announced his next member's bill would establish a legislative framework for four-year terms of Parliament.
Sixth National Government
Fourth term (2023–present)
In the 2023 New Zealand general election held on 14 October, Seymour was re-elected in Epsom by a margin of 8,142 votes. ACT won 8.64 percent of the popular vote and gained 11 seats in Parliament. Following the election, ACT entered into coalition talks with the National and New Zealand First parties to form a new government.
On 24 November, the three parties concluded coalition talks and reached an agreement on policy issues and ministerial portfolios. Seymour expressed confidence that ACT had secured a favourable coalition deal. He told The New Zealand Herald that the Government would announce a 100-day plan that could include repealing some legislation passed by the outgoing Labour government.
As part of the coalition negotiations, Seymour will share the position of deputy prime minister with Peters for the term of the 54th New Zealand Parliament. Peters served as deputy prime minister until 31 May 2025, and then Seymour assumed the office until the conclusion of the term. He is the first minister for regulation, a portfolio he proposed. He was also appointed as an associate minister of education (partnership schools), finance, and health (Pharmac).
Associate education minister
In early March 2024 Seymour, in his capacity as Associate Minister of Education, confirmed that the $350 million Government-funded school lunch programme "Ka Ora, Ka Ako" would be reviewed prior to the 2024 New Zealand budget. He claimed there was no evidence that the school lunch programme had improved school achievement and attendance. Seymour cited a 2023 Treasury report which found that 12 percent of lunches (roughly 10,000 a day) were wasted. He has also suggested imposing fines on parents for truancy. The contract is due to expire at the end of 2024. The school lunch programme serves 220,000 students across New Zealand.
In response, Porirua College deputy principal John Topp and attendance officer Mose Skipworth defended the school lunches programme and said that scrapping it would lead to an increase in truancy. In response, the Health Coalition Aotearoa sought a meeting with Seymour to argue for the school lunch programme, arguing that scaling back or shutting down the programme would worsen hardship and poor educational outcomes among deprived children.
On 14 March 2024, Seymour visited Freyberg High School in Palmerston North and met with staff members including Principal Graeme Williams to discuss truancy. Towards the end of the visit, several students staged a haka (war dance) Ka Mate to protest against the Government's proposal to slash the free school lunch programme Ka Ora, Ka Ako and perceived anti-Māori policies. One student waving the National Māori flag also spat near Seymour. In response, Principal Graeme Williams condemned the students' behaviour as "totally unacceptable" and stated that those responsible would be subject to disciplinary procedures. Seymour said that one or two students failed to respect Tikanga Māori/Māori cultural values including hospitality and that the students were being affected by "torrents of information that isn't quite true." Seymour also expressed interest in meeting Freyberg High School students on his next visit. Following a 7,000-strong petition supporting the students, Williams announced that the school would not discipline the students involved in the protest but would instead work with the local iwi (tribe) Ngāti Ruanui Tumu Whakaae, the Ministry of Education, and board of trustees to implement a restorative process to address the incident.
In early April 2024, Seymour created an eight-member "Charter School/Kura Hourua Establishment Board" to facilitate the reintroduction of charter schools. The Board is headed by St Cuthbert's College principal Justine Mahon, with other notable members including Glen Denham and Professor Elizabeth Rata. The Board aims to reestablish charter schools by 2025. On 16 April, Seymour announced several changes to the early childhood education sector including easing teaching qualification requirements, allowing the government to decide the location of early childhood centres.
On 1 May 2024, Seymour confirmed that the Government would continue to fund the previous Labour Government's free school lunches programme for a few years until the completion of a review into the programme. On 8 May, Seymour announced the Government's modified school lunch programme, which would cost $234.8 million for the 2025 school year. Under the revised scheme, 10,000 pre-schoolers in low-equity, non-profit early childhood centres would be eligible for free morning tea and lunch five days a week at a cost of $4 million. While the school lunch programme would remain unchanged for primary school students in 2025, the school lunch programme for intermediate and high school students would be bulk-purchased by the Government and delivered to schools.
On 14 May, Seymour announced that the Government would allocate $153 million from the 2024 budget to convert 35 state schools into charter schools and establish 15 new charter schools between 2025 and 2026. Labour's education spokesperson Jan Tinetti, Green education spokesperson Lawrence Xu-Nan, the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) and the Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA), objected to the Government's charter school plans on the grounds that they were "profit-driven", would divert funding from overwhelmed state schools, disadvantaged children with behavioural issues and disabilities and did not have to hire qualified teachers. By contrast, Innovative Education Consultants head consultant Alwyn Poole and St Stephen's School co-principal Nathan Durie welcomed the reintroduction of charter schools, arguing that they would meet the needs of children and bring flexibility to the educational system.
In late September 2024, Seymour confirmed that the Government would prosecute parents for persistent truancy and remove teacher-only days during school term time. This policy was subsequently reversed by Education Minister Erica Stanford, who confirmed four "teacher only days" in 2025 for state schools to implement the Government's new curriculum.
In mid-October 2024, Seymour released details of the Government's revised free school lunch programme, which would be launched in Term 1 2024. Seymour said that the revamped programme would save $130 million a year, with meals costing an average of NZ$3. Meals would consist of chicken katsu, butter chicken, lasagne, chicken pasta salad and wraps. Meals for students in Years 0 to 9 would be an average of 240 grams while meals for older students would be at least 300g with additional items including fruit, yoghurt or muesli bars. Schools would receive funding and resources to either prepare their meals internally, iwi/hapū providers and external suppliers including Gilmours, Foodstuffs, Watties and Hellers.
On 19 December 2024, Seymour and Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds announced that the Government would amend the Education and Training Act 2020 to strengthen universities' free speech obligations.
In late April 2025, Seymour issued a letter to the 78 mayors of the local district councils, urging them to combat truancy and to boost school attendance in their local communities. Several mayors including Mayor of Christchurch Phil Mauger regarded Seymour's letter as hypocritical due to the government's earlier messaging that local governments should focus on core services like roads and water.
Associate finance minister
On 10 March 2024, Seymour announced that the Government would restore interest deductions on residential investment properties.
Associate health minister (Pharmac)
In mid-July 2024, Associate Health Minister Seymour had instructed the pharmaceutical purchasing agency Pharmac to stop factorising the Treaty of Waitangi in its decisions, writing that "Pharmac's role should focus on delivering improved health outcomes underpinned by robust data and evidence, in accordance with its statutory responsibilities. This should serve all New Zealanders based on actual need, without assigning their background as a proxy of need." While Seymour's directive was supported Pharmac board chair Paula Bennett and Patient Voice Aotearoa chair Malcolm Mulholland, it was criticised by former Māori Health Authority clinical lead Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen, who said that the Government could do more to improve Māori access to health services and medicines.
Acting prime minister
Seymour served as acting prime minister from 14 to 20 July 2024 during Prime Minister Luxon's personal leave following his trip to the US. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was unavailable for the role as he was visiting Japan and South Korea at the time. As acting prime minister, Seymour toured the Government's Military-Style Academy Pilot for youth offenders with Children's Minister Karen Chhour and the media on 20 July.
Regulation
As Minister for Regulation, Seymour is the sponsor of the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill, saying that its purpose was to "increase transparency in lawmaking." He said that the proposed bill would prioritise individual and property rights, enabling business growth and opportunites. The Regulatory Standards Bill has been crticised by University of Auckland law Professor Jane Kelsey, who said it would circumscribe scrutiny and prioritised property rights over other considerations including the Treaty of Waitangi, the environment and workplace safety. Similarly, researcher Melanie Nelson claimed the bill lacked a "democratic mandate for constitutional changes of this magnitude." By contrast, New Zealand Initiative senior research fellow Bryce Wilkinson argued that good quality legislation was needed to protect personal autonomy and property.
Personal life
Seymour appeared on the seventh series of Dancing with the Stars. He competed to raise funds for Kidsline, a youth telephone counselling service. His professional dancing partner was Amelia McGregor. Despite harsh criticism from the judges, he finished 5th.
In an interview in 2021, Seymour said he would love to start a family and would "give up politics in a heartbeat". In November 2024, he announced he had been dating Alexandra Martelli, an Auckland property buyer for the last two years, adding that he was "effectively married to Parliament" which gets in the way of starting a family. They got engaged in 2025.
