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. He has been the 21st deputy prime minister of New Zealand since May 2025. He is also the first minister for regulation since 2023. David Seymour is a member of the ACT Party. He has been its leader and a Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom since 2014.
Seymour grew up in Whangārei. He joined the ACT Party while studying at the University of Auckland. After finishing university in 2006, he worked as an engineer. He also worked for groups that study public policy in Canada. He tried to get elected to Parliament in 2005 and 2011 but was not successful. In 2014, he became an MP. He then became the leader of the ACT Party.
In the 2023 election, the ACT Party got 11 seats in Parliament. This was their best result ever. ACT then joined a government with the National and New Zealand First parties. As part of this deal, David Seymour shares the role of deputy prime minister. He took over the role from Winston Peters in May 2025.
David Seymour has strong views on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. During the 2023 election, he and the ACT Party wanted a new law called the Treaty Principles Bill. This bill would change how the Treaty is used in law. It would remove ideas of "partnership" between the Crown and Māori. Instead, it would focus on "all New Zealanders." The bill was supported by the government to be discussed. However, it did not pass a vote in Parliament in April 2025. All ACT MPs voted for it.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Seymour was born in Palmerston North on 24 June 1983. His family moved to Whangārei when he was a child. He has Māori ancestors through his mother's side. His great-great-great-grandmother, Maraea Te Inutoto, was from the Ngāti Rehia hapū of Ngāpuhi. His family found out about this Māori ancestry when he was seven years old.
Seymour went to Auckland Grammar School. He then studied at the University of Auckland. In 2006, he earned degrees in Engineering and Philosophy. After university, he worked in engineering. In the 2000s, he also worked as a policy analyst in Canada. He worked for groups like the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
Starting in Politics
Early Steps with ACT
David Seymour has been a member of ACT for a long time. He first joined the party through a student group called ACT on Campus at Auckland University. He later became the leader of this student group.
Seymour tried to become an MP three times before he succeeded in 2014. In 2005, he ran for ACT in the Mt Albert area. He was not elected. In 2008, he ran again while living in Canada. He was still not elected.
At the 2011 election, Seymour ran in the Auckland Central area. He was not successful. At that time, ACT only had one MP, John Banks, who won the Epsom seat.
Becoming Party Leader
After the 2011 election, Seymour worked for John Banks. Banks was a minister in the government led by John Key. Seymour helped create a new law about Partnership Schools.
In 2014, John Banks decided to leave politics. He would not run for the Epsom seat again.
In February 2014, David Seymour was chosen to run for ACT in the Epsom area. This area was very important for the ACT Party. Political experts said choosing Seymour was a "fresh start" for the party. He was seen as intelligent and witty.
During the 2014 election campaign, Seymour made a video that became very popular online. Prime Minister John Key supported Seymour for the Epsom seat.
In Government (2014–2017)
First Term as MP
In the 2014 election, Seymour won the Epsom seat. He won by 4,250 votes. The ACT Party leader at the time, Jamie Whyte, did not win his seat. So, David Seymour became the leader of ACT on 3 October 2014.
Roles in Government
The National Party formed a government with ACT's support. David Seymour was given special roles. He became a parliamentary under-secretary to the Minister of Education. He also helped with changes to laws.
Seymour was in charge of partnership schools. He also helped change laws like the Resource Management Act 1991.
In 2016, a new law made parliamentary under-secretaries subject to the Official Information Act 1982. This meant their work could be checked more easily. Seymour felt this law was aimed at him. However, he voted for it, along with most other MPs.
Supporting Ride-Sharing Services
On 4 August 2017, Seymour worked with the Transport Minister, Simon Bridges. They helped make it legal for Uber to operate in New Zealand. This also allowed other ride-sharing apps like DiDi and Ola to start working in the country.
In Opposition (2017–2023)
Second Term as MP
David Seymour was re-elected as the MP for Epsom in the 2017 election. He was the only ACT MP in Parliament at that time.
Gun Control Laws
After the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019, the government quickly passed a new law. This law banned certain types of semi-automatic firearms. David Seymour was the only MP who voted against this law. He felt the government was passing the law too quickly.
Climate Change Law
The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act was passed in 2019. This law aimed to reduce New Zealand's carbon emissions. David Seymour had said ACT would vote against it. However, he was not present for the final vote. This meant the law passed with everyone else's support.
COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand in 2020, Seymour was part of the Epidemic Response Committee. This committee helped the government respond to the pandemic.
Third Term as MP
In the 2020 New Zealand general election, David Seymour won the Epsom seat again. He won by a large number of votes. The ACT Party also had a very good election. They won eight percent of all votes and got ten seats in Parliament. This meant ACT had many more MPs.
As leader, Seymour was the ACT Party's spokesperson for Finance and COVID-19 Response. He also proposed a new law called the Regulatory Standards Bill. This bill aimed to make government rules clearer. However, it did not pass a vote in Parliament in July 2021.
Current Government Role (2023–Present)
Fourth Term as MP
In the 2023 New Zealand general election on 14 October, David Seymour was re-elected in Epsom. The ACT Party won 11 seats in Parliament. After the election, ACT joined talks with the National and New Zealand First parties. They formed a new government together.
On 24 November, the three parties agreed on their plans and who would be ministers. David Seymour felt ACT got a good deal. He said the new government would quickly start working on its plans.
As part of the agreement, Seymour shares the role of deputy prime minister. He took over this role from Winston Peters on 31 May 2025. He is also the first minister for regulation. This is a new role he suggested. He also helps with education (especially partnership schools), finance, and health (specifically Pharmac).
Helping with Education
In early 2024, David Seymour, as an Associate Minister of Education, said the government would review the $350 million school lunch programme called "Ka Ora, Ka Ako". He said there was no clear proof that the lunches helped students do better in school or attend more often. He also mentioned that some lunches were wasted. He suggested that parents could be fined if their children often missed school.
Some school leaders and health groups disagreed. They said the school lunch programme was very important. They believed stopping it would make things harder for children.
In March 2024, Seymour visited Freyberg High School. Some students there performed a haka to protest against changes to the school lunch programme. They also protested against policies they felt were against Māori. One student waving the National Māori flag also showed their strong disagreement. The school principal said the students' actions were not okay. Seymour said the students were being affected by information that wasn't quite true. Later, the school decided not to punish the students. Instead, they would work with local Māori leaders to address the situation.
In April 2024, Seymour set up a group to bring back charter schools. These schools are different from regular state schools. The group aims to have new charter schools open by 2025. He also announced changes to early childhood education.
In May 2024, Seymour confirmed the government would keep funding the free school lunch programme for a few years. He announced a new plan for school lunches. It would cost less money. Younger students would still get free lunches. For older students, the government would buy meals in bulk.
Seymour also announced that $153 million would be used to turn 35 state schools into charter schools. They would also create 15 new charter schools. Some groups, like teacher unions, did not like this plan. They worried it would take money from state schools. Others supported it, saying it would help meet children's needs.
In late 2024, Seymour said the government would take action against parents if their children often missed school. He also said there would be no more "teacher-only days" during school terms. However, the Education Minister later changed this, allowing four teacher-only days in 2025.
In October 2024, Seymour shared details of the new school lunch programme. He said it would save money. Meals would cost about NZ$3 each. They would include dishes like chicken katsu and lasagne. Schools could prepare meals themselves or get them from suppliers.
In December 2024, Seymour announced changes to laws about universities. These changes would make sure universities protect free speech.
In April 2025, Seymour wrote to mayors of local councils. He asked them to help improve school attendance in their areas. Some mayors felt this was not fair, as the government had told them to focus on other services.
Helping with Finance
In March 2024, Seymour announced that the government would bring back tax deductions for interest on rental properties.
Helping with Health
In July 2024, David Seymour, as an Associate Health Minister, told Pharmac to stop considering the Treaty of Waitangi in its decisions. Pharmac is the agency that buys medicines for New Zealand. Seymour said Pharmac should focus on helping all New Zealanders based on their health needs. Some people supported this, while others felt it would not help Māori access health services.
Acting Prime Minister
David Seymour was the Acting Prime Minister from 14 to 20 July 2024. This was when Prime Minister Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters were away. As acting prime minister, Seymour visited a new programme for young offenders.
Minister for Regulation
As Minister for Regulation, David Seymour is working on a new law called the Regulatory Standards Bill. He says this bill will make laws clearer. He believes it will help businesses grow. Some experts have criticised the bill. They say it might put property rights above other important things like the Treaty of Waitangi or the environment. Others believe good laws are needed to protect people's rights.
Personal Life
David Seymour was on the TV show Dancing with the Stars. He danced to raise money for Kidsline. This is a phone service that helps young people. He finished 5th in the competition.
In 2021, Seymour said he would like to start a family. He said he would even leave politics to do so. In November 2024, he announced he had been dating Alexandra Martelli for two years. They got engaged in 2025.
Images for kids
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David Seymour's signature
