4 Mar 2014

ACT returning to roots, says leader

10:36 am on 4 March 2014

Act Party leader Jamie Whyte says the party will be going back to its roots, announcing policies on lower and flatter taxes, superannuation and education in the coming months.

Dr Whyte told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programme that although one of ACT's main financial backers has urged the party to be more radical, he doesn't think it is headed in that direction.

Jamie Whyte.

Jamie Whyte. Photo: RNZ

"The policy agenda that ACT's always had; it's sometimes not come to the surface enough, it's not been a lot of attention paid to it; but that agenda hasn't really changed much over the years, we're not being any more radical than we were 10 years ago."

ACT is proposing abolishing the Resource Management Act and extending the three strikes legislation.

Dr Whyte says there's no need for the RMA as the environment is already protected by common law.

Party president John Thompson says the new leadership and rebranding could see it returned at this year's general election as the third biggest party in parliament.

Mr Thompson says ACT has a vicious and ambitious plan to get nine MPs into Parliament, after just scraping in with one, the seat of Epsom, in 2011.

He says the party will work hard to win back the support of those who have felt disillusioned with the party in recent years, and attract new ones.

Mr Thompson says the party has behaved quite badly at times but it is showing a new collegial approach.