Speech by Hon Richard Prebble, Leader ACT New Zealand

At the release of the ACT Party’s list

At the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland

On Sunday 30th June 2002 at 4pm

The ACT Party has put forward an exciting list for the future.

We have selected candidates from Australia and the United Kingdom – Roland Weber and Matt Ball.

I am proud that the ACT Party conducts a primary ballot of all its party members. We have been in the democratic process long enough to know it is not easy.

I want to make it clear my friend and colleague Ken Shirley is the deputy leader. He is elected by the Parliamentary party.

I also believe that ACT can poll well enough for all the MPs to be re-elected. To have candidates of the calibre of Dick Quax at number 15 shows how good our team is.

Rodney Hide and Muriel Newman tied for second place in our members’ ballot. Their positions reflect their hard work and high media profile.

I welcome the board’s decision to continue with the tradition of selecting new candidates in electable positions. Deborah Coddington has been one of New Zealand’s best investigative journalists – just weeks ago, she won a top journalism award. She will be a very good MP.

I believe that Heather Roy – number nine – is also going to be a good MP. She was number 10 last election. She has led vigorous campaigns in the South Island and now Wellington. While the public does not know Heather Roy, I predict she is going to be a future star for ACT.

I think ACT has taken a gutsy decision in selecting Kenneth Wang. I know Kenneth and he has been one of the designers of our successful billboard campaign. Kenneth Wang has been part of a team of Asian New Zealanders who have been working to lift ACT’s support with that community. ACT has been looking for a candidate from the Chinese community who had the qualities not only to represent those new New Zealanders but also the whole country.

I was at the meeting where various names were being discussed and we realised that Kenneth would be an ideal MP. I’m delighted he has agreed, and I’m proud to belong to the party which has placed him in a position where I believe he will be elected.

Paul King, aged 35, has been very successful in new technology. Paul represents a group of New Zealanders who look to ACT as their party. He has been successful at a young age, running his own computer company. He is one of the people behind our e-politics campaign. He is a sign of ACT being the party of the future.

Parliament needs quality MPs of the calibre of Deborah Coddington, Heather Roy, Kenneth Wang and Paul King. One of the reasons why ACT is going to increase its vote this election – as we have in every other election – is that when voters compare the candidate lists, voters will conclude that once again, ACT has the quality team.

ENDS

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