Brooke strikes again: Smarter rules, billions to be saved.

Party: ACT

Sender: ACTion I ACT New Zealand <[email protected]>

Date Received: 2026-01-31 08:29

HTML Version

Dear [Name],

If you’re like Team ACT, you’ve probably been back at work for a while now. Parliament, on the other hand, took its time waking up, and it showed in the first week back.

But don’t worry. David and our MPs are here to make sure nothing too stupid goes on, like Te Pāti Māori suggesting we abolish prisons. No, that’s not satire. They actually proposed it. Thank God for ACT, we won't let that happen.

So here’s how ACT has been getting things done for you👇

How does [Name] Swanson, ACT Candidate sound?

With the election date announced for November 7, there are just 279 days until New Zealand chooses the next Government.

Here’s what’s at stake: Labour could be back with the Greens, and this time they’d come with Te Pāti Māori holding the balance of power.

This is the same party that questions democracy itself and has claimed Māori genetic makeup is superior to others.

So, ACT is looking for principled, practical New Zealanders to stand as ACT candidates – people who believe in free minds, free markets, and personal responsibility.

If that sounds like you, or someone you know, please express your interest below.

Join the Team

Brooke strikes again: Smarter rules, billions to be saved

Health and safety system reforms should focus on making regulations workable so Kiwis can get on with their work safely – without over-zealous rules holding them back.

And that’s exactly what Brooke has committed to this week.

Currently, those working in research, teaching, and testing laboratories are subject to the same regulatory requirements as industrial operations like petrol refineries.

Not only are the current rules impractical – in some cases, they could actually make laboratory work more dangerous.

We’ve heard examples like:

Storage cabinets needing to be three metres apart, forcing labs to handle chemicals more often
Fire-rating rules that don’t match real-world lab risks

Fortunately for the research community, regulatory relief is coming.

“There will be new tailored regulations for the sector and an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) setting out clear guidance on managing these risks.” — Brooke van Velden

Universities New Zealand and the Independent Research Association of New Zealand estimate that the costs of compliance, unless changes are made, is likely to be between $1.5 billion to $3 billion.

Since when was Māori prayer part of the workplace?

ACT MP Todd Stephenson was alerted this week that the National Public Health Service had been holding daily karakia sessions during work hours.

That raises a simple question: Why is a taxpayer-funded organisation using work time for Māori prayer instead of delivering services?

Todd wrote to Health New Zealand Chair Professor Lester Levy, and the result was exactly what common sense demands.

The sessions are now confirmed as voluntary, organised by staff themselves, and held outside normal working hours – not promoted as an all-staff activity.

That’s the right outcome.

People are free to practise their beliefs. But the public service exists to serve the public – and ACT will always insist it stays focused on the job taxpayers pay for. If you’ve had something similar happen in your workplace, let us know. ACT will always step in to make sure common sense prevails.

Thanks to ACT, attendance is rising

School attendance is climbing again under our watch.

In Term 4 of 2022, just 48.7% of students attended regularly.
By Term 4 of 2025, 150,000 more students were showing up consistently.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

“When the Government takes attendance seriously, so do schools, parents, and students.” – David Seymour

ACT backs practical interventions that work:

5 days absent: Schools contact parents
10 days absent: School leadership meets families to remove barriers
15 days absent: Escalation to attendance support services

Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes.

"Positive educational outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, better job stability, and greater participation within communities. These are opportunities every student deserves.” – David Seymour

Pharmac proposes funding life-changing cystic fibrosis medication for all ages

In 2023, Pharmac funded Trikafta for children aged six and over. However, this left out children under six with cystic fibrosis.

Parents had to choose: wait until their child was old enough, pay hundreds of thousands of dollars per year privately, or move overseas to a country that doesn’t have silly rules.

We are welcoming the public consultation on Pharmac’s proposal to fund Trikafta and Alyftrek for children with cystic fibrosis, regardless of their age.

If consultation feedback is positive, from 1 April 2026 Pharmac would:

Fund Trikafta for all eligible children
Fund Kalydeco for everyone eligible
Fund a new treatment, Alyftrek

This is a prime example of how ACT is making the system work better for the people it serves, and of Pharmac’s commitment to working with the cystic fibrosis community.

Now Pharmac wants to hear from people with cystic fibrosis, their families, healthcare professionals, advocacy groups, and others.

Consultation closes at 5pm, Wednesday 11 February 2026: Have your say here.

Abolishing prisons? Let’s be serious.

In ACTion we like to celebrate the work of the party and how our MPs represent you. But when Te Pāti Māori announced they want to abolish prisons, it needed to be addressed.

We couldn’t agree more with ACT MP Karen Chhour:

“The idea being pushed by the Māori Party that the solution to the over-representation of Māori in prison is to abolish prisons altogether is insulting and dangerous.

What about the victims?
Do they just not count?

Do the rights of violent offenders matter more than the long trail of victims they leave behind – many of whom are Māori themselves?

I’m tired of survivors being erased from these conversations.

Accountability is not oppression.
Ignoring violence does not heal our communities.
Pretending prisons are the problem while refusing to confront harm only protects perpetrators, not victims.”

These are the people Labour wants to work with. We must keep them out, because laugh as we might, some version of this could otherwise become reality.

Until next week

ACT is focused on results – kids turning up to school, patients getting access to life-changing medicines, workplaces freed from pointless bureaucracy, and a public service focused on doing its job.

ACT runs on people. If you’re able to support our work, by sharing our message, getting involved, or donating – it helps keep that change moving.

Thanks for backing ACT – and for helping keep New Zealand moving in the right direction.

DONATE TODAY

[Name], if you like what we're doing, and wish to support us, please consider donating. As a grassroots movement, we rely on the support from Kiwis like you.

This email was sent to [Email]

You can update your email preferences here

Authorised by C Purves, Suite 2.5, 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket, Auckland 1023

Text Version

<https://www.act.org.nz/>Dear [Name], <https://action.act.org.nz/>
If you’re like Team ACT, you’ve probably been back at work for a while now. Parliament, on the other hand, took its time waking up, and it showed in the first week back.
But don’t worry. David and our MPs are here to make sure nothing too stupid goes on, like Te Pāti Māori suggesting we abolish prisons. No, that’s not satire. They actually proposed it. Thank God for ACT, we won't let that happen.
So here’s how ACT has been getting things done for you👇
How does [Name] Swanson, ACT Candidate sound?
With the election date announced for November 7, there are just 279 days until New Zealand chooses the next Government.
Here’s what’s at stake: Labour could be back with the Greens, and this time they’d come with Te Pāti Māori holding the balance of power.
This is the same party that questions democracy itself and has claimed Māori genetic makeup is superior to others.
So, ACT is looking for principled, practical New Zealanders to stand as ACT candidates – people who believe in free minds, free markets, and personal responsibility.
If that sounds like you, or someone you know, please express your interest below.
<https://action.act.org.nz/26eoi>Join the Team <https://action.act.org.nz/26eoi>Brooke strikes again: Smarter rules, billions to be saved
<https://www.youtube.com/watch and safety system reforms should focus on making regulations workable so Kiwis can get on with their work safely – without over-zealous rules holding them back.
And that’s exactly what Brooke has committed to this week.
Currently, those working in research, teaching, and testing laboratories are subject to the same regulatory requirements as industrial operations like petrol refineries.
Not only are the current rules impractical – in some cases, they could actually make laboratory work more dangerous.
We’ve heard examples like:
- Storage cabinets needing to be three metres apart, forcing labs to handle chemicals more often
- Fire-rating rules that don’t match real-world lab risks
Fortunately for the research community, regulatory relief is coming.
“There will be new tailored regulations for the sector and an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) setting out clear guidance on managing these risks.” — Brooke van Velden
Universities New Zealand and the Independent Research Association of New Zealand estimate that the costs of compliance, unless changes are made, is likely to be between $1.5 billion to $3 billion.
Since when was Māori prayer part of the workplace?
ACT MP Todd Stephenson was alerted this week that the National Public Health Service had been holding daily karakia sessions during work hours.
That raises a simple question: Why is a taxpayer-funded organisation using work time for Māori prayer instead of delivering services?
Todd wrote to Health New Zealand Chair Professor Lester Levy, and the result was exactly what common sense demands.
The sessions are now confirmed as voluntary, organised by staff themselves, and held outside normal working hours – not promoted as an all-staff activity.
That’s the right outcome.
People are free to practise their beliefs. But the public service exists to serve the public – and ACT will always insist it stays focused on the job taxpayers pay for. If you’ve had something similar happen in your workplace, let us know. ACT will always step in to make sure common sense prevails.
Thanks to ACT, attendance is rising
<https://www.iheart.com/podcast/30202125/episode/319100129/ attendance is climbing again under our watch.
- In Term 4 of 2022, just 48.7% of students attended regularly.
- By Term 4 of 2025, 150,000 more students were showing up consistently.
That doesn’t happen by accident.
“When the Government takes attendance seriously, so do schools, parents, and students.” – David Seymour
ACT backs practical interventions that work:
- 5 days absent: Schools contact parents
- 10 days absent: School leadership meets families to remove barriers
- 15 days absent: Escalation to attendance support services
Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes.
"Positive educational outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, better job stability, and greater participation within communities. These are opportunities every student deserves.” – David Seymour
Pharmac proposes funding life-changing cystic fibrosis medication for all ages
<https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellington/pharmac-proposes-funding-for-miracle-cystic-fibrosis-drug-trikafta/ZHW2QBCMZJGBTLKFAWGEDIVXD4/>In 2023, Pharmac funded Trikafta for children aged six and over. However, this left out children under six with cystic fibrosis.
Parents had to choose: wait until their child was old enough, pay hundreds of thousands of dollars per year privately, or move overseas to a country that doesn’t have silly rules.
We are welcoming the public consultation on Pharmac’s proposal to fund Trikafta and Alyftrek for children with cystic fibrosis, regardless of their age.
If consultation feedback is positive, from 1 April 2026 Pharmac would:
- Fund Trikafta for all eligible children
- Fund Kalydeco for everyone eligible
- Fund a new treatment, Alyftrek
This is a prime example of how ACT is making the system work better for the people it serves, and of Pharmac’s commitment to working with the cystic fibrosis community.
Now Pharmac wants to hear from people with cystic fibrosis, their families, healthcare professionals, advocacy groups, and others.
Consultation closes at 5pm, Wednesday 11 February 2026: Have your say here. <https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/news-and-resources/consultations-and-decisions/2026-01-proposal-to-widen-access-to-trikafta-and-kalydeco-and-fund-alyftrek-for-the-treatment-of-cystic-fibrosis>
Abolishing prisons? Let’s be serious.
In ACTion we like to celebrate the work of the party and how our MPs represent you. But when Te Pāti Māori announced they want to abolish prisons, it needed to be addressed.
We couldn’t agree more with ACT MP Karen Chhour:
“The idea being pushed by the Māori Party that the solution to the over-representation of Māori in prison is to abolish prisons altogether is insulting and dangerous.
What about the victims?
Do they just not count?
Do the rights of violent offenders matter more than the long trail of victims they leave behind – many of whom are Māori themselves?
I’m tired of survivors being erased from these conversations.
Accountability is not oppression.
Ignoring violence does not heal our communities.
Pretending prisons are the problem while refusing to confront harm only protects perpetrators, not victims.”
These are the people Labour wants to work with. We must keep them out, because laugh as we might, some version of this could otherwise become reality.
Until next week
ACT is focused on results – kids turning up to school, patients getting access to life-changing medicines, workplaces freed from pointless bureaucracy, and a public service focused on doing its job.
ACT runs on people. If you’re able to support our work, by sharing our message, getting involved, or donating – it helps keep that change moving. <https://action.act.org.nz/donate_warchest>
Thanks for backing ACT – and for helping keep New Zealand moving in the right direction.
<https://action.act.org.nz/donate>DONATE TODAY <https://action.act.org.nz/donate>[Name], if you like what we're doing, and wish to support us, please consider donating. As a grassroots movement, we rely on the support from Kiwis like you.
This email was sent to [Email] <https://action.act.org.nz/unsubscribe>
You can update your email preferences here <https://action.act.org.nz/unsubscribe>
Authorised by C Purves, Suite 2.5, 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket, Auckland 1023