Paul Henry to stand for ACT in 2026 election

High profile broadcaster Paul Henry will stand as an ACT Party list candidate at this year’s general election.

“I’m standing for ACT because New Zealand has extraordinary potential, but we are not living up to it,” says ACT list candidate Paul Henry.

“We should be one of the most prosperous countries on Earth. Instead, too many New Zealanders are struggling to pay the bills, while young people leave in search of better opportunities overseas.

“My wife and I have ten grandchildren between us. Like every grandparent, I want them to grow up in a country that rewards success, values freedom, and gives people every opportunity to build a better life through their own efforts.

“I’ve spent decades speaking with New Zealanders and watching governments come and go. Over that time, our country has become weighed down by bigger government, more debt, more bureaucracy, and lower expectations.

“Six years of Labour, helped along by New Zealand First and the Greens, left New Zealand in the shit and up to its eyeballs in debt. Since 2023, things have been nudged in the right direction, but nowhere near hard or fast enough.

“ACT is the only party confronting the fundamental imbalance at the heart of New Zealand’s decline: our economy is too small and our bureaucracy is too big.

“We cannot borrow, tax, regulate, or divide our way to prosperity. Yet New Zealand is at risk of returning to the same failed ideas voters resoundingly rejected in 2023, this time made even worse by the extremism of the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.

“I am not prepared to sit back and accept that. We can do far better, and I want to help make it happen.”

ACT Leader David Seymour says Paul Henry will bring wit, intelligence, and a powerful voice to the ACT team.

“He is sharp, fearless, and an exceptional communicator. More importantly, he has a genuine love for New Zealand and a deep frustration at the opportunities we are wasting,” says Mr Seymour.

“Paul is not entering politics because he needs another career. He is standing because he refuses to sit back while New Zealand becomes poorer, less ambitious, and divided by race.

“He understands that higher wages, better public services, and greater opportunities all depend on a productive economy and a government that lives within its means.

“This election is about locking Labour out and unlocking New Zealand’s potential. Paul understands what is at stake, and I am delighted to welcome him as a formidable addition to ACT’s team.”