ACT’s Deputy Leader stands down from politics

After nine years in public service and six as deputy leader of the ACT Party, Brooke van Velden has decided to say goodbye to Parliament. 

She served as MP for Tamaki, Minister for Internal Affairs, and Workplace Relations and Safety in this current term. 

The party said it would select a new candidate for Tāmaki in late April. 

While explaining her decision, van Velden said it felt like the right time for a change. 

“I have never wanted to be a career politician, and while I believe there are so many more years I could serve my community, I wish to explore the private sector too.”

At 34 years old, she explained there had been some soul-searching about time.

“If I think about some of the colleagues that I have in Parliament, you know, even if I came back in 20 years, I'd be in my 50s, which is when a lot of people enter Parliament for the first time.”

She insisted the decision was not due to fierce criticism over her reforms to pay equity last year, which raised the threshold for a claim. 

“People select us to make the hard and very difficult decisions that are in the best interests of the country... I hand on heart believe that the decisions that I made and the actions that I took were in the best interests of the country.”

“If I think about some of the online abuse or things that I might receive, I don't believe that that is unique to me in any way.”

Party Leader David Seymour paid tribute to his colleague and lamented the party’s loss. 

“We're losing a colleague, but not a - hopefully - lifelong friend. The party is losing an MP, but not a supporter.”

“She's risen to the top at a very young age, she's won an electorate no one thought they could win, she's been involved in historic changes of law, and she's been a very effective and exceptionally young Cabinet Minister.”

He even admitted he tried to talk her out of the decision, albeit unsuccessfully. 

Seymour confirmed the party had dates in mind to make decisions about who would succeed her - and that a new deputy leader would be announced at its Annual General Meeting on the 21st of June.