The ACT party attracted just 0.69 percent in the last election and only got into parliament by crawling to Helen Key’s National Party. The 2014 result was the party’s worst in its 20 year history.

ACT’s weekend conference was held at Alan Gibbs’ farm north of Auckland. The farm is topped with huge sculptures and dotted with exotic animals, including giraffes and zebra. RNZ suggested the curious nature of the venue was the reason as many as 230 turned up for the meet.

I don’t know what was decided at the conference, probably more of the usual wooly liberal/ progressive mixed message rubbish, but I can tell ACT what their problem is right now. They don’t stand for anything, and those things they claim to stand for are confronted by their alliance with Helen Key’s National govt.

Unless ACT work out a way to generate their own support they’re finished. However they can’t continue to profess antipathy for big government at the same time as they rely on big govt National’s patronage for their political life. The voters can see this obvious hypocrisy. ACT needs to grow a spine or fold its tent. Better to die on one’s feet than live on one’s knees.