Surprises in Act Party list

Act's top five (from left) Simon Court, Nicole McKee, Brooke van Velden, leader David Seymour and Chris Baillie, Photo: NZ Herald

Firearms specialist Nicole McKee has become an Act Party candidate and secured No 3 spot in the party list announced today by leader David Seymour.

The party has a new deputy leader, Brooke Van Velden, who replaces Beth Houlbrooke, and will take the No 2 spot behind Seymour.

McKee is a first time candidate, while Van Velden stood for Act in Auckalnd Central last election.

On current polling, Seymour would be joined to two or three more Act MPs.

Act's new deputy leader Brooke van Velden. Photo: supplied

Van Velden has been a parliamentary adviser to Seymour and helped to organise to passage of the End of Life Choice Act, which will put to voters as a referendum at the September 19 election.

Seymour said Brooke van Velden was qualified in international trade.

Her private sector experience as a corporate affairs consultant and political experience at Parliament had given her a deep understanding of the economy and the effect big government policies and rushed laws have on businesses and individuals.

Van Velden said she switched from being a Green Party voter to an Act supporter while studying economics and international trade at Auckland University.

"The ability for free markets to lift countries from hardship was a revelation for me."

Act's No 3 list candidate Nicole KcKee. Photo: Supplied

Nicole McKee was a small business owner having delivered firearms safety education in rural and isolated communities for New Zealand Police.

She had a background in law, firearms component imports, was the co-ordinator of the nation's volunteer firearms safety instructors for the Mountain Safety Council as well as being the spokesperson for the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners and its Fair and Reasonable Campaign.

McKee said she would be campaigning to raise Act's Party vote in Rongotai.

"I do not believe that emotive and rushed legislation that adversely affects those it is intended to support is viable.

"Our laws should be rooted in policies that recognise our democratic rights to think, to speak and to behave in a legal and unobstructed way."

Act president Tim Jago said the calibre and experience of candidates would imporess people from every persuasion.

"We have candidates from all walks of life - people who have built their homes, families and businesses and who want to protect and enhance our free society. Our candidates will bring a strong dose of common sense to Parliament," he said.

Among the candidates were End of Life Choice advocates, a former police officer, two teachers, two lawyers, three farmers, four engineers, eleven business owners, and 13 licensed firearms owners.

The full list, of which only 20 are ranked:

1 - David Seymour

2 - Brooke Van Velden

3 - Nicole McKee

4 - Chris Baillie

5 - Simon Court

6 - James McDowall

7 - Karen Chhour

8 - Mark Cameron

9 - Stephen Berry

10 - Toni Severin

11 - Damien Smith