David Seymour’s Atlas Network Receiving Unwanted Attention

The Atlas Network, a sprawling web of libertarian think tanks funded by fossil fuel barons and corporate elites, has sunk its claws into New Zealand’s political landscape. At the forefront of this insidious influence is David Seymour, the ACT Party leader, whose ties to Atlas run deep.

With the National Party’s complicity, this coalition is steering Aotearoa toward a future of deregulation, privatisation, and cultural division for corporate profits. It’s time to expose this unholy alliance and its threat to our democracy.

Despite him dismissing questions and flat out lying, Seymour’s connection to the Atlas Network isn’t speculation, it’s documented fact. The 2008 Atlas Network annual report highlights his training with the organisation, and his early career stint at the Atlas-aligned Frontier Centre for Public Policy in Canada cemented his allegiance.

Back in New Zealand, Seymour has leaned on Atlas partner The New Zealand Initiative, a think tank pushing corporate-friendly policies like the Regulatory Standards Bill, which he has championed with a nod to senior NZI fellow Bryce Wilkinson. This isn’t about freedom or equality as they often claim, it’s about dismantling public services to line the pockets of the wealthy.

Seymour has been called out for lying about these ties, with numerous people pointing to hefty donations from the Gibbs family, with Debbi Gibbs chairing Atlas’s board. Yet he denies the connection, banking on public indifference.

Hear David ‘Pants on Fire’ Seymour blatantly lie about his links to the Atlas Network in an interview with Mihingarangi Forbes and then watch him tell the truth about it to his supporters. And he’s going to be Deputy PM. Share widely! pic.twitter.com/4QygMqqiUT

— Slippered Pantaloon 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸💜🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️ (@RantersTantrum) February 8, 2024

The ACT Party, under Seymour’s helm, has become Atlas’s mouthpiece in New Zealands Parliament. The Treaty Principles Bill, a divisive attempt to reinterpret Te Tiriti o Waitangi, is straight from the Atlas playbook: sow discord, weaken indigenous rights, and clear the way for corporate exploitation.

 

Despite overwhelming opposition (112 MPs voted it down with only ACT’s 11 votes in favour) Seymour persists, hinting at a future referendum to keep the issue alive. This isn’t leadership; it’s a calculated attack on social cohesion, designed to distract from ACT’s real Atlas Network initiated agenda.

 

 

Yesterday, ABC News reported:

 

 

How Atlas Network amassed a global network of free market think tanks and reached into Australia and New Zealand

 

When RNZ asked Mr Seymour about Atlas Network and the now-defeated bill last year, he called the line of questioning a "conspiracy theory".

Atlas Network does have active partners in New Zealand and the organisation is part of Mr Seymour's own origin story.

…

"About 20 years ago David Seymour worked at a Canadian think tank and attended Atlas Network events and training," Ms Gibbs told the ABC.

…

There are at least two Atlas Network partner organisations in New Zealand — the Taxpayers' Union and the New Zealand Initiative.

 

You can understand why Seymour would blatantly lie about his ties with the Atlas Network. If the general public found out that he's operating in the best interest of foreign entities and not the few deluded Kiwis who vote for ACT, their support would tank. But what this really shows is that it’s well past time for a lobbyist register in New Zealand. Unfortunately we won't get one while the current coalition of chaos is in charge. I wonder why?

 

As the dominant coalition partner, National has enabled Seymour’s divisive policies to get a foot in the door, backing the Treaty Principles Bill to first reading in November 2023 as part of their deal with ACT. Christopher Luxon downplays tensions, calling Seymour’s provocations “mature MMP politics,” but this is cowardice dressed up as pragmatism.

 

National’s silence on Seymour’s plan to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, another Atlas Network type move, betrays their willingness to sacrifice environmental progress for coalition harmony. Their polling woes reflect public distrust, yet they cling to ACT’s disproportionate influence, with Seymour boasting that half the government’s quarterly plans stem from his Atlas-aligned political party, despite its small number of MPs.

This Atlas-driven agenda threatens everything Kiwis hold dear: our environment, our public services, and our commitment to fairness. Seymour’s ACT, propped up by National, isn’t just misguided…it’s a wrecking ball aimed at Aotearoa’s soul. We must demand transparency, reject corporate-funded division, and hold this coalition accountable before their toxic vision for New Zealand becomes a reality.