First rat to leave the ship – Brooke van Velden quits ACT
Brooke van Velden’s sudden departure from ACT raises serious political questions — not just about her own future, but about the stability of a party already under pressure in the polls.
Pay equity reforms remain deeply contested
The woman who destroyed pay parity and robbed the poorest working women with the most despicable move ever in NZ Labour relations history is quitting!
Why this resignation raises questions
It is an enormous and deeply suspicious move by Brooke, who is the only other Electorate holder in ACT.
Her story simply doesn’t hold water.
What this means for ACT’s electoral strategy
ACT put an enormous resource into winning her Tāmaki, for her to be leaving in just one term is highly questionable.
She is a radioactively toxic individual who is highly despised for her role in destroying working women’s pay equity.
She has caused working women more damage than menopause and osteoporosis combined.
Polling pressure and shifting right-wing support
ACT has been constantly dropping in the polls as NZ First siphons off the more reactionary redneck vote, because no one makes friends with free market libertarians.
Brooke is the first rat to jump a sinking ship.
Good riddance!
Whether this is a personal decision or a strategic retreat, the timing suggests deeper tensions within ACT as the party navigates declining support and growing competition on the right ahead of Election 2026.
The Atlas Network will find a role for her somewhere.
She will need big balls and a strong stomach if she wants to continue living, working, drinking or dining in Aotearoa : there are many who would relish adding the chefs kiss to her food and beverage up and down the country.
The Atlas Network might have a cushy off-shore post perfect for her unique set of skills.
Rat is too nice term for her she’s an arsehole and she’s running away leaving her fucken mess behind for some other poor buggar to fix. She is a cold hearted bitch with no empathy.
Good riddance we need this party gone they have done a lot of damage to our beautiful country.
She is truly the most horrible form of humanity- just how much would she value human life – next to nothing – good riddance – God help us if she ever comes back to politics
Some people seem to think Brookey will go well in the private sector. People like Trev…
Shame she’s thicker than pigshit.
So thick she needs slideshows.
“In the first week of December 2023, Brooke van Velden, an ACT MP, sought a briefing on what she called “pay parity”.
Officials responded with a screenshot from MBIE’s website explaining that pay parity and pay equity were two different things, and both were legislated requirements in the Equal Pay Act.”
“In March, van Velden received her first full briefing on the issue – a MBIE PowerPoint presentation titled “Pay equity: a short history”.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/590100/how-a-crucial-45-minute-meeting-between-ministers-took-pay-equity-claims-away-from-tens-of-thousands-of-women
See Trev, that’s how you provide evidence for claims.
You do know Brookey doesn’t care about you right?
A truly obnoxious zealot of the worst kind. A traitor to women. An enemy to all working people. Hopefully her next chapter happens overseas and we never hear of her again.
Whaaaaat… oh well what a shame lol
Well out of her depth…
Van Velden stated twice that by axing pay equity, she ultimately saved Willis’s budget. Shows the poor MP she was, money over people’s lives.
She won’t be missed.
van Velden had little choice – she should NEVER have robbed women workers with her party’s ill-conceived bill. She must have realized that she had crossed a line that was impossible to go back on. With a bit more luck we may even see the end of ACT this election. Can’t see what else they have with only the abysmal McKee and despicable Hoggard still in the mix. Bring it on!
I cannot help but think that the CoC’s polling shows that women have had enough of the drunken racist uncle, the incel older son and the absentee dad.
Thus the attack on Hipkins from his NZ First aligned ex-wife and the departure of the c^nt.
They’re so transparent
Wow we always knew she was gutless and her legacy is shitting on women.
She can leave Parliament and get a wellpaid job in the private sector which is more then most of those from the Left could do
Oh fuck off Trevor!
Trevor, you prove once again what an idiot you are with another right wing retard comment akin to Trumps comments.
Another day another National coalition government failure.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/
More businesses go to the wall under right wing government run economies.
She’s already doing the work of the private sector by stealing $12 billion dollars from hard working women and axing our health and safety regulations.
While being paid by us.
Hey Trev.
You do know that many of those on “the left” in Parliament come from private accountancy and law practices right?
Or you another Johnny Foreigner like Bob who doesn’t know anything about this country?
Well why not Trevor, I mean she’s probably been on the payroll of private sector interests for her term anyway. Van Velden has that same evil lying b-arch look that Trump’s press secretary has.
Would she be welcome in the public sector again?
Not so sure about that.