Young ACT
| Young ACT | |
|---|---|
| Ideology | Classical Liberal & Libertarian |
| Website | ACT on Campus |
ACT on Campus is the youth wing of ACT New Zealand. It has previously been known as Prebble's Rebels (after former leader, Richard Prebble), and ACTivists. It operates on all University campuses, and its protests at Victoria and Canterbury Universities during the 2005 election campaign received national media attention.
Keep it 18 - Proposed Drinking Age Change
ACT on Campus received further national attention in late 2006, as part of the Keep It 18 campaign. Headed by Wellington student Christopher Bishop, the campaign included the youth wings of ACT, the Greens, National and Labour and was widely followed by the media. While polls showed the public largely in favour of raising the drinking age back from 18 to 20, the bill, sponsored by Labour MP Martin Gallagher, was convincingly defeated on its second reading.
BZP Ban
In 2007 they have been active in fighting the proposed BZP ban, joining the Libertarianz in promoting an anti-BZP ban petition and catching out anti BZP campaigner Jacqui Dean with the well known Dihydrogen monoxide hoax[1]. In 2008, the Auckland Branch of ACT on Campus protested the banning of BZP by selling BZP alongside AOC memberships, annoying the current Drug Tzar Jim Anderton. [[2]]
April Fools Day
On April 1 2008 (The Day after the BZP ban) Act On Campus announced a sale of BZP in defiance of the new law, at midday this was revealed to be a hoax, drawing attention to a press release slamming the BZP ban and challenging Jim Anderton's non existant youth supporters to a debate on the viability of prohibition. [3]
Prominent Members
Prominent current and former members include:
- Mike Collins, the former ACT Board member for the Wellington region
- Dave Seymour, the former ACT Board member for Auckland South
- Mike Bridge (Victoria University), current President of ACT
- Clint Heine
- Michael Heine, VSM Campaigner
- Rick Giles, Canterbury President 2008
- Michael Earley, former blogger, involved with the DHMO hoax and BZP campaign
- Ben Smith, Auckland President 2008, involved with the DHMO hoax and BZP campaign
- Helen Simpson, Former Auckland president, Auckland Central Candidate 2005
- Andrew Faloon
- Stuart Wilson
External links
NZ Herald- Hostile students force PM to break off speech [4]
NZPA- Youth wings pressure MPs to keep drinking age at 18 [5]