None of the ministries Seymour proposed to merge into the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage has an Act minister. All are headed by National ministers, apart from Seniors, headed by NZ First’s Casey Costello. Since Sunday’s announcement, Seymour had been questioned about how his reform would apply to the ministries currently led by Act’s ministers, including the Ministry for Regulation, which he created and leads. He acknowledged there was an argument for Act MP Andrew Hoggard’s biosecurity and food safety portfolios to be absorbed into agriculture, which was led by National’s Todd McClay. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 19, 2026 14:52 UTC