David Seymour caught out over false property rights claim in State of the Nation speech

Video: ACT leader David Seymour delivers his 2026 State of the Nation speech in Christchurch, where he made the disputed property rights claim. (Supplied / ACT Party)

ACT leader David Seymour made a false claim during his State of the Nation speech when he suggested Canada and New Zealand were the only two Western democracies without property rights protected in law.

The claim was used by Seymour to argue that stronger legal protections were needed, saying: “Only two Western democracies… Canada and New Zealand.”

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The statement ignores legislation already operating in both countries.

Image: ACT leader David Seymour delivers his 2026 State of the Nation speech at Rydges Latimer in Christchurch on February 15, 2026. (Supplied / ACT Party)

Canada’s Bill of Rights has expressly recognised property rights since 1960. Section 1(a) protects the right of individuals to the “enjoyment of property” and says they cannot be deprived of that property without due process of law.

The Canadian protection is not an established constitutional right and applies mainly to federal law. Those limitations may support an argument for stronger protections, but they do not support a claim that property rights are absent from Canadian law.

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New Zealand also had property protections decades before Seymour’s speech.

The Public Works Act 1981 provides compensation rights when private land is acquired or taken for public works. Section 60 states that owners are entitled to full compensation when land is taken, damaged or adversely affected through the use of public works powers.

The Act also provides a legal process for resolving compensation disputes through the Land Valuation Tribunal, giving affected owners an enforceable avenue to challenge the amount offered.

These protections are narrower than a constitutional right covering every restriction on the use or ownership of property. They still amount to clear property rights recognised and enforced under New Zealand law.

Image: ACT leader David Seymour, whose party has championed the controversial Regulatory Standards Bill. (Supplied)

Seymour can argue that existing protections are limited, fragmented or in need of reform. He cannot accurately claim property rights did not already exist in the laws of Canada and New Zealand.

The legislation directly contradicts the central claim made in his speech.

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