The Opportunities Party stages a comeback, naming new leader and new role for Gareth Morgan

August 20, 2018

The party pulled 2.4 per cent in last year’s election, failing to win a seat in Parliament.

The Opportunities Party is staging a comeback, naming a new leader and a role for former leader Gareth Morgan.

TOP has announced this morning it has a new leader, Wellington economist Geoff Simmons.

And it says while Gareth Morgan is stepping outside of the political arena, he will retain a link with the party as chair of the policy committee. 

The party gained 2.4 per cent of the vote in the 2017 general election, not reaching the five per cent needed to enter Parliament. 

Gareth Morgan announced on July 9 that the board of The Opportunities Party had decided to cancel the party's registration since it lacked the time and resources to contest the 2020 election.

In late July, Mr Morgan and the party's board said he would reconsider his decision to cancel the registration after receiving expressions of interest from people sympathetic to the party's goals. 

Geoff Simmons was deputy leader in the party's 2017 campaign.

A press release this morning says his aim as the leader of TOP is to take the party into Parliament at the next election where it can advocate and implement progressive reform in areas including fair taxation, cannabis legalisation, affordable housing and environmental protection.

"Since Gareth called for proposals to take TOP forward, we have been deluged with pleas to keep it going," Mr Simmons says. 

"There is a strong feeling amongst membership that TOP hasn't fulfilled its potential yet, so a few candidates have come together to keep the momentum going.

"We will be operating from the same core values we always have - using an evidence-based approach to give hope to the next generation of New Zealanders, by building a thriving, fair economy which doesn't stuff up our environment."

The new TOP board will comprise Geoff Simmons and two other 2017 TOP candidates, Olly Wilson and Paddy Plunket.

Mr Morgan says policy has always been his main interest.

"TOP will continue to be unique - presenting to Parliament coherent, evidence-informed policy developed by experts. That is a major differentiation between TOP and the Establishment parties," he says. 

"The place for the horse-trading and compromise which too often renders policy inadequate, is Parliament in full view of the voting public, not in the back rooms of political parties."

TOP says its first task is to raise money to contest the 2020 election. 

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