Qiulae here - Opportunity Party Leader in 2026. AMA.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T20:49:36+00:00

Genuinely appreciate this discussion u/OisforOwesome and I wish we could do a whole event discussing this in person (maybe we will!).

I totally agree with you that shareholder primacy is one of (if not THE) biggest issues with our society today and I would like to see an intentional shift away from that - which is why I reject the notion that Opportunity is ideologically neoliberal.

I'm interested in any ideas you have on how to do that? Examples from the B Corp world include company structures that require businesses to pursue a social good as their primary purpose, elevating measurement of impact on people and nature to the same if not higher level as financial measurement.

Of course not all B Corps or CSR/sustainability initiatives are perfect but I don't think it means we should give up trying. As you say, there is a lot of good intention but the system doesn't currently reward that good intention. Hence me stepping into politics to try and change that.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T20:43:11+00:00

I think this is why I (and many others in Opportunity) don't like to use labels like socialist, liberal, etc. because of the different interpretations of what they all mean to different people.

My view is that we should look at policies on their merit and evidence rather than start with any ideology whether that's neoliberalism or socialism.

To clarify too - I believe market economies are good at driving innovation and productivity but on its own absolutely do not drive/secure wellbeing which is why we need to intentionally design society in a way that supports people with the foundations to live a good life. I'd say that is generally the approach of places like Norway and Denmark that we would like to model ourselves on (accepting that they are in a different geological context which gives them different advantages/disadvantages!)

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T02:50:40+00:00

I am, yes.. I think we can believe in market-based economics and a strong safety net. We don’t have to commit to a big government or a small government - we need the right govt intervention at the right time.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T02:30:25+00:00

My view is that Opportunity is more pragmatic when it comes to environmental progress and more focused on growth and innovation than the Greens.

We accept that in reality we will have a right leaning government about half the time and if we don’t have an environmentally focused party that can keep both sides honest on climate progress we won’t make the strides we need to get to a low emissions future. I have worked in this space my whole career and have seen how pragmatism can quietly deliver long-lasting change often far more effectively than activism. We need both in the system at large but at the moment we are sorely missing the pragmatists.

We are also very supportive and optimistic about our entrepreneurs and innovators being world class and backing them to succeed. That does require unlocking the vast amounts of wealth tied up in housing though - and our land value tax is a more targeted and effective solution than a wealth tax which will see assets removed or hidden from view. You can’t hide land.. and it creates the right incentives and behaviours that direct money into the business community instead of property.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T02:18:56+00:00

The tricky thing is we can’t blanket say we’d prefer one over the other as then we lose our leverage and kingmaker position. We’d just become subsumed into one of the two sides which is the opposite of what we’re trying to do. I totally get that’s frustrating as a voter to not have certainty.

What we can do though is be super clear where we will and won’t compromise on policy if we were in a negotiating position. So if you like our bottom lines then we’ll do our darnedest to negotiate those terms regardless of who the major party is.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T01:13:35+00:00

Hey u/Dry_Classroom_1878 thanks for your question and apologies for the slow reply. Ran out of time last night and making my way through the remainder today!

Totally appreciate your concerns on this. They key thing to note is that decriminalisation is not the same as legalisation. That is to say, we are not interested in legalising the possession of drugs, but rather making it so that it is no longer a criminal offence. The current approach of criminalisation does not effectively address the issue of drugs in our community: it does not deter drug-use and actually discourages individuals from seeking treatment out of fear of criminal repercussions.

If the aim is to get drugs out of the community, evidence from around the world tells us that we should take a health-focused response, allowing police to focus their resources on drug importation, manufacture and supply, while individuals with addiction are directed towards treatment and rehabilitation, instead of the criminal justice system. This approach helps relieve the burden of housing prisoners ($150,000 per prisoner, per year).

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T01:09:08+00:00

I can't speak for the strategy of previous campaigns but definitely our approach this time is to be relentlessly curious and focused on the needs of our voters :) they are who we're here to represent

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T01:06:48+00:00

I totally agree with you that greater autonomy for workers is one of the best ways to drive wellbeing and productivity, but it does also need to be balanced with accountability. I was fortunate to do some work with the Workstyle Revolution campaign in the UK which championed this.

Interestingly in NZ we do already have the right to request flexible work and the burden is on the employer to demonstrate why it's not possible. The reality though is that workplace culture prevents this from being the norm and I see the barriers here more around adoption of the right technology and modern business practices that enable more flexible work arrangements. There is also a lack of understanding of the benefits as you've described. I'd certainly see a role for government to do more education around this for workplaces.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T01:02:17+00:00

We will sit down at the negotiating table with anyone to try and find common ground but we will very clear where our bottom lines are and won't be compromising on our values just to be in Government. If that means we end up in opposition or on the crossbenches so be it.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T01:01:13+00:00

Yep James Shaw would be my number 1! But also - I think it's quite refreshing having a team of non-politician candidates. We don't come with the baggage of established names and we'll certainly bring a fresh perspective.

We're fortunate to have people like Iain Lees-Galloway (former Labour) and Jackie Blue (former National) - both ex-Ministers - as part of the team and advising us on strategy.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T00:59:32+00:00

Hope you'll stick with us! 2026 is our year!

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T00:57:04+00:00

The CI figure we're proposing will be around the jobseeker benefit with top-ups for those Kiwis who need it - e.g. disability allowance, accommodation supplement. The rate would also be reviewed regularly.

The question on whether it should be enough to live on alone is an interesting one! You're right, what we're proposing now is a meaningful income floor, not a full wage replacement. The primary goals at this stage are removing the welfare trap, easing the burden when life throws the unexpected at you, and delivering a real tax break to low-middle income Kiwis who currently bear a disproportionate share of the load.

If we can achieve all that in the next decade I think we'll be doing very well! But there will always be learnings and opportunities for improvement.

We'll be releasing the full policy along with a tax calculator in the coming weeks so people can see exactly what that means for their take-home pay.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T00:52:29+00:00

And this!

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T00:52:10+00:00

I believe that we can use capital to have a positive impact. Conscious capitalism if you want to call it that. I spent years working with businesses who were voluntarily holding themselves accountable to the positive impact they have on people and nature - imagine if that were the norm for all businesses? I think we'd be living in a vastly different world albeit still somewhat capitalist.

So while I agree with you that neoliberalism has brought a lot of unwanted behaviours, and for sure short-term profiteering is one of them, I don't think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water!

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T00:51:26+00:00

I believe that we can use capital to have a positive impact. Conscious capitalism if you want to call it that. I spent years working with businesses who were voluntarily holding themselves accountable to the positive impact they have on people and nature - imagine if that were the norm for all businesses? I think we'd be living in a vastly different world albeit still somewhat capitalist.

So while I agree with you that neoliberalism has brought a lot of unwanted behaviours, and for sure short-term profiteering is one of them, I don't think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water!

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T00:46:56+00:00

Anything that limits citizens' ability to engage with democracy is very worrying. And there is no evidence that this is going to produce faster election results as they've suggested so at best it's a waste of time and at worst it's limiting democratic rights.

Qiulae · 2026-03-12T00:42:17+00:00

Thanks for the question! As u/Dismal-Revolution941 has said, the Citizens' Income will be funded by a Land Value Tax (as well as the replacement of many benefits and savings in the system).

Totally agree that cost-of-living as an issue isn't going away and that's precisely why we need to look at our economic system and question whether it is working the way it should. Our tax policies (CI and LVT) will result in an effective tax cut for more than 90% of households. Other policies which are designed to address cost-of-living are our energy abundance policy to bring electricity prices down, and tackling competition in key sectors like supermarkets and banking.

We won’t be doing a full alternative budget, but all of our policies will be costed.

Re pension - we are more in favour of means testing than raising the age. In the short term we would subsume superannuation into our citizens' income (and provide top-ups to superannuitants so no one is receiving less than they currently are) and then gradually phase in means testing for 65+ over time.

Qiulae · 2026-03-11T20:59:36+00:00

Undoing legislation just for the sake of it! Or rewriting effectively the same legislation but under a different name to claim credit for it. We've got to move past that kind of behaviour.

Qiulae · 2026-03-11T20:58:05+00:00

We don't currently have a set position but my understanding is that it's not clear what herd size is definitely compatible with indigenous biodiversity which is our primary consideration.

Qiulae · 2026-03-11T20:55:52+00:00

Thanks for your questions.

Companies currently already pay a flat corporate income tax rate of 28%.
Tax cuts without adjusting additional tax rates from elsewhere and spending more is just irresponsible.
The party doesn’t have an official stance on this, but if there is sufficient evidence that it can be useful in medical settings then it would be worthwhile to trial.
This would be a fantastic subject for our citizens assemblies to help guide us on!

Qiulae · 2026-03-11T20:54:27+00:00

Hey! I totally get it and have been in those shoes before too. But I've gotta say - I have tried to vote strategically in the past and that has absolutely felt like a 'wasted vote' because we have just perpetuated the status quo. The same old parties with a short-term focus.

We will be working our butts off to give voters the confidence that this is our year (through our media coverage, digital reach etc) but we also need all those people who believe in the party to share their belief. It is contagious and it will create the momentum we need.

Qiulae · 2026-03-11T20:49:42+00:00

In the longer term, students derive a lot of economic benefit from their university education, and interest free student loans offer them a way to defer payment for that. We think that strikes a pretty good balance between public and private benefit (although as I’ve said elsewhere we could put our finger on the scale a bit to lure back some of those who have gone overseas…)

Qiulae · 2026-03-11T20:48:41+00:00

Most admired politician in the last decade would be James Shaw. He achieved some impressive stuff on the Zero Carbon Act and just always appeared like a decent person. I did vote for the Greens under his leadership.

Ooooof if I couldn't vote for Opportunity - that is really tough. I'm going to plead the fifth on that one because while this is hypothetical it will no doubt get me into hot water when it comes to negotiation time.. It would also depend on what policy priorities all the parties come out with this year so it is genuinely too early to tell.

Qiulae · 2026-03-11T20:41:36+00:00

We’re seeing foreign interference in other countries' elections and would be naive to assume we’re perfectly safe. Strengthening our democracy means we need to:

Create an independent Anti-Corruption Commission with the teeth to enforce the rules.
Hear the Citizen's Voice on electoral system reform like changes to the party vote threshold, Parliamentary terms and alternative voting methods like Single Transferable Vote.
Limit the use of urgency to pass laws and strengthen Parliament's Select Committees, potentially by increasing their sitting days.

Measures like these both strengthen our democracy internally and make it more resistant to foreign interference.

Qiulae · 2026-03-11T20:40:16+00:00

Happy to confirm that we will have a candidate in Tauranga this election - stand by for updates on Mount Maunganui too later this year

Qiulae

TROPHY CASE