Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark was left stunned at a quip by David Seymour at a finance debate in Wellington today.
ACT's leader was asked if Kate Sheppard, the founder of the New Zealand women's suffrage movement, would vote for his party if alive today after Seymour brought her up at the debate.
"You know what, I have read some of Kate Sheppard's quotes and she believed in universal human rights, she opposed racial discrimination I suspect that she would be voting for us today," Seymour said.
"I'm not so sure about that," Grant Robertson, who was also at the debate, chimed in.
However, Seymour quickly pivoted to suggest that actually Sheppard might have voted for the Greens as she was "also in favour of prohibition of alcohol".
Not long after Helen Clark put out a tweet about the exchange.
"What next! Last month Seymour claimed that the late Nelson Mandela would have voted for ACT.
"This week the claim is about Kate Sheppard, leader of #NZ #women’s suffrage movement. Election campaigns are often referred to as silly seasons," the former PM wrote.
Mandela's grandson was quick to shoot down Seymour's claim in the instance brought up by Clark.
"My grandfather definitely loved the people of New Zealand and I can say categorically he would not campaign for this today or any other day in the past," Kweku Mandela said.
At the finance debate this morning, Green MP Julie Anne Genter, sitting to Seymour's right, put her head in her hands when Seymour brought Sheppard up to make a point about how New Zealand needs to forge its own path and not follow other countries.
Seymour later said some of Sheppard's "wonderful descendants" might weigh in on his claim she would have voted for ACT.
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