ACT's new leadership team will have to wait until much closer to the election before it will know whether it has the National Party's support in Epsom.
Prime Minister John Key says he will not make any decisions about who he will support or which parties he will do deals with until a few weeks out from the election, a date for which is yet to be set.
On Sunday, the ACT board appointed political novice Jamie Whyte as its new leader and another political unknown, David Seymour, as its Epsom candidate.
Both men say the party has an uphill battle if it is to be re-elected, as demonstrated by the latest political poll, putting the party on zero percent.
Mr Key says ACT is making a generational change with its leadership appointments.
He says despite the leadership changes, he will not be deciding whether to call on Epsom voters to back ACT until nearer to the election.
In the weeks leading up to the 2011 general election, John Key and ACT's John Banks met on over a cup of tea at an Auckland cafe to signal to National supporters that they should vote for Mr Banks in Epsom.
