20 Aug 2018

TOP revives plans to contest 2020 election

12:52 pm on 20 August 2018

The Opportunities Party's former deputy leader Geoff Simmons is taking over the leadership and plans to steer the party to the next election.

TOP Party co-deputy Teresa Moore with Gareth Morgan and Geoff Simmons in happier times.

TOP deputy co-leader Teresa Moore with Gareth Morgan and Geoff Simmons (file photo). Photo: RNZ

Former leader and founder Gareth Morgan stepped down at the end of last year.

TOP was formed in late 2016 to contest the 2017 election in which it polled 2.4 percent, short of the threshold needed to enter Parliament without an electorate seat.

Last month TOP's board decided to de-register with the Electoral Commission and was not intending to contest the 2020 election.

But these plans have now been scrapped, and Mr Simmons told Morning Report the party hoped to get into Parliament in the next election.

He said it was going to be a challenge, and now the party needed to become a grassroots movement.

TOP would continue to target younger people through evidence-based policy with a long term view, he said.

"I have a very different style to Gareth, and going forward I think we have to rely on our policies getting the traction.

"We know that they are controversial enough to get people talking."

Core policies would remain but would need updating depending on what the government of the day did.