ACT is questioning the Green Party's values after one of its candidates described David Seymour as a "stank-ass leader" on Twitter.
Luke Wijohn, 18, organised the huge School Strike 4 Climate marches in New Zealand, and is standing as the Green Party's candidate in Mt Albert, currently held by Labour leader Jacinda Ardern.
The teen candidate, who sits at number 18 on the Green Party's list, struck out at ACT leader David Seymour in a series of tweets on Sunday, taking aim at some of the party's former policies.
"If you're thinking of not voting let me just say: Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour," Wijohn wrote, alluding to National leader Judith Collins not ruling out Seymour as Deputy Prime Minister in a National-ACT Government.
Wijohn was criticised in the comment section for attacking Seymour.
"This kind of ad hominem attack is lazier than the people not voting, which is actually not surprising considering your generation and ideology."
The Green candidate shot back, "My generation and ideology will make whatever jokes we want about your white-supremacist-defending, interest-to-student-loan-adding, minimum-wage-decreasing, stank-ass leader."
A spokesperson for ACT said the remarks are in contrast to the Green Party's values, which include an aim to "engage respectfully, without personal attacks".
"People tell us that the Greens are nice but nuts, but this one's not even nice," the spokesperson said. "This is a candidate who says the voting age should be lowered, but he's living proof not all young people are mature enough for politics."
The Greens did not respond to Newshub's request for a response and neither did Wijohn.
Wijohn has expressed support to lower the voting age. On his 18th birthday, he described the current threshold of 18 as "arbitrary". Last week a High Court judge ruled against a campaign to lower it to 16.
Lowering the minimum wage and adding interest back onto student loans are no longer ACT policies after they were let go in September. But ACT is pushing for a three-year moratorium to anymore minimum wage increases.
ACT wants to reduce total debt by $76 billion over 10 years by making cuts to benfits, Working for Families, KiwiSaver subsidies, and the first-year fees-free study programme, among others.
Collins has ruled out cutting Working for Families, which are tax credits for families with dependent children 18 and under. She also ruled out implementing a flat tax rate, which is no longer an ACT policy.
The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll showed the Greens on 6.5 percent and ACT on 6.3 percent.
