Broadcaster Paul Henry warned New Zealand is "deeply in the shit".
He was the guest speaker at the ACT Party's central Auckland rally on Sunday - a room full of supporters who each paid $50 for the pleasure.
"I believe ACT could be the last cab off the rank heading in the right direction. Yeah! So let's sort this shit out," he told the crowd.
His rallying cry came with a warning.
"National are treading too lightly, constantly looking over their shoulders at the last opinion poll. ACT is providing something of a spine but you are suffering from the tyranny of your own success," he said.
ACT leader David Seymour wants more success. He wants a bigger tail to wag the dog with and is aiming to double his party's vote.
"That would leave us a smidgen under 15 percent. It would be a completion of ACT's transformation from an insurgent small party to the 'small large party'," he said.
It's not all pretty in pink though - the party is facing accusations it treats women unfairly and that its campaign was like the Hunger Games.
Stuff has reported some volunteers on ACT's election campaign said there was:
- A culture of fear
- No support for people suffering mentally
- Volunteers reduced to tears
- And that women were treated badly
But deputy leader Brooke van Velden denied that last point.
"I'd say it's impossible to say that ACT has a problem with women when it elected a 27-year-old young liberal woman as their deputy leader," she told media on Sunday.
"We've actually gone in-depth and spent pretty substantial money on getting a really good assessment of the campaign," Seymour added.
The post-campaign report has 36 recommendations and has been given to ACT's board to consider. But it won't be made public.
