ACT’s election campaign has been overshadowed by fresh developments in the case involving its former party president, Tim Jago, after he admitted a further historical sexual offending charge on the same day the party unveiled veteran broadcaster Paul Henry as a high-profile list candidate.
Jago pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection in the Auckland District Court. The charge relates to historical offending and follows his earlier conviction in 2024 for indecently assaulting two teenage boys he had mentored through a sports club during the 1990s. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for those offences.
The latest guilty plea marks a significant shift from Jago’s earlier position. During his original prosecution, he denied the allegations and defended the charges at trial. Last year, the New Zealand Parole Board declined his application for release, noting he showed only limited acceptance of his offending at that time.
The timing of the latest court development has attracted political attention because it coincided with ACT’s announcement that broadcaster Paul Henry will contest the election on the party list. Winston Peters interview here: https://waateanews.com/2026/07/16/winston-peters-outlines-global-vision-as-new-zealand-first-eyes-election/
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters publicly questioned whether the high-profile candidate announcement had diverted attention from the court proceedings, raising the issue during political commentary surrounding the day’s events. However, there is no public evidence that the timing of ACT’s candidate announcement was intended to distract from the legal developments, and ACT has not indicated any connection between the two events.
David Seymour responds here: https://waateanews.com/2026/07/16/act-eyes-election-momentum-as-paul-henry-joins-party-ticket/
Jago resigned as ACT Party president in January 2023 after being charged by Police. At the time, his identity remained suppressed. Following his conviction becoming public, ACT said it had acted immediately after learning of the allegations and had accepted Jago’s repeated denials before the criminal proceedings concluded. The party has maintained there was no indication of the offending during his time as president.
The developments come as political parties intensify campaigning ahead of the General Election, with ACT seeking to focus attention on its policy platform while also facing renewed scrutiny over the actions of its former senior office-holder.
Jago is due to be sentenced on the latest historical charge following his guilty plea.
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