Brooke van Velden announces her pregnancy

Sunday, 17 May 2026

Brooke van Velden says she is facing the “biggest challenge” of her life by becoming a mother later this year.

The Act deputy leader has announced she is pregnant and expecting her first child with her partner in November.

“I’ve never sought to bring my personal life into politics, but this is an exception, as it was going to become increasingly obvious!” She said on social media.

Van Velden’s due date is “within days” of the general election on November 7, she told NZ Herald, coinciding with her retirement from politics.

It was announced in March that she wouldn’t be seeking re-election this year, bringing her nine year stint in politics to a close - for now.

“This news is unrelated to my decision to not seek re-election, but it’s incredible timing!”

“As many of you will know, there are many things in life that you can schedule and plan for, but this was one that was going to happen in its own time,” she said on social media.

Van Velden told NZ Herald that she’ll ”be taking over possibly the biggest challenge of my life: becoming a mother.”

She found out she was pregnant the same day she was headed to a business conference in the Waikato, NZ Herald reported, quickly telling her partner and both sets of grandparents-to-be.

“It was a really weird feeling because I felt all of a sudden that I had this really exciting news but I had to bottle it away and put on my professional face and try to hide my excitement and keep doing work,” van Velden told NZ Herald.

Her and Act Party leader David Seymour were at a pub across the road from parliament earlier this year when she broke the news to him, NZ Herald reported, fearing her swapping her usual prosecco for ginger beer would tip Seymour off.

Van Velden told the outlet her partner steers clear of her public life, but has been with the “smartest, kindest” man for a couple of years.

“I’m really thrilled that we’re starting this family together,” she told the outlet.

While she knows the baby’s sex, van Velden is keeping that to herself and close family.

Van Velden has been in Parliament for six years as an MP, and worked as a staffer in David Seymour’s office for three years prior.

“I’ve looked at my career and I thought, by the time we get to the 2026 election I will have done nine years of public service. Being 33, that’s a lot,” she said earlier this year.

Van Velden said on social media that her pregnancy won’t change any of her prorities in her Ministerial and electorate duties.

“I continue to plan to pass the Employment Leave Bill and Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill, and ensure effective governance across the Department of Internal Affairs and MBIE until the very last moment, and help James Christmas campaign to keep Tāmaki pink.”