Nicole McKee has been named ACT's new deputy leader, replacing Brooke van Velden, who announced on 28 June 2026 that she will retire from Parliament at the November election to move into the private sector, according to 1News.

McKee currently serves as an associate justice minister in the National-led coalition government. Her elevation to the deputy role gives ACT a frontbench face who holds an active ministerial warrant — a practical consideration for a minor party that needs to demonstrate governing credibility as it heads into an election cycle.

Van Velden had held the deputy leadership alongside her ministerial responsibilities, making her one of the more prominent ACT figures in the current term. Her decision to leave politics rather than contest the next election removes a senior figure the party will need to replace both in terms of profile and institutional knowledge built up in government.

For McKee, the appointment consolidates her standing within ACT's caucus. Her portfolio in justice — an area where ACT has carved out consistent policy territory — gives her a platform that maps directly onto the party's legislative priorities. Whether she carries the deputy role into the election campaign as a listed candidate high enough to return will be the next question the party faces as list rankings are confirmed ahead of November.

The timing of the announcement, months out from an election, gives McKee runway to build name recognition in the role before the campaign proper begins. It also allows ACT to frame its ticket early, with David Seymour heading into the election as leader alongside a deputy who holds an active ministerial role — a pairing the party will likely use to argue it has delivered in government and is ready for another term.