The Young New Zealand Party was generally reformist in outlook, and would probably be considered left-wing in modern terms.
It was contrasted with another reformist faction, led by Julius Vogel, Robert Stout, and John Ballance.
This group pursued a more academic type of reform, focused around socially liberal causes such as women's suffrage and Māori rights.
Key figures in the Young New Zealand Party were William Montgomery (the de facto leader), Richard Seddon, James McGowan, John McKenzie, Joseph Ward and William Hall-Jones.
[1] Three members of the Young New Zealand Party, being Seddon, Ward, and Hall-Jones, would serve as Prime Minister.