Horror polls, scare tactics and sleepwalking voters emerge this Halloween – Editorial
Was a trick played on the National Party this week? A rogue poll for Halloween perhaps?
Whatever the reality, the numbers from the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll this week would have sent a shiver up the spines of Christopher Luxon and the party faithful.
The poll showed National on 24.8%, which was below even its horror 25.6% result in 2020.
The poll recorded Labour on 30.6%, while the Green Party was on 14.5%, the Act Party 10.1%, New Zealand First on 9.9%, Opportunity Party on 7.2% and Te Pāti Māori on 1.9%.
Somewhat confusingly, the poll result was notably different to the 1News-Verian poll released on Tuesday. That poll had National on 29% and Labour on 27%, with Opportunity on 6%.
The two polls were conducted over almost the same period last week.
So, which one was more accurate? Now that we are only a week out from election day, we may only find out next Saturday night.
Luxon, however, was clearly spooked by the RNZ-Reid Research poll and he responded with some political scare tactics.
“If RNZ’s poll today becomes reality, there will be dire consequences for Kiwis,” he said.
“It would mean Labour winning, in coalition with the Greens with Chlöe Swarbrick as Finance Minister. Higher taxes for hard-working people. Prices rising and mortgages skyrocketing. There is only one way to stop that from happening: get out now and party-vote National.”
Luxon also warned, while campaigning in Auckland, voters against “sleepwalking into this election”.
He denied panic was setting in after the horror poll result but rather wanted to “highlight to New Zealanders what’s at risk”.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Luxon had only “blame, excuses and fear” to offer New Zealand.
“Christopher Luxon just looks more and more diminished and more and more desperate by the day.
“My message to New Zealanders is: don’t go and vote based on fear, vote based on hope, vote based on the sort of future that you want for New Zealand.”
Swarbrick, and her desire to hold the purse strings and push for radical tax reform, has been a common attack line from the right-leaning parties.
But it has also followed the Labour Party around like a ghost.
Hipkins has repeatedly insisted a Labour-led Government would have Labour’s finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds as Finance Minister and the only tax they would introduce is their capital gains tax.
If the Greens receive 15% of the vote and have a significant influence in the direction for the next government, then the negotiations could prove to be a nightmare for Hipkins.
With a week to go this campaign is feeling tired, and the electorate is showing signs of fatigue. Several Herald readers have written letters to the editor with a common theme, are we there yet?
However, depending on your political persuasion, it may be that Halloween comes a week later this year.