Via one of my lovely Twitter sources, the sardonic and interesting @johubris … the following ‘poll question’ has been recently distributed:
“Thinking about your life and your country now, what is the most important issue that you want to see the New Zealand Government addressing?”
This qualifies as push-polling, as you’ll see, which is when a scummy so-called opinion pollster injects negative political attacks to seed an unfavourable view of their clients’ political opponent.
Have a read and see what you think.
Please select one only, it says, but you have read through their loaded, slanted description of ‘life in New Zealand’ under the present government, right?
RISING LIVING COSTS. The costs of everything are shooting up everywhere, and hard-working Kiwis need a break.
From the polling ‘questions’ — A little crushed glass with your soup, madam?
‘CANCEL CULTURE’ & POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. Pointless ‘woke’ arguments over everything from gender to ‘Maori science’ are dividing us when we need to work together.
EDUCATION. Our schools are failing Kiwi kids. It’s time for real reform to give our children the best possible start.
CO-GOVERNANCE. We need to stop the Government’s push to divide NZ by race, from housing to 3 Waters and welfare.
NZ’s HOSPITALS & HEALTHCARE. We need fresh ideas and real investment to drive up standards.
THE HOUSING CRISIS. Real action is needed to make it cheaper to buy, build and rent homes for Kiwis.
GETTING THE ECONOMY GROWING AGAIN. We need to see some real changes to kick-start our economy.
CRIME, LAW & ORDER AND GANGS. Much stronger action is needed to reduce violent crime in our community.
CLIMATE CHANGE. It is time for real action to protect NZ’s precious environment and hit our carbon targets.
Now, given his history as a National Party activist, (and one of John Key’s Dirty Politics foot soldiers) the party’s long-time pollster, who happens to own a polling company (Curia), David Farrar has immediately fallen under suspicion as the originator of this skulduggery.
Why do I call it skulduggery? Because push-polling is widely regarded as dirty politics and a misinformation technique; see this explanation from slide 20 of a deck ‘Government and Politics AP Review‘
In the past, David Farrar has denied doing this shit. Maybe two terms in Opposition for his beloved National Party has um, … loosened his morals?
Sure, sure: he’s innocent until proven guilty, yada yada, but boy, those questions sure read like a set of desperate Tory negative talking points, wouldn’t you say?
If not Farrar, someone a lot like him, eh?
– P
Update 31/3/23: Oh, apparently there’s been a denial …
PS the reference to “dress up as Jimmy Savile” is a reference to this notable lapse in judgement by David Farrar. (One must wonder if he sees it that way, eh?)
