Hon Dr Nick Smith

National MP candidate for Nelson

Media Release

18 September 2017

Dodgy poll reflects poorly on Greens

Claims by the Green Party that its polls show it is going to win the Nelson seat this Saturday shows just how desperate they have become since their slump in the polls says Nelson MP Nick Smith.

“The Green Party is push polling in an attempt to manipulate Saturday’s result with alternative facts in the last week before the election,” Dr Smith says.

“This sort of polling is banned in some countries and it reflects poorly on the Greens that they have resorted to this tactic to try and save themselves.”

Push polling is when a poll is conducted in such a biased way that rather than trying to predict the election outcome, it tries to skew it by asking leading questions.

“The poll question ‘Which candidate between the Green’s Matt Lawrey and Labour’s Rachel Boyack will beat Nick Smith?’ will never give a fair reading of public opinion on who is going to win the election,” Dr Smith says.

“The poll question is also at odds with the Memorandum of Understanding between Labour and the Greens, undermining how they could work together in any Government.

“I have been contacted by dozens of Nelsonians offended by the poll and this underhand tactic, who rightly refused to participate. The fact that most respondents when faced with such a biased question, still indicated their support, shows the strength of my support.

“Green Party Leader James Shaw needs to distance himself from his Nelson candidate rather than support him for his poor judgement or risk even further degrading the Green Party’s already seriously damaged brand.”

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