15 September 2005
MEDIA RELEASE – Available for immediate release
RODNEY HIDE LEADING IN EPSOM – ELECTORS THINK LABOUR ENCOURAGING ITS SUPPORTERS TO VOTE NATIONAL INAPPROPRIATE
Labour’s encouragement for its supporters in Epsom to vote for National Party candidate Richard Worth may help ACT New
Zealand candidate Rodney Hide win the seat. Although still listed on the ballot, Labour candidate Stuart Nash has
withdrawn, sparking the call from Labour for its supporters to vote for Richard Worth over Rodney Hide.
A special poll, conducted in the seat of Epsom by Roy Morgan Research on September 14, 2005 shows the majority of
enrolled voters in Epsom (56%) think that it was inappropriate for Labour to encourage its supporters to vote for the
National candidate. A quarter (25%) thought it was appropriate for the Labour Party to encourage its supporters to vote
this way, and 19% were undecided.
The Special Morgan Poll, conducted on behalf of awesome kiwi!, shows Mr Hide ahead of Mr Worth in the Electorate Vote –
39% compared with 32% - while 11% of electors in the seat remain undecided. Although Labour Party candidate Stuart Nash
has withdrawn, he is attracting 12% of the vote, with the remaining 6% of votes being distributed among other Parties.
Approximately two thirds of the undecided voters were not leaning toward any particular candidate.
In terms of the Party Vote, the seat of Epsom remains strongly National – 56% of electors in Epsom say they are
intending to vote National, while 20% say they are intending to vote for Labour. Five percent are intending to vote for
the Green Party, 4% for ACT New Zealand, 2% New Zealand First, 1% United Future New Zealand, 2% for other Parties. Seven
percent are undecided how they will vote, and 3% refused to name a Party.
These are the findings from the special poll conducted by Roy Morgan Research on Voting Intention in Epsom, which was
conducted last night, September 14, 2005, with a cross-section of 475 electors. The survey was conducted on behalf of
Wellington-based company awesome kiwi!
Awesome Kiwi Managing Director, Dr Simon Ewing-Jarvie, an ACT list candidate, says:
“ I have commissioned this poll for two reasons. First, the Colmar Brunton / TVNZ Poll on Epsom conducted a week ago was
inconsistent with three consecutive internal polls conducted by ACT over the past month. Second, irrespective of the
accuracy or otherwise of the Colmar Brunton Poll, a week is a long time in politics. Rodney Hide and the ACT team have
mounted what is undoubtedly the strongest campaign for a single electorate seen in NZ in many years. The fact that the
Labour Party is endorsing National suggested to me that they are also polling and knew Rodney Hide was ahead.
That’s why I have chosen to fund Australia’s leading independent political pollster, Roy Morgan International, to
conduct this survey.
Full results will be posted on websites later today at http://awesome-kiwi.co.nz and http://roymorgan.com
ENDS
The Morgan Poll is conducted by the ONLY
Australian and New Zealand member of the Gallup International Association.
No other public opinion poll taken in Australia or New Zealand has this qualification.