Public mandates one of four major Budget policy proposals

The first nationwide post- Budget HorizonPoll shows the Government would not get a mandate to make changes to KiwiSaver, sell up to 49% of state-owned energy company shares or reduce its shareholding in Air New Zealand.

It would get a mandate to make changes to the Working for Families scheme.

Some 45.8% would prefer to vote in a referendum at the November 26 general election to make their support or opposition to the proposed changes clear to the parties in the next Government. 33.6% would prefer to have the election result overall indicate their position, while 20.6% don’t know.

The weighted poll of 1,154 people, conducted between 11.5am Friday May 20 and 6.30am Saturday May 21, has a maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level of +/- 2.9%.

RESULTS:

QUESTION: The Government says that it is seeking a mandate from you at the next general election to undertake the following changes. If you could vote on each of the changes individually, in which of the following ways would you cast your vote to indicate that the Government had your mandate?

KiwiSaver Working for Families Energy asset sales Air NZ share sales
They have my mandate 37.40% 47.50% 29.80% 30.10%
They don't have my mandate 42.20% 34.40% 51.90% 46.80%
I am not sure yet 20.50% 18.10% 18.20% 23.10%

By which method would you prefer to make your support or opposition to proposed changes to KiwiSaver, working For Families and state asset share sales clear to the parties which govern after November's general election?

A. Voting in a binding referendum on each policy at the same time as the general election
38.1%
B. A non-binding referendum
7.7%
C. The election result overall, with no referendum on each measure
33.6%
D. Not sure
20.6%

METHODOLOGY
Horizon Research - Budget 2011 survey
11.45am Friday May 20 – 6.30am May 21, 2011
Respondents = 1151. Weighted by age, gender, ethnicity, region, personal income and party vote 2008 to provide a representative sample of the New Zealand population. The maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level is +/- 2.9%.
Members of the nationwide HorizonPoll panel are selected and invited to join based on the New Zealand population profile at the 2006 census. Pre-weighted respondents groups may then be invited to respond to surveys, and results further weighted to ensure a representative population sample is achieved.

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