Christchurch Central: new boundaries, new attitudes?
Electors in the redistributed Christchurch Central—won in 2011 by the National Party by fewer than 50 votes—are now less
likely than the average NZ elector to trust the Government or think it’s doing a good job, data from Roy Morgan Research
shows.
Who doesn’t love a close election race? On November 26 2011, equal numbers of voters in Christchurch Central wanted
Labour’s Brendon Burns to hold the seat as wanted Nicky Wagner of the National Party to take charge. After the inclusion
of special votes and a judicial recount, Nicky Wagner scored the win by just 47 votes, ousting Labour from the seat for
the first time.
A voter in the new Christchurch Central is 30% more likely than the average Kiwi elector to believe that terrorists
deserve the same rights as other criminals and 10% more likely to think it’s the Government’s duty to support those who
can’t find work, research from December 2011 to April 2014 shows.
On average, voters in Christchurch Central are 8% more likely to say Maori culture is an essential component of New
Zealand society or that globalisation brings more problems than it solves, and 7% more likely to distrust the NZ
Government: 46% vs 43% nationally.
Attitudes of Christchurch Central electors – indexed to New Zealand norm (100):
Click for big version.
?Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (New Zealand), December 2011 – April 2014, n = 24,397 New Zealanders enrolled to vote
in a General Electorate; Christchurch Central n = 438.
Just 44% of Christchurch Central’s voters believe the Government is doing a good job running the country, compared with
almost half of all voters in New Zealand. 55% of all Kiwi voters agree that obedience and respect for authority are the
most important values children should learn; but in Christchurch Central, where 1 in 3 voters is aged under 35, just 45%
agree.
Nationally, over 1 in 4 voters on the general roll believe homosexuality is immoral; in Christchurch Central, it’s only
around 1 in 6.
Pip Elliot, General Manager New Zealand – Roy Morgan Research, says:
“Roy Morgan’s Electorate Profiles can provide parties and candidates with a greater understanding of voters’ attitudes
towards Government, personal and societal issues.
“Just recently launched in New Zealand, Roy Morgan’s Helix Personas segmentation tool also gives real insight into the
minds of voters across the country.
“A massive 23% of voters within the new Christchurch Central boundaries are classed as being an ‘Areas in Transition’
type of person, who nationally make up just 1% of the population. People in this persona are often unmarried young
singles and couples, confident and educated, who place a high value on their social life, their independence and their
freedom to make their own choices.”