Opinion Polls Show Confusing Picture
Two opinion polls released by ONE News and TV3 tonight give a rather confused picture of the public’s political preferences.
The ONE news Colmar Brunton poll has National gaining 4 points, taking them to 54-percent, while Labour remain stable on 35-percent. In the small party stakes, support for the Greens halves to 3.7-percent, with the Maori Party, NZ First and Act sitting on 3.2-percent, 1.5-percent, and 1.1-percent respectively.
In the preferred Prime Minister stakes, both John Key and Helen Clark register a drop in their support, taking them to 35-percent and 29-percent respectively.
In contrast, the TV3 poll presents a completely different picture. In their poll, National drops 3 points, while Labour picks up 3 points, taking them to 48-percent and 38-percent respectively. This 10-point gap is significantly smaller than the 19-point deficit shown in the ONE News poll.
Of the smaller parties, the Greens drop slightly to 5.8-percent, and both NZ First and the Maori Party increase slightly to 3.4-percent and 2.9-percent respectively. ACT and United Future barely register.
In the preferred PM stakes, Clark regains the position as New Zealand’s preferred PM for the first time in a year, picking up 4 points to 32-percent, while Key drops a massive 6 points to 29-percent. However, the poll has more good news for Helen Clark, with 62-percent of those polled thinking she is performing better than she has in two years. Meanwhile, Key registers a drop in those who think he is performing well to 52-percent, and a 4 point increase in those who think he is performing poorly.
The polls certainly do send mixed messages about the public mood at the moment. Although, it would appear the ONE News poll is out of step with other recent polls which have shown a mood shift toward Labour. The ONE News poll also tends to over-represent National Party support, and the TV3 poll was the most reliable leading up to the 2005 general election.
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Seeking Corporate Loyalty
If there is one thing that has been clearly demonstrated by Fisher & Paykel’s decision to close its Dunedin dishwasher plant, it is the complete lack of loyalty that corporations have to their employees and their communities. It is certainly sad that someone can spend a lifetime working for a company and helping to build it into a success, yet, in an instant that company can close its doors and move overseas simply to put more money in the pockets of its shareholders. But what is perhaps most disappointing in all of this has been the completely disingenuous way that Fisher & Paykel have tried to explain away their decision. Chief executive John Bongrad said the company’s decision was in part due to:
“Free trade agreements with low cost labour countries like China and Thailand have created a playing field we are unable to compete in.”
That statement simply defies belief. Firstly, the FTA with China was signed just weeks ago, has yet to be ratified, and it is simply impossible for Fisher & Paykel to be feeling any effects of this so soon. And secondly, Fisher & Paykel have also announced they will close plants in California and Brisbane, yet neither Australia nor America have FTAs with China. The reality is that Fisher & Paykel have chosen to exploit low wage economies to increase their profits, and in doing so have put money ahead of their workers and their country.
New Zealanders pride themselves on their fair mindedness and commitment to human rights. New Zealanders support their communities and help each other out. A New Zealander would never walk away because the going gets tough, and a Kiwi would certainly never put their own wealth ahead of the basic needs of their fellow citizens. It is sad that such principles don’t extend to New Zealand businesses. Fisher & Paykel’s website states: “Our people and their ideas are the key to our success. Our people are the key to its success.” That is one principle that Fisher & Paykel has definitely lost sight of.
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