The DomPo front page story today proclaimed a voter split on raising GST based on their reader poll:
An unscientific poll yesterday of 846 readers – asking whether they would be happy to pay more GST if it meant they paid less income tax – found 46.9 per cent in favour, 43.9 per cent opposed and about 8 per cent undecided. The poll indicates many could be persuaded, and ministers have been told to get out and sell the plan to the public before the Budget.
Yet another unscientific poll at Yahoo reaching more than 9,600 readers when I looked five minutes ago returned very different figures. Just 1 in 3 thinking it might be good for the economy, and nearly 2 in 3 thinking it was unfair on people earning lower incomes.
Will we get a “scientific” poll, checking out the New Zealand public’s feelings on raising GST? And if we do, will it be carried out by Curia Market Research, the pollster company run by David Farrar?
Because if so, can we count on them not to “push poll” us about GST rises? That’s how journo Fran O’Sullivan describes the last Curia poll she was asked to be part of:
This week’s poll asked respondents to say which party they associated with particular attributes such as “better at ensuring jobs”, “strong on crime”, “does best for New Zealand in international forums” – and so forth.
What was notable about the highly selective list of attributes is that they appeared designed to push public opinion towards National – not elicit responses which would steer punters towards Labour.
Watch this space.
LudditeJourno 