16 June 2002

MP wants honest campaign, and a stop to 'shonky' polling

Green Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons announced today her party would not be carrying out pre-election polling for her Coromandel electorate, because residents were complaining of feeling 'polled out', including by 'devious' questioning.

"I want to run a very honest campaign, which allows Coromandel people to vote on my record," Ms Fitzsimons said.

"I'm disappointed there doesn't seem to be the same transparency in some of the polling done by others so far."

Ms Fitzsimons said she had been approached by three local people in the past few days who were upset they were given anti-Green Party propaganda as part of a telephone survey of who they would vote for.

"This means the poll was deliberately set up to be misleading and quite devious; not to find a true reflection of voting intentions," Ms Fitzsimons said.

"It follows another shonky poll in mid-April where the key question did not name the candidates and was not weighted geographically to reflect that there are wide differences in voting patterns in various parts of the electorate.

"Again, I had several approaches from people who were upset by the line of questioning; especially that my name was excluded."

The MP said it seemed two Coromandel polls were carried out during the last few days, and these followed a rash of polling since mid-April which showed varying results depending on how the questions were phrased.

"No poll has yet asked the question the way it is asked on polling day," Ms Fitzsimons said.

ENDS

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