Polls confirm Lawrey can beat Smith in Nelson

The Green Party has released the results of two polls that show its Nelson candidate Matt Lawrey can beat National MP Nick Smith and give the party a historic win in Nelson.

A telephone poll conducted last Wednesday night asked Nelsonians who they were voting for: Lawrey, Smith or Labour’s Rachel Boyack. 824 people took part and the results reveal Smith’s support has crashed since the 2014 election when he received 52% of the vote.

In this week’s poll, 29% percent chose Smith, 25% percent picked Boyack and 23% percent chose Lawrey. Undecided voters registered 23%. The margin of error was 3.1%.

When compared to the 2014 election results, the poll reveals a surge in support for the Green’s Nelson candidate with the bulk of support apparently coming from former Nick Smith voters. At the 2014 election the Green’s Nelson candidate received 9 % support.

Lawrey said that not only does the result confirm Smith’s slide, it comes on the back of an earlier telephone poll that found more Nelsonians thought Lawrey could beat Smith than Boyack.

That poll found 54% of 699 respondents thought Lawrey had a better chance than Boyack of beating Smith.

“We’re convinced that as we head into the last days of the campaign, the momentum is with us, with voters from across the spectrum getting behind me, so if people want a new Nelson MP, a vote for Lawrey is the right choice,” Lawrey said.

Lawrey said it’s more than likely the decline in support for Nick Smith in Nelson is being replicated in other electorates around the country.

“Kiwis are turning away from a tired, out-of-ideas National Party, and looking to the Green Party for a clear vision for the future.”

“This is a ‘change’ election – the tide is going out on National, and coming in for a progressive, environmentally friendly government with the Green Party at the heart of it.”

“Nelsonians and all New Zealanders want clean rivers, action on climate change, and an end to poverty, and the Green Party is the only party truly committed to those goals,

“To unseat a government minister will take a huge effort, but I’m going to spend the next five days with my team of amazing volunteers and supporters, knocking on every door I can and talking to every voter I can. It’s going to be a tight race in Nelson, as it will be nationwide, and every single vote is going to count,” said Lawrey.

The campaign is expected to get another boost when Green Party Leader James Shaw visits Nelson today. He will be speaking at a Grey Power-organised public meeting at Annesbrook Church at 11am, and visiting local sites and businesses.

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