Climate change a big motivator for voters, according to NowNext survey
Taking action on the issue of the century will take both political and public will, and it seems many voters want the government on all levels to make it a priority. Stuffs recent NowNext survey found over two thirds of respondents said climate change was a factor in their general and local government voting decisions. Masterton voter Melissa Wardell was typical of those who thought climate change was a critical consideration when making democratic choices. Wardell said she has been taking climate change into account for years when it came to voting in general and local body elections. READ MORE: * Election 2020: Labour and ACT strong performers in top of the south political survey * Surviving 2020: Not the time to vote with the tribe * Why don't people vote in elections for Auckland Council? Im not a particularly political person, but I think climate change is enormously important... because the natural environment around me has played such a significant part in my life and my wellbeing. From a farming background with parents who traditionally voted conservatively, Wardell said shes always been a bit of greenie and feels the climate issue could transcend all political boundaries. Stuffs NowNext survey, which is online and opt-in, gathered responses from 10,000 readers about climate change and sustainability. Participants were asked, do you take climate change into account when voting in general or local elections? Sixty-eight per cent said it was a consideration when exercising their democratic right. Professor Bronwyn Hayward of University of Canterbury said climate was becoming a more important issue across a range of demographics, and political parties should not ignore its growing relevance. Were gradually seeing a breakdown of the strong alignment to parties. Voters are increasingly being influenced by issues that matter to them rather than party affiliation and what your family voted for. Hayward said the younger generation were becoming a more powerful voting block who tended to be influenced by particular issues, and she said NowNexts findings were in general keeping with their own studies. Climate, rental accommodation costs, and racism and identity are issues that are really motivating younger voters to vote in ways older politicians and parties risk overlooking at their peril. Climate was an issue that older people were also giving a higher priority, she said. Were starting to see a quite broad discomfort around climate and growing anxiety in different age groups and wanting to see some real change. Hayward said the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic had muted the public conversation around many broader issues such as climate change. Hayward and colleague Dr Dawn Miller McTaggart, who is a post-doctoral research fellow in political science, analysed the NowNext data and found women were significantly more likely to prioritise climate in their voting choices. Around 79 per cent of women respondents to the survey said yes, compared with around 65 per cent of the men. This finding is in keeping with international studies which show that traditionally women are most concerned about the impacts of our changing climate, with men tending to underestimate the risk to themselves and their communities, Hayward said. Local government played a big role in Kiwis lives and was consequently seen as being an important cog in the machine of taking action against climate change, she said. Wellington City councillor Tamatha Paul holds the councils climate change portfolio and was also its youngest elected representative. She focused on being a voice for young people to make decisions concerning our future, especially around climate change. When I was elected I was given the climate change portfolio and since then I have done heaps of work in the area. Paul said her relative youth, now aged 24, means her generation will live to see the long-term effects of climate change. People see the value of people with real skin the game in terms of making these decisions, so thats why across the country there was an influx of young people being elected from a climate lens.