GetUp surveys Peninsula voters

A GetUp survey conducted at Woy Woy shopping centres indicated that the majority of Peninsula voters want multinationals to be taxed more to pay for health, education and pension cuts.

Local GetUp group members Ms Shery Stewart, Ms Robyn Heazlewood and Ms Karin Solondz said they conducted interviews with 70 people on election issues at shopping centres on the Woy Woy Peninsula.

Seven questions were asked.

Ms Solondz said that caution needed to be exercised in the interpretation of the survey as it was a small sample size and more research needed to be done.

However she said that results on the voting system and party policy may provide valuable insight into voter disengagement and disempowerment and an argument for a change to a more empowering voting system.

When asked whether multinationals should be taxed more to help fund free equal education, Medicare and to stop pension cuts, 85 per cent answered yes.

Only 7 per cent said no and 8 per cent said they did not know.

A similarly high response, 82 per cent, agreed with the statement that "parties should have seats in parliament in accordance with the real percentage of their actual vote".

The proposition that big company donations to political parties should be stopped was supported by 83 per cent of the people interviewed.

Likewise, 84 per cent agreed that ''jobs and growth should be socially and environmentally responsible''.

Seventy two per cent did not agree with ''company fossil fuel subsidies'' and 69 per cent said they would be prepared to have coal exports stopped if it helped save the Great Barrier Reef'.

Only a minority (44 per cent) knew which parties represented them on most of these issues or that the Greens and Labor were the parties closer to representing the above majority views.

Ms Solondz said New Zealand recently changed to a fairer, more equitable voting system called a mixed member proportional representation system, which does not advantage the major parties.

In New Zealand, every person gets two votes: one for the party of their choice and the other for the member of their choice.

"Seats in parliament are roughly equal to the real percentage of each party's vote, no more and no less, and no one's vote goes to another party," she said.

"In New Zealand, as in most democracies around the world, political parties generally have to negotiate and compromise on policy with other parties to get into and stay in power."

She said that meant it was harder to go against the will of the majority of the people on popular issues such as Medicare, free education or to cut pensions.

Major parties cannot claim a mandate when they obtain only 30 to 40 per cent of the vote.

Media release, 20 Jun 2016

Karin Solondz, Peninsula GetUp Group