May 21, 2019 4:00pm by iMP

‘Christian’ Votes since 1996

by John Stringer.

There has always been a strong party vote in NZ amongst conservatives within the ‘christian’ ‘family values’ voting block. It was the first non-party grouping off the block to organise and contest the first MMP election. It traverses quite a diverse group of New Zealanders, all ages, multiple cultures (Maoris, Pacific Islanders, Chinese, etc) and transcends several religions, the non-religious, and ‘middle nz’ concerned about values and heritage or the intrusion of Nanny State into areas of private life (family discipline, sexuality, marriage etc).

Simon Bridges’ reticence on Botany and Alfred Ngaro today, is difficult to reconcile with the existing accommodation with David Seymour in Epsom, that delivers little, and the past arrangements with Peter Dunne, to cabinet level, over many election cycles. The average party list vote 1996-2014 is 3.918%. Given the trends in the USA, with an overtly Christian president and an Australian government returned with a pentecostal PM, how long can NZ dismiss the conservative vote in this country ?

1996

Christian Coalition 4.33

Conservatives 0.07

United 0.88. ) 5.28

1999

Christian Heritage 2.38

United 0.54 ) 2.92

2002

UFuture -‘the worm’ 6.69

2005

United Future 2.67

Destiny 0.62 ) 3.29