The latest version of the New Zealand Values Survey is out. While I haven't seen the full data, Stuff has a report on the highlights. They focus on the responses on patriotism (most New Zealanders are unsurprisingly proud to be Kiwi) and commitment to staying here, but I think the section on what matters to us is more interesting:
A good public health system topped a list of eight factors in their decision with 96 per cent considering it was important. A high quality natural environment was second, considered by 94 per cent, and a good work/life balance and good education for children were factors for 93 per cent. A low crime rate was a factor for 92 per cent of those committed to staying in New Zealand, 82 per cent deemed high employment important, while low poverty and possible earnings were a factor for 79 and 77 per cent of respondents respectively.
These are the same issues that topped the Growth and Innovation Advisory Board survey a year ago, and what is striking is how opposition parties in particular are simply failing to connect with them. Their dialogue is dominated by economic issues, which are consistently ranked near the bottom of kiwi values. Worse, their policies would be highly destructive of public spending on health and education, the environment, and of quality of life and work/life balance - all issues that we attach a high importance to. The question then is why people should support their policies, when they would undermine other values to which we attach a higher priority?
The question is not why people should support those parties, but why they _do_ support them when they're so clearly in conflict with people's actual priorities.
ReplyDeleteWho's that guy who wrote for the Baffler, who explains working class Americans' love affair with the Republicans?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, his point is that the Republicans have successfully sold themselves on cultural values while shafting their supporters economically. This is what McCully is trying to get National to do.
Of course, another theory is that the Opposition parties are not connecting. Rather, Labour have stopped connecting. I think so. I was brought up Labour, I have found it really hard to abandon them, but jeez they piss me off at the moment, because they know better than I do. Nothing I can put my finger on (yes I can! Margaret Wilson! Phil Goff! My massive marginal tax rate!) but the arrogance label is not without foundation. And if there's one value that the survey doesn't report on, but which New Zealanders have in abundance, it's a dislike of people who are up themselves. And Labour are up themselves. Simple as that.
CMT might say that's cutting your nose off to spite your face, to which I would say yes. But it's happening nonetheless.