Opinion: In the final of our pre-election State of the Nation series, a 30-year-old Southlander shares her views about New Zealand and which way she intends to vote on November 7.
How many people live in your household? Two.
You and a partner? Yes.
What do you do for work? I'm unemployed and my partner works part-time in retail.
Which ethnicity do you identify with? New Zealand Pākehā.
Have you decided who you'll vote for in the November election? Yes, the Green party.
What's your thinking behind that? They align with my values.
Which specific policies appeal to you? Really, all of them.
What is your stance on the current coalition government? Very negative.
Has anything in particular rubbed you the wrong way? The NZ First Gender Definitions Bill. ACT’S attempt with the Treaty Principles Bill. Cancelling the fair pay agreements. NZ First wants to start mining in protected lands. Yeah, I'll go with those ones.
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What's your impression of Christopher Luxon as prime minister? He seems incompetent and out of touch. He doesn't really have the backbone to stand up to his coalition partners.
Do you think Winston Peters should have remained in his role after the race-based remarks he made to another MP? No, he should have been sacked then and there. I’m glad Qiulae Wong said that she won't be in a government with him as foreign minister.
What is your view of the Labour Party? Generally positive.
What do you think of Chris Hipkins as leader? He’s not as inspiring as Jacinda but he's not bad.
Did you follow the resignation of Labour Party candidate Kerrin Leoni after video emerged of her campaigning at an event that had gang members present? I did. I think the whole thing's a bit silly. I don't care if politicians talk to gangs.
What did you think of the government banning gang patches? I didn't care for it too much, but [the issue] is not a big priority for me.
Do you believe today te reo Māori should be taught to all New Zealand children in primary school? Yeah, I think that's a good thing.
What do you think of the government's Move On Orders, which now enable police to move on people who are rough sleeping or begging in our streets? I think it's terrible. They're homeless and the government isn't giving them any place to go.
The Green Party have suggested we press pause on AI data centres. Are you aware of the large AI data centre that's been planned in Southland? Yes, there's a lot of talk about it. All of it pretty negative.
What are the main fears? The water usage and the other environmental factors. Noise pollution. The community generally feels like they weren't properly consulted about it.
What would you say to someone who says, well the Green policies are all well and good, but we need to bring money into New Zealand and focus on boosting the economy? I think things like renewable energy can bring jobs. And if we tax the wealthy, then 96% of New Zealand can be better off.
As a 30-year-old, how does your generation feel about the property market – do you know people who are saving to buy houses? I'm very lucky to have inherited money so I was able to buy my own. But I don't know if [most people] around my age have much hope of buying a house in the near future.
Would you be happy to pay 33% tax on your inheritance? I think that would be fair, yeah.
What do you think of National's proposal to start randomly drug testing people on a job seekers’ benefit? I strongly disagree with that. People who are looking for jobs don't need to be punished anymore.
Are you in the process of looking for work? Not currently. I don't need to at the moment and I'm autistic, so there are difficulties there.
Is there enough support for autism in New Zealand? No, I don't think there is.
What sort of services do you think are lacking? Well hiring more doctors and nurses and psychiatrists would be a good start.
What has your experience of the health system been? Long, long waits.
'I love my local MP but loathe his party, so I'm splitting my vote down the middle'
Opinion: Our latest State of the Nation interview proves that warmth, visibility and listening skills go a long way in politics, with one North Island voter supporting her MP, despite deeply disliking his party.
Sat, Sep 26
Is there anything you'd like to add? Well, despite me being a Green supporter, I do also hope that Opportunity gets in. I think it's good to have new ideas. And they're generally a party that aligns with me too. So I hope that if they do get into parliament, they choose to go with Labour and the Greens.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The views expressed do not represent those of TVNZ.
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