Economic issues top list of main concerns

The economy remains the most important issue to affect people’s vote this election, according to the latest Herald-ZB Kantar TNS poll.

In fact a significantly higher number of people than a month ago have placed the economy at the top of their list.

A total of 31 per cent say the economy is the most likely issue to affect their vote, compared with 25 per cent a month ago.

Health, housing and poverty are the next three most important issues, followed by immigration, the environment, education and unemployment.

The increase in numbers citing the economy was higher across most groups but especially among men (up 7 points to 37 per cent); urban dwellers (up 8 points to 32 per cent), those on incomes over $100,000 (up 18 points to 54 per cent), and among older voters (aged 50 to 59 up 12 points to 44 per cent and aged 60 and over, up 9 points to 37 per cent.)

The percentage of those citing health has barely changed, 16 per cent now versus 15 per cent a month ago, and the same goes for poverty, 10 per cent now versus 11 per cent a months ago. But housing is down with 12 per cent nominating it as their biggest issue, compared with 15 per cent a month ago.

Some of the fiercest debates during the campaign have been about the economy, fiscal plans and taxation.

The Kantar TNS poll was conducted September 13 to 19 of 1000 respondents and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent.

It is an online survey by ConsumerLink which runs on the Fly Buys panel of 120,000 active members, one of the largest in New Zealand.

Sampling is nationally representative and is then postweighted by age, gender and region to match the population but only those aged 18 and over are included.