Party leaders to ‘get licked’ on New Regent St
New Zealand’s two main political parties face a serious licking in Christchurch.
Central-city gelato shop Rollickin’ Gelato is running its own election poll with two new flavours.
Voters can choose the Jacinda Fever, a cream cheese gelato with ‘‘lippy red velvet cake’’ inspired by Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, or the Billy Boy, a vanilla gelato with a blueberry jam ripple in tribute to National leader Bill English.
Rollickin’ Gelato cafe manager India Curtis said the ice cream flavours were designed to encourage young people to vote.
‘‘We are completely Switzerland in this, our main goal is to make sure people get out and vote,’’ she said. ‘‘We are a really young business with a young team and young customers, so we want them to be aware that this is a thing going on in New Zealand right now.’’
Curtis said she wanted to encourage ‘‘a bigger focus’’ on politics among New Zealand youth.
‘‘With the amount of people that didn’t vote last [election] . . . It doesn’t matter who you vote for, you just have to go out and vote.’’
Polling during the election campaign has been turbulent. A One News Colmar Brunton poll released this week found 46 per cent support for National and 37 per cent support for Labour.
This was a shift from an August poll by One News Colmar Brunton that showed 41 per cent for National and 43 per cent for Labour. A fresh poll from Newshub yesterday also showed National ahead in the polls.
Whoever became prime minster after election day, the New Regent St cafe would keep their flavour permanently available, Curtis said.
But what flavour does she prefer?
‘‘I’m a real sucker for red velvet cake.’’