Kiwiblog

I have a poll in the sidebar asking under what circumstances you think the Police should be able to take a DNA sample. You can choose multiple options.

In the sidebar are blog polls on how well the Cabinet front bench Ministers are doing. This is our second blog poll on the Ministers, so it will be interesting to see how perceptions have changed from two months ago. They are of course unscientific, but can still show interesting trends.

Voting closes arund midday Wednesday next week.

Since my last summary in July, many more blog polls. The findings were:

1. Tax Cuts – 76% say cut income tax, 17% say cut GST and 7% neither
2. Universal Allowances – 66% support universal allowances and 37% parental means testing
3. Winston and Owen Glenn – 73% said Winston knew all about the donation, 20% said Winston suspected it but was careful not to ask, 14% say he knew nothing and 5% say he knew about the donation but not the amount
4. Registered Parties – 34% said there were 20, 26% 18, 19% 14, 15% 16, and 5% 12. I can’t recall anymore what was the correct answer for back in July.
5. Rodney Hide – 19% thought Rodney was gay, 38% said he wasn’t and 43% said “not yet”
6. Election Date – 48% correctly predicted 8 November followed by 27% for 15 November
7. US Election – 49% back McCain, 38% Obama and 13% other
8. National’s Benefits Policy – 41% say step in right direction but wimped out on real reform, 35% say good policy and 18% call it beneficiary bashing plus 8% want no benefits for anyone
9. Olympics – 31% said the Ever-Swindells had the best performance, 25% choose Mahe Drsdale, 20% Nick WIllis and 19% Valerie Vili
10. ACT’s No 5 – the favourite pick was Cactus Kate at 18%, Jim Hopkins at 15%, Lindsay Perigo at 15%, Owen Glenn at 14% and DPF at 10%
11. Election Date No 2 – a second poll in September saw 45% pick 8 November, 31% 15 November and 25% 18 October
12. Minor Party not to make it – the top choice for minor party not to make it back was NZ First at 38%, then Greens at 30%, ACT 15%, Maori Party 9%, Progressive 4% and United Future 3%
13. Sack Winston – 88% said Clark should have sacked Peters
14. Government’s ethics – 83% say less ethical than previous Governments, 9% more ethical and 8% equally ethical
15. Why Winston not sacked – 63% say Helen not sack because of what he will say or reveal, 33% say in case she needs him after the election and 4% because she genuinely thinks he told the truth
16. 2008 MP of the Year – Rodney Hide at 48% with Bill English 2nd at 24%
17. 2008 Labour MP of the Year – Winston Peters scoops it at 58% ahead of Michael Cullen at 22% and David Cunliffe on 20%
18. 2008 National MP of the Year – John Key with 50% ahead of Simon Power with a credible 32%
19. 2008 Minor Party MP of the Year – Rodney Hide at 63% and then Pita Sharples at 23%
20. 2008 Press Gallery Journalist of the Year – Audrey Young scoops 57% and Colin Espiner 2nd on 20%
21. 2008 Public Servant of the Year – Owen Glenn may not have got Consul but he gets 46% with SFO Director Grant Liddell next on 32% and then Electoral Commission CEO Helena Catt on 22%
22. National’s Tax Cuts – the most popular rating or mode was 7/10 on 17%. The mean was 5.7/10 and the median was a 7/10
23. National Super Fund Policy – the plan to have 40% invested in NZ had 38% strongly agreeing, 28% somewhat agreeing, 21% strong disagree, 9% somewhat disagree and 9% neutral

I have marked what my personal responses were in italics, so people can see when I disagree with the majority.

Well many more blog polls since I last summarised the results in late April. The following results since then:

1. 79% approve of National’s fibre to the home policy
2. 31% think global warming is a hoax, 20% say we should reduce emissions at a rate which does not harm economic growth, 19% think global warming is exaggerated, 16% think we should reduce emissions at the same rate as other countries, 7% say reducing emissions should be our top priority and 7% say the world faces Armageddon if emissions are not reduced
3. 57% of readers/respondents are male heterosexuals, 24% are female heterosexuals, 7% male homosexuals, 6% male bisexual, 3% female bisexual and 3% lesbian.
4. The best post (start of) WWII PM was rated David Lange with 23% then Keith Holyoake 20% and Helen Clark 12%. Bottom was Bill Rowling and Walter Nash on 1% each.
5. 53% would choose higher broadband data caps over 47% preferring faster broadband speeds
6. 36% rated the Budget very poor, 30% poor, 16% average, 10% very good and 9% good
7. The preferred next Labour Party Leader was Phil Goff on 44% then Andrew Little on 14% and Shane Jones on 10%.
8. 68% prefer to have dinner before a 7 pm movie, not afterwards
9. 52% want Charles as King of NZ when the Queen dies, vs 48% favouring a Republic.
10. 95% of respondents have visited Australia, 74% Europe, 73% Asia, 69% North America, 26% Africa, 13% South America and 3% Antarctica
11. Only 9% have a Freeview box
12. 36% think 15 years is the starting point for rape convctions, 22% think 10 years, 16% five years and only 12% correctly stated eight years.
13. 82% of respondents have made their mind up as to who to vote for
14. The favourite TV channel is TV3 with 34%, Prime on 30%, TV One on 19%, C4 on 7%, TV2 on 5% and Maori TV on 5%.

As always many interesting results. All totally unscientific but useful to see how readers differ from the overall population. The TV favourability for example is very different to overall ratings.

I don’t normally blog on individual blog poll results because they are just a bit of fun, and not at all scientific. But I did find interesting that despite the centre right leanings of most readers, the best PMs in order were:

1. Lange (Labour) 23%
2. Holyoake (National) 20%
3. Clark (Labour) 12%
4. Bolger (National) 11%
5. Savage (Labour) 9%
6. Muldoon (unclassifiable) 6%

Peter Fraser is in fact my favourite Labour Party PM and would be my second choice. My first choice should be easy to guess.

The blog polls are just a bit of fun, and not at all scientific. But having had 15 or so to date, thought it would be interesting to see what they have said:

1. 63% said they like the new site design over the old one
2. For who was telling the truth over NZ First donations 51% said Dail Jones, 45% neither and 4% Winston Peters
3. Three News is favoured by 58% over One News on 36%
4. 57% think Barack Obama would be a better President than Hillary Clinton
5. Of the minor parties 36% dislike the Greens the most followed by 26% NZ First, 10% United Future, 10% ACT and 9% for Progressive and 9% Maori Party
6. Boston Legal fans named Denny Crane as their favourite character at 49% and 45% Alan Shore
7. 61% support a free trade agreement with China
8. 81% support the right of employees to work on a public holiday if they wish to earn extra money
9. Rock and Paper tied on 38% with Scissors last on 25%
10. Preferred parties were National 41%, Act 18%, Kiwi Party 13%, Labour 10%, Greens 7%, Libertarianz 4%, Maori Party 1%, NZ First 1%, Progressive 1%
11. 75% said they would vote for the China FTA if they were an MP
12. Only 14% correctly named the Head of the KKK as saying the top priority is to bring the troops home from Iraq
13. 85% have a unfavourable or very unfavirable view of Winston Peters
14. In the battle of the blondes 42% say Scarlett Johansson is most attractive, 35% Charlize Theron, and Reese Witherspoon 23%
15. 77% correctly guessed that carbon emissions have gone up 14% in Helen Clark’s first six years of office

Okay the blog poll (not scientific) on who is telling the truth in NZ First on their mystery donation closed at midday.  The results are:

1. Dail Jones – 50% (129 votes)
2. Neither – 46% (119 votes)
3. Winston Peters – 4% (11 votes)
4. Both – 0% (1 vote)

Was that the loyal Peter Brown who voted both?

There is a new blog poll down on the left.  You can vote on who in NZ First you believe is telling the truth!!