Church-going south Auckland voters could help sway referendums

Stuff co.nz 15 October 2020
Family First Comment: Nice 🙂
“Both referendum questions have been a regular feature… He and other pastors at the church have been speaking about the “risks” they believe passing the referendums pose and what they believed the Bible had to say about each. The church also produced videos about the End of Life Choice Bill and handed out Family First pamphlets opposing both referendums at services.”
Valueyourvote.nz

With the election only days away, South Auckland’s church-going voters could a have a big say in the outcome of the two referendums.

Close to three quarters of respondents to a survey of Māori and Pasifika voters in south Auckland said they opposed the End of Life Choice Act, half of those citing religious reasons.

The survey, carried out by community group The Cause Collective, also found 71 percent of those surveyed thought the legalisation of cannabis would have a negative effect on their community.

Electorates with large Pasifika communities often have some of the lowest turnouts on election day. At the last election, the electorates of Māngere, Manurewa and Manukau East combined, had more than 46,000 registered voters who did not turn up to the polls.

But with two thirds of all Polynesian people identifying as Christian at the 2018 census, many of those missing voters are also turning up to church on Sundays – a fact that hasn’t been missed by church leaders.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/300120825/churchgoing-south-auckland-voters-could-help-sway-referendums