We spoke to Kiwis across Aotearoa about who they’re voting for and the issues that could change their minds and their votes. We also collated the data on their top concerns to understand how different regions have been affected by issues like crime, the cost of living and climate change.
After six years under a Labour government, who is better and worse off? And could a National government with its election promises do better?
Is this 2023 election a toss up between, as one voter put it, “the lesser of the two evils?”
“They don’t care about us. So why would we bother turning up to vote?”
"Up here we’re built on relationships and a lot of whānau get a bit hōhā and think 'oh well, they don’t think about us'.
"Kelvin Davis does fly in and out but Chris Luxon won’t come further than Kerikeri.
Where the hell are the Greens? Where the hell’s Te Pāti Māori?
It’s annoying to me. This sucks bro.
"The only people who vote are those who have the capacity to. The rest of us are just surviving.
"Our whānau are worried about getting kai on the table and how they're going to see a doctor because our only GP service is getting shut down. They’re worried about travelling out of town to get groceries because the Mangamuka Gorge still hasn’t been fixed. So why the hell would they give time and energy to someone who doesn’t want to invest time and energy in us?
"I’m definitely not voting Winston.
"I'll be voting for the Green Party because I believe they’re the conscience that Labour needs to turn hui into do-ey."
“It feels like the same stuff is said every election but there’s no action or follow through. And the parties are just slandering and bad mouthing each other. It’s just gross."
Sarah: "A lot has happened for us over the past six years. We got married, we had two kids, we grew a business and sold it, we bought a home through Kiwibuild and Maiah got granted permanent residency.
"So we feel really grateful but the number one thing we worry about is crime.
"Every day there’s a post in our community Facebook page about someone whose house got burgled or stolen credit cards. So it’s a big concern.
"I think I’m just going to stick to who I normally vote for (undisclosed) so UP THE WAHS!”
Maiah: “Yeah, crime is a big issue for me too.
"I’m really undecided who I’m going to vote for. I just want the government to deliver. If you’re going to say something, then just do it."
“We live in a good neighbourhood and nothing like that used to happen around here.”
"Our car got stolen right off our driveway. It was driven around for about two months. It was basically trashed and dumped. When it was found it was a complete write-off.
"Last week my sister had her Eftpos card pinched and it was used multiple times until it was empty. My dad’s ute has been stolen twice in the last year.
I just feel like everything’s a bit of a shambles at the moment.
"As a nurse I really enjoy what I’m doing. The pay has just gone up dramatically and I think what I’m getting is really good but our main concern right now is just the theft and the burglaries.
"I’m definitely looking for a change. I’m going to be voting for National."
Fear about rising crime has ranked among the top two issues voters care about this year, a NZ Ipsos survey found in June.
Police data shows the numbers for victims of theft, burglary and robbery are on the rise in almost every district in Aotearoa.
Tasman is the only police district to record a slight decline in recent years.
Canterbury has twice pipped Auckland since 2019 for the highest number of victims for theft, burglary and robbery crimes.
By June this year, it recorded a 35 percent increase since the same time last year, the steepest hike of any region.
Canterbury's statistics have been higher than Counties Manukau every year since 2019. The steep incline in Canterbury’s numbers could see it top Auckland next year if it continues at its current growth rate.
"I bought a can of Milo and it was only $13 a few months ago but now it’s $20. It’s crazy."
"Before, I get groceries for, say, $150 and now it’s almost double that.
"How can I afford to feed my kids in the long run?
"I’m going to close down my shop because it’s too much. I also don’t feel safe. Burglaries are happening near me.
"In my shop I’ve been handed fake money a few times. I realised straight away it was not real money but I was afraid so I didn’t say something.
"I would like a change. I’m going to vote National but I want a leader who is brave to change things.
"I don’t know if Christopher Luxon is brave enough. Hopefully he will have the guts."
"Everything feels very much subject to get more shit."
"When my brother was studying a few years ago I feel like it was a bit less shit. Now, it’s harder for a lot of students I know to be able to afford things.
"I don’t really know any students who are living in a dry home or where they’re not afraid that their rent could increase at any given moment.
"I have friends who are always working out whether they’ll be able to pay rent or have enough savings.
"As a queer woman I think it would be dumb not to worry about how a new government could impact LGBTQ+ people and especially trans-rights. I don’t want to lull myself into a false sense of security that things will always be safe.
"There are a lot more transphobes in New Zealand than we think.
"First time voter but I'm very pro-Greens."
"There are a lot of things I'd like to see change under the current Labour government... but I also think a change of government would be worse for us students."
"Students as a population generally borrow to live. And I think that’s only getting worse now because everything is getting more expensive.
"A lot of students I know are working longer hours to get by and that’s really impacting their studies. Food is a lot more expensive. Our rents have increased significantly.
"Dunedin used to be a place where you could live here as a student and still be comfortable. It was hard – but you could get by. Now, that’s definitely changed.
"I haven't really decided who I'll vote for but it'll probably be somewhere on the left - either Labour, Greens or Te Pāti Māori."
"I'm not actually interested in whatever party but we just need a change because it's quite hard to raise a family. Everything is so expensive.
"Every week we pay $500 extra now for basic needs than we used to a few years ago.
"Everything is more expensive – petrol, grocery prices.
"We are paying an extra $200+ a week now on our mortgage because our interest rate went from 4.5 percent to 6.5 percent.
"I will probably vote National."
"If the National party take off the Fair Pay Agreement then it is not good."
"Doing security work I sometimes worry about my safety. With the Fair Pay Agreement my company is starting to work on that now for our conditions to improve. It will help our pay to improve as well. I don’t want the Fair Pay Agreement to be taken off.
"I work a double shift for my security job and I am working three jobs to support my family. My second job is teacher aide and then I sometimes work as an interpreter.
"And the living costs is annoying for me. I am paying about $300 more a week on rent then when I first moved here seven years ago.
"I have already decided my vote. I feel more confident to support Labour government."
Inflation and the cost of living ranked as the number one issue voters cared about in both the NZ Ipsos survey and the 1News' Vote Compass tool.
The data paints a grim picture showing a steep rise in basic living costs in Aotearoa since the last election.
New Zealand is not alone. The Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine–Russia conflict and rising inflation, has impacted countries worldwide.
Our Food Price Index, which tracks a selected basket of household staple groceries and measures its price change over time, has risen sharply since 2021.
While the government’s temporary fuel tax subsidy saw petrol costs drop significantly last year, prices at the pump are fast on their way back to 2022 peak levels.
Median rent prices have also seen a significant rise in every region since the last election. Auckland remains the most expensive region to rent a house in but Gisborne saw the sharpest increase in rent prices compared to any other region. The median weekly rent in Gisborne is now $240 a week higher than it was in 2019.
In some good news, buying a house is generally cheaper now than it was 18 months ago. The housing market continues to cool but for homeowners, rising inflation and interest rates means mortgage payments have spiked and in some cases, almost doubled.
Many hopeful homeowners who may have managed to save for a deposit are now shut out of the market because mortgage payments are out of reach.
"I’ve seen at least 4 major economic downturns in those years. We survive, but then it goes back down again."
Ken: "I’ve been a dairy farmer just on 40 years now and I’ve seen at least 4 major economic downturns in those years. We survive, we keep going but then it goes back down again. I think when you've got so much invested, it's reasonable to expect some return beyond just mere living.
"A lot of farmers, especially the younger ones, have just gone completely into survival mode.
"We export a lot but without us, the urban dweller in this country isn’t eating. We feed the nation and I feel that’s often forgotten.
"I don’t necessarily want a change of government, I want a change of direction. I just want a government that actually delivers on what it promises.
"My real concern is has the National Party got the courage to make the necessary changes? Otherwise our country’s going to go down the gurgler."
Deirdre: "Our eldest son has lived with a disability since birth and we recently went to the hospital and it took him seven hours to see a doctor so the pressures that the health sector are under are a real concern. It’s just not good enough.
"My take is a bit like Ken's in that I don't care who's in charge as long as they have the guts to stand up and draw a line in the sand."
"So I'm like, vote for Labour!!!"
Vita: "We own a business, we’ve bought two houses. Being Pasifika, and my wife is Singaporean Portuguese, it’s opened doors for us to be able to create some unique opportunities in Blenheim.
"But the cost of living is a big issue. Our mortgage payments increased a lot because our interest rate almost doubled but we feel fortunate that we haven’t felt the impacts as much as others.
"For me, owning a home is helpful but it’s not the ultimate success. Our passion for the arts is what has helped us thrive here and Labour’s been more supportive of the arts.
"So I’m like, vote for Labour!!!"
Nicole: "I don’t strongly align to either of the major parties but we’re definitely not voting ACT, I think we can say that with confidence.
"I'm actually watching the NewZeal party coming up, I feel like it aligns with my moral values and I'm quite interested in them."
"I don't want ACT to come in and if I vote for National am I really just voting for ACT as well? So I'm probably going to vote Labour. I don't know if this is the right thing to say but it's kind of like, 'What's the lesser of two evils?' "
"Am I engaged in the election stuff? Nope. What a load of rubbish."
"It's just so irrelevant. I don’t even watch the news. We don’t watch normal TV at all.
"There was some rubbish about one of the parties trying to ban cellphones in schools. What a load of shit. How are they going to police that? They’re clutching at straws.
"You know, one party will say this and then another party will say that and they counteract each other and it’s just so ridiculous. That’s why I tune out. They can make all the promises they want but they have to compromise when they get in government anyway.
"We always vote but we’ll talk to a few people around us and ask what they’ve heard because we don’t actually tune in.
"In terms of who I'm going to vote for, I have no idea. I'm over it."
"Trying to blame one government for all of the things that are happening, I think, is a bit daft. But that’s certainly what we do here in New Zealand."
"I’m probably showing my age because I’m a bit cynical about the elections at the moment. They’ve almost become irrelevant because politicians are just bouncing off each other.
"Every political party has holes in their policies because some of them have been pulled out quite quickly during election time. Whether they’ve been thought through completely or not - I’m never convinced.
"If you look overseas and see what’s happening economically around the world and climate change and all those other things, trying to blame one government for all of the things that are happening, I think, is a bit daft. But that’s certainly what we do here in NZ.
"Cost of living has to be addressed. Yes there’s crime yes there are issues around that but I keep coming back to climate change and are we actually doing enough here to address it? And I’m not convinced we are.
"And I don’t think National could do any better.
"I will vote Labour and Green. I have no doubt about that whatsoever."
"I certainly won’t be voting for Labour. It’ll probably be National or Act at this stage."
"I’ve been on our section all my life, 73 years and I’ve never seen it get severely flooded like it did with the rain last year. It’s my childhood home, it was my father’s home, it was my grandfather’s home and now my son and his family live in the front house. So that’s five generations where this has been our home and it was devastated.
"It's taken a year out of my life to get the house all fixed up again. It’s almost done. It’s just one of those things you had to take it in your stride and carry on.
"With the government, there just seems to be so much money being thrown all over the place and nothing really happening. I just haven’t seen any delivery on promises.
"There’s got to be some flood protection with the nearby river itself but I don’t see that happening.
"Our property won’t be resilient to another similar flood."
In 2023 alone, 15 people lost their lives in two of the worst weather events to hit Aotearoa.
At the end of January, an unprecedent deluge of rain across Auckland and the Waikato caused flooding, slips and property damage. Four people were killed.
Days later, 11 more people died due to the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, described as the worst weather event of this century.
Among the deaths were volunteer firefighters, a retired teacher, a farmer, and the youngest – a two-year-old girl swept away by flood waters.
The scale of immediate loss and homelessness meant roughly 12,000 people combined were displaced after both events, according to early estimates by officials.
Houses were red-stickered with many families still unable to return back to their homes due to safety risks.
The rebuild is expected to take months, if not years.
Since 2020, extreme weather events have caused widespread damage to infrastructure, roads, farms and homes across Aotearoa.
Some regions have been hit multiple times by extreme weather events since the last election. Events such as Cyclone Gabrielle, will have economic impacts across Aotearoa for years to come.
"I absolutely think we need a change. I think we need fresh ideas."
"We were hit extremely hard. We lost one orchard completely, it was flattened. The other orchard – we had to shift out 30,000 cubic metres of silt. The irrigation system was smashed, the pumps were gone, I lost tractors and equipment.
"It’s been a huge cost personally.
"I’ve got to be hopeful but there are growers that have thrown in the towel because it’s too hard and they’ve lost too much.
"Hundreds of hectares are getting pulled out. Some may never be planted, some may be three to six years away before they get planted.
"The amount of produce that’s been lost is massive for the region and it’s going to impact all New Zealand.
"And that’s just horticulture but outside of that we’ve got issues with housing and the areas that have been red zoned.
"Growers had two or three bad years with the labour shortage through Covid and then through flooding last year as well. So we were already on the back foot before Cyclone Gabrielle.
"The Labour party – yes they’ve finally come to the table with some funding but they just take so long to get anything going and I don’t think we’ll be a priority.
"It’s time for a change. I’ll be voting for National."
"It’s kind of about which party isn’t going to be the worst?"
"So with my vote, I’ll be thinking about my region, not just me.
"We’re still recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle. There were two extremes. You were either untouched or you were devastated.
"A lot of people were displaced and our road access is a huge issue. We’ve been cut off since the floods.
"We’re still trying to get back on our feet and we just lost one of our stewards Kiritapu Allan. Kiri is very entrenched in our community and we took her departure to heart.
"It helps that we know and have loved Tāmati Coffey for some years.
"Every party does things that you don't like. I always vote to the left but haven't yet decided.
Built with Shorthand