Young voters 'ripe for the picking'

By Theresa Garner

At 22, Dave George is a late bloomer, politically. On Saturday, he will cast his first vote. Three years ago, he wasn't interested, but this time he says: "I need to get in on it."

He is concerned about his wallet. He wants lower taxes and rent bills, and because of this, will probably vote Alliance or Labour.

His workmate at Just Jeans in the St Lukes shopping mall, 18-year-old Cecilia Low, had not intended to vote, until chastised by her politically knowledgeable assistant manager, Jo Culpan.

"I've been told I have to, but I don't know a lot about politics," Miss Low said.

"Don't worry. I'll sit you down," said her boss, an avowed Labour supporter. "We'll go through it."

About 161,200 New Zealanders are aged 18, 19 or 20, all potential first-time voters.

Labour's campaign manager, Mike Williams said they were notoriously difficult to target. The party had reached many through its tertiary policy.

Researchers making up voter profiles say the minds of first-time voters are there for the capturing after being largely ignored in the election campaign.

New Zealand Study of Values director Alan Webster said that today's young adults were floating around, with no clear-cut ideological positions.

"They are lost within an individualist, isolationist kind of culture, and are at the whim of whatever forces come to bear on them."

While overall voter perceptions and beliefs made it almost certain that a Labour-Alliance coalition would win the election, young people could go either way, he said.

"Indications wouldn't suggest the young people are the natural home of freemarket right-wing economics, but I suspect they are ripe for the picking."

Dr Webster said the surprising number of "don't knows" to researchers' questions indicated young people were not interested, inexperienced, or possibly a "switched-off generation out for themselves."

"But I don't think anyone's been exposing them to any different set of values for a while."

Dr Webster said most targeting of the first-time voters had been of a materialistic nature - "nothing much in the way of vision, and quality of life issues."

Young people's inability to decipher what was happening in society came through in their regard for the poor.

"They are less likely to think that society treats people unfairly, which in turn reflects that they themselves are under pressure to achieve the material progress that the current ethos of society tells them they can, and will, and ought.

"Yet they are more likely to think that a more humane society is the most important goal."

The number one issue among young people canvassed in the St Lukes mall was, unsurprisingly, student loans. But some were thinking beyond student life.

Sam Knowles, 19, just returned from an overseas trip, said: "The Alliance is talking about scrapping the loans system, but once you have stepped out of your student role, you pay more in taxes."

She will probably go for Act, "the best of both worlds."

Carrie Jackson, 19, will vote National. "I don't know much about it, but if they get in they will drop the student loan interest rates sooner than the others."

Ross Chrystall, also 19, will give his party vote to the Greens, for their policies on gay rights, cannabis, and environment. He believes Prime Minister Jenny Shipley is condescending. "Helen Clark speaks to you, not down to you."

Of 18 to 29 year olds, 82 per cent are enrolled - in line with previous years.