Bryce Edwards: Political analyst and Democracy Project Director on figuring out who to vote for

As the election draws closer, many people are struggling to decide who to vote for. 

There’s a concern that politics have become too divided, and people are becoming disillusioned with the parties they’ve supported in the past.  

At the same time, there are concerns about the more extreme views of minor parties, and the impact they have when forming coalitions. 

Political analyst and Director of Victoria University’s Democracy Project Bryce Edwards told Kerre Woodham there’s no scientific answer that will tell you who to vote for, but there are a few questions you can ask yourself to help decide. 

The first is to ask what the three most important issues are in your opinion, and compare each party’s policies for the issues. 

But Edwards says you need to really separate their promises from their records and think about what they’ve done in the past. 

“Are those promises that they’re putting forward this year credible ... will they be able to achieve this?” 

Other things to look at, he says, are personality —do they have things like integrity, honesty, or competence— and coalitions that would potentially be formed by the different parties. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carrywood and Morning's podcast from News Talks,
he'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
The Democracy Project is focused on scrutinizing and challenging the
role of vested interest in the political process, promoting critical thinking,
debate and engagement on politics. So who better than to
talk to Bryce Edwards, the director of the Democracy Project.
I reference the opinion piece and stuff today when in

(00:32):
my editorial s I and says has been disappointed by
the coalition government's direction after falling out of love with
labor and helping devote them in and that act in
New Zealand first have had an outsized influence on policy.
He argues. Many centrist voters feel unrepresented and are looking
for politicians willing to have broader conversations about the country's future.

(00:54):
Bryce Edwards joins me now and a very good morning to.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
You, Hi, Cary.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
It's a really frustrating time in politics, But not just here,
is it. It's the world over, Western world over. People
are just so fed up.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yes, we do have global discontentment with the status quo,
and it's from left, right and center. Politicians are out
of favor and people are sort of grappling with who
to choose and yeah, it's no different in New Zealand.
I think there's a high level of disillusionment and flux.
People are shifting their votes around and the major parties

(01:35):
in particular are struggling, and we seem to have in
the opinion polls quite a high undecided proportion. And yeah,
people are looking for answers and the politicians aren't really
giving any great visions in this election campaign.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
I know they're stymiat by the minor parties when they're
in government, specifically in New Zealand First. And I think
I'm grump here with New Zealand First than I am
with National. But I suppose if I was asked, I
would be undecided, even though I know I won't vote Labor,
while Hopkins is there just saying but I and I

(02:15):
know that if I look at do I want a
government of Labor Greens and not really no? But then
I don't want New Zealand First there either. So where
do I go?

Speaker 3 (02:26):
What do I do?

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Bryce tell me?

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Look, look, there's no scientific answer to this, and a
lot of people are grappling with this, and you know
there's no experts that can tell you what to do.
There often is some online devices that you know, do
quizzes or take you through policies, and they are useful.

(02:49):
They seem to have gone a bit out of fashion
in this election campaign. There's one that's called which Past.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yes, I'm doing that weekly.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, there's another one called Policy Navigator, and you know,
I think they are all useful, but you can more
generally just ask yourself a few questions. You know, what
are the most important issues for you? And I think
it's worth just you know, coming up with three topics
and then going and comparing the different parties on those.

(03:19):
It might be housing, it might be cost of living, healthcare,
and just focus on those. I think you really need
to separate the promises from parties records, so not just
think what are they promising, but what have they done previously?
Those promises that they're putting forward this year credible? You know,

(03:39):
when you think about finances and the abilities for governments
to actually get things done, will they be able to
achieve this? Obviously you can look at you know, the
people themselves, the personalities, and there's nothing wrong with judging people,
you know, politicians on their competency, their character. Do you

(04:00):
think they have integrity, honesty, competence, So I think that's
an important part need to think about coalitions. So obviously,
you know, if you're going to vote Green, you're you know,
you're going for a left wing coalition. If you're going
to vote for ACT, you're going to get a right
wing coalition. And and you know with all the other parties,
it's a bit more difficult with the Opportunity Party, and

(04:22):
of course they're the big interesting one of the selection,
I believe, and we still don't exactly know which way
they would go, but it's looking more left. And of
course you have to remember you've got two votes. You know,
it's the party vote and the electric vote, so you
know you can do different things with those those two votes.

(04:43):
So yeah, I think in conclusion, i'd say Kerry that
you know you're got to look on one side at
ideology and policy, kind of the substance, and.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Then delivery the people.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
I mean, when I look at and they deliver those
things I looked at.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
You know, when you go back to twenty seventeen, I
looked at Labour's policies and thought, yes, I do want
more public housing, Yes I do want child poverty or
poverty as it was called back then, A. You know,
I do want all of these, could they deliver them?

Speaker 3 (05:09):
No?

Speaker 2 (05:11):
No, they were absolutely inept at delivery. So you do
have to have to look at delivery, I grant you,
and what's worked before, and the policies that have been
promised and whether they have been delivered on in the
last three years. Do you know who you're going to
vote for?

Speaker 3 (05:30):
Oh? Look, no, absolutely not good. I don't. Actually I
don't actually vote. Partly it's because I'm a political commentator
and I just like to try and be objective. You know,
I'm not saying I'm politically neutral, but I honestly don't
have any political party I support or and even if
I was made to vote, I would struggle actually to

(05:53):
work out. But there wasn't that a combat Maybe maybe,
but it's it's an honest cop out. Yeah, because I
genuinely despair with most of the parties.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Well, if you, as somebody who encourages critical thinking, are despairing,
I don't feel quite so bad about about no being
in the doldrums.

Speaker 3 (06:14):
I don't think there's any shame in not knowing who
to vote for, or even not voting. In the end,
we don't have compulsory voting in this country, and yeah,
we get told it's our duty and we should do it.
But you know, if none of the politicians are inspiring you,
if none of the parties are giving plausible, credible records,

(06:36):
there's nothing wrong with standing out this election. And because
you know, there is a sense that you know, whoever
you vote in, maybe it's just going to be the same.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
Wow. See, as a woman, I feel I have to
because women have fought so hard for the vote, and
in some countries are still voting fighting for the vote.
So I feel and perhaps an obligation to the sisterhood
to vote, but I really don't want to. I didn't
want to in twenty twenty either.

Speaker 3 (07:05):
Yeah. No, I think there's going to be quite a
significant protest vote this time. You know, the people that
decide not to vote that almost you know, a as
a principal, decide, well, I'm upset with this government. I'm
not convinced they've done the right things. But I don't
trust that other lot and I'm not willing to give

(07:27):
them the vote of approval either, So I'm gonna, yeah,
set this one out.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Interesting. A TEXTA says, could you please ask rus to
explain the difference between an electorate vote and a party vote.
A lot of people think if they support labor they
have to vote for the Labor candidate. I don't think
they fully understand how it works.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
Sure, yeah, absolutely so two votes under em MP. The
party vote determines the overall makeup of the parliament, and
so in my view, it's the most important vote. It determines. Yeah,
normally determines you know, what party are strongest and who
forms the government, whereas your electric vote is just about

(08:11):
who's going to be your representative in your electorate. And
there's absolutely nothing wrong with voting for one party and
a very different candidate from another party for the electric vote.
So yeah, nothing wrong with voting for national because you
think they are the best ones to run the country,

(08:33):
but voting for the candidate from the Green Party, the
Labor Party or whoever because you think they would be
good for representing you, and vice versa.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
Of course, if you don't vote, is there going to
be any message sent to political parties though? Is there
going to be any willingness on their part? I mean,
when you look at the perks, they've got the allowances,
the super that's another thing. That really annoys me. Not
one of them is said they'll address that.

Speaker 3 (09:03):
Yeah, look, there is growing about that. I've noticed labor
making some noises about it. Whether you can believe that
or not, who knows. And it's typically opposition parties that
do tend to promise to clean things up rather than
the incumbents. So yeah, maybe you take that with a

(09:25):
grain of salt. But yeah, no, there is a lot
of anger, and I think this is a good time
to challenge the politicians on that. So at public meetings. Yeah,
that voters should say what are your is your party
going to do about these allowances that are being misused?
Or will you reform the the gold plated superinnuation scheme

(09:50):
for parliamentarians things like that. Yeah, I think it is
a good time to because after the election you've lost
your leverage.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
Interesting. I thank you for your time. Interesting, interesting discussion,
Doctor Bryce Edwards from The Democracy Project.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
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