Last night Lianne Dalziel and I shared a cab from Parliament to Wellington airport. Nice driver, Chinese migrant and keen to talk about politics.
He told us he voted National last time, but he and his wife are returning to Labour next time! Why? “ACC, growing unemployment and crime.”
Lianne asked him why he changed his vote in 2008 and he said he bought into the idea of ‘It’s time for a change.’ “Big mistake!” His words.
When I arrived in Auckland I asked my Punjabi migrant driver the same question, “Who was he doing to vote for at the next election?”
“Labour!” he said.
Actually he fessed up to always being a Labour voter, but said that many of his fellow Punjabi drivers had changed their vote in 2008, and now were going back to Labour. Again, ACC charges and disillusionment with the current Government.
I know that two taxi drivers is only a very small sample, but I would urge readers to question their driver when they’re next in a taxi to see where the political wind is blowing.
P.S. A message to Cameron Slater. Cameron, you seem to think that as Foreign Affairs Spokesperson I’m “silent” on international issues. I suggest you check my website at carter.org.nz to read some of my releases. My full report on the St Kitts and Nevis general election will be online soon.
