Curia did some polling for the Taxpayers’ Union on the proposed cycle bridge across Auckland Harbour. The question was:
The Government has announced it plans to spend almost $700 million on constructing a cycle and pedestrian bridge over Auckland Harbour. What is your view of this as a transport project? Is it strongly oppose, somewhat oppose, somewhat support or strongly support?
The results showed that 63% of NZers are opposed to the bridge with only 18% in support.
Now that by itself needn’t be a cause for concern. All Governments do things that don’t have popular support from time to time. But what should be concerning is the strength of the opposition.
Of the 63% opposed, 11% were somewhat opposed and a massive 52% strongly opposed. It is rare for a majority to be strongly opposed to something.
When people say they are somewhat opposed, that means they don’t think it is a great idea. They don’t see it as a priority or useful. But they are not really worked up about it.
When people say they are strongly opposed, it means just that. They are pissed. They are telling their friends they are pissed. They think it is beyond daft.
Now one issue won’t sink a Government, but combined with the feebate tax on utes and the like, Labour is at some risk of discovering the 2021 version of shower heads.
Also interesting in the poll was Labour’s own voters are against it also. Only 32% of Labour voters support it with 37% opposed. The only demographic that supports it are Green Party voters. They have mistaken the vocal Green Twitter lobby in Auckland as being the same as the wider Labour voting public. And not even 37% of Green voters were against it also.
In 2023 congestion will be worse than ever in our major cities, and the billion dollar (I call it that as it will no doubt end up costing that eventually) bike bridge will be a cudgel used to beat Labour candidates with.
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