Farmers pictured at the livestock saleyards at Rangiuru near Te Puke. Photo / Alan Gibson

Farmers pictured at the livestock saleyards at Rangiuru near Te Puke. Photo / Alan Gibson

The country's northernmost publicans have not seen a National Party leader to admire since Sir Robert Muldoon lost power 24 years ago.

"I don't believe there's anyone in the National Party strong enough to lead the country," says Russell McAlees, 57, a lifetime National voter, who with his wife, Helen, bought the Houhora Tavern, north of Kaitaia, five years ago.

"I didn't like Don Brash any better. I liked Muldoon back in his day. You need someone strong in those parties. Helen Clark is strong, but she's led by the Green Party."

Mrs McAlees, 59, has come from the Labour side of the fence. She is worried about crime, healthcare and roads and would be ready to change this time - but is also perplexed by the lack of leadership.

"I went Labour all the time but I don't know - I don't like the leader of National," she says. "It reminds me of a kindergarten class; it's not even like an adult scene. It's just not right."

From Houhora to Invercargill, this survey found most older voters are secure, and not as concerned as their children and grandchildren about rising living costs, taxes or welfare bills.

But they are concerned about hospital waiting lists. As 65-year-old Trish Brett of New Plymouth put it: "There's something wrong when people can win $5-6 million in Lotto and on the other side of things people are dying because they're not getting the proper care."

But one of the main issues worrying the grandparents is what they see as a declining standard of political behaviour.

Their main evidence is the effort MPs devoted during the survey period (September 2 to 21) to investigating donations to NZ First leader Winston Peters and his party.

Christchurch music suppliers Murray and Ngaire Lennox, both 67, say people are "fed up with the shenanigans".

"It's a great country, and we had a community choir festival at the weekend in which we sang a song I wrote two or three years back, This is Our Land", Mr Lennox says. "People think we have got a great country, but if only they could clean up their political act."

The Peters affair is driving away some former Labour voters, such as New Plymouth school hostel matron Kay Death, 52.

"I'm thinking of not voting," she says. "I can't be bothered with them."

Former Labour-voting Foxton housewife Betty Cole, about 60, says: "After this Winston Peters debacle it's definitely time for a change. I hope National will bring stability."