Opinion: Respect for others fading during election

Whether voting for National or Labour, we all want what is best for our country. Photo/file

In five days' time, we will find out who will be running our country for the next three years.

At this point in the race, there's no clear winner. Some polls have National ahead, others Labour and, when you add the minor parties into the mix, it really appears like either major party could form a government.

The suddenly tight race seems to have bought out the worst in many people.

It was once a point of pride among New Zealanders that we would choose who to vote for based on a party's policies rather than which side of the political spectrum the party claimed. It's not unusual to hear of people who have voted for different parties throughout their lifetimes.

This may bethis is the first close race we've had in almost a decade but the amount of hate people have been throwing at those with differing political views seems to have risen exponentially.

I believe it's partly a hangover from the American election. We got caught up in the hype and everyone had a view on whether Hilary Clinton or Donald Trump would be a better president, which then translated into what type of person you supposedly were.

The rhetoric used by American voters is seeping into New Zealand - it's not unusual to hear the very American-sounding insults snowflake, fascist and libtard being bandied around by Kiwis.

The last thing we need in New Zealand is to become partisan like in America, where the party you vote for becomes a part of your intrinsic identity rather than a reasoned choice.

At the end of the day, we all want what is best for our country, regardless of our political views.

We can each have our own beliefs while showing respect for others who think differently.