John Key. Photo / Sarah Ivey
Asians and other immigrants from beyond the Pacific Islands are swinging to National in this election at twice the rate of any other group.
Results for the immigrant groups are less reliable than the others because this survey found only 35 Pacific voters, and 38 Asians and others,
who have decided on their votes at this stage, compared with 73 Maori and 364 Europeans.
The ethnic classification is somewhat arbitrary, classing people of Indian ethnicity as "Asian" whether they were born in India, Fiji, South Africa or New Zealand.
But the indications are clear. Among the 38 "Asians and others", 21 said they voted Labour last time, and only eight are staying with the party this year - a loss of 62 per cent of the 2005 Labour voters, compared with an average loss across all ethnic groups of 43 per cent.
And 15 (39 per cent) of those 38 Asians and others are voting National for the first time this year.
New National voters make up only 17 per cent of Pacific voters, 16 per cent of Europeans and 10 per cent of Maori.
Their dominant reason for switching is economic. They are working hard, many in their own small businesses, and are paying far more tax here than they paid at home - with much of it going on welfare.
"National is promising to create more jobs and get rid of those lazy buggers that just go on sickness benefits," said Auckland-based Afghan immigrant Hamayun Tajek, 33, who was in Wanganui on a sales trip for his hand-made rug business.
In Albany, Malaysian/Nepalese sales assistant Sandera Pokhrel, 20, said: "The dole and the tax money go to the wrong places. We have overly high tax."
Pacific voters are much more stable - 66 per cent will still give their party votes to Labour.
"I like Labour because they help the Island people," said Lavinia Pese, 37, an Otara mother-of-three.
Mangere MP Taito Phillip Field's new Pacific Party picked up only one party vote in this sample, plus one electorate vote from a woman giving her party vote to Labour.
Two Pacific voters (6 per cent of the total of 35) are supporting the Maori Party. These two, plus three European supporters, make up 19 per cent of the Maori Party's total vote in this survey.
