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CAMPAIGN JOURNAL: Judith Collins wouldn’t say why she prayed while kneeling in a Tāmaki church on Sunday, but it can be assumed that it was for fewer votes for the minor parties on the right.
The faith of national leaders has been something of a revelation in this week’s election campaign.
It came up during the TVNZ debate when she said, “as a Christian, I believe in miracles,” at a Gray Power meeting in Nelson, and on Sunday when she chose to pray before voting.
Collins won’t confirm it but, from the outside, his emphasis on faith appears to be part of a larger strategy to reclaim votes from smaller parties, particularly those to which National supporters may have strayed.
DAVID BLANCO / THINGS
National leader Judith Collins prays before casting her vote at St Thomas Church in St Heliers on Sunday.
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Arriving at St Thomas’ Anglican Church in Tāmaki to cast her vote, early voting opened on Saturday, Collins was invited by Reverend Bob Driver to pray.
Collins, speaking to reporters outside, declined to discuss what he had in mind at church.
“That’s between me and God, actually,” he said.
When asked why he chose to pray in front of the cameras, he said that the media had not been invited, although Collins did not seek privacy as he led the media group into the building and a media manager verified with church staff that Yes it was. It’s okay for the cameras to come in.
DAVID BLANCO / THINGS
Collins confirmed that he voted for the National, End of Life Choice Act and against cannabis reform.
“You didn’t ask if you could come in, but I didn’t want to make a fuss … I feel very comfortable going to church, but I wouldn’t want you not to come to church, because I think it’s a good thing for everyone,” he told reporters.
Collins declined a question about whether he was playing with his faith to attract more Christian voters who may have turned away from National.
“If you look at my keynote speech 18 years ago, you’ll see it right there. I declared that I believed in God. I still do it “.
On Sunday, Collins confirmed that he voted for National, National Tāmaki candidate Simon O’Connor, and for the End of Life Election Act. The law would legalize voluntary euthanasia and some religious groups have fiercely opposed it.
National’s fight to support this choice – the party has stayed near or below the 30 percent mark in polls – has been a boon for smaller parties on the right.
Beyond ACT, which got about 8 percent of the polls, the New Conservatives posted 2 percent in the past month, as high as NZ First, which is in government.
The New Conservatives are a pro-life (or anti-abortion), anti-euthanasia party that emphasizes Christian values and has concerns about New Zealand’s sovereignty.
DAVID BLANCO / THINGS
National has stayed around 30 percent with Judith Collins.
Collins has had no qualms about ruling out working with NZ First and the fringe Advance NZ party after the election. While he didn’t rule out working with the New Conservatives on Sunday, he made it a point to warn voters of the idea.
“I don’t know if they’ll be around. I don’t want to make any assumptions based on that … I think you know we’re just waiting to see how things go,” Collins said.
“We have not seen the New Conservatives or that type of party enter Parliament … in my time in politics, so I’m not sure they are in Parliament and the votes may well be wasted.”
Collins made a similar pitch to voters in Hawke’s Bay on Saturday.
National announced a racing policy, there would be no more government money for the industry, but a review of how they are taxed.
Racing policy has been a distinctive policy of NZ First. The party has introduced reforms while it was in government, but not without frustrating some in the industry.
Was National making a big splash with this policy in an attempt to entice NZ First, a party voters appear to be abandoning?
“No, not really. What I’ve been trying to do, and I did when I was Chancellor of the Exchequer, is to work very hard to try to make sure we have fairer racing tax laws,” Collins said.
But his campaign on Sunday did not go unnoticed by NZ First leader Winston Peters.
On Twitter, he posted a verse from the Bible: “And when you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in synagogues and on street corners to be seen by others … But when you pray, come into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who cannot be seen ”.
