Limited Support for Govt Funding of Future America’s Cup Bid

18 October 2013

Limited Support for Govt Funding of Future America’s Cup Bid

A poll released today by UMR Research shows that, while New Zealanders are comfortable with government funding of the 2013 challenge, they’re less supportive of government funding for any future America’s Cup challenge.

• 56% approve of the government funding the 2013 challenge, with 37% disapproving and 7% unsure

• 41% say that they would approve of the government putting up the same amount of money again to fund a future challenge, with 48% disapproving and 10% unsure.

The poll also shows that:

• Wellingtonians are substantially less positive, with 42% supporting the 2013 funding and 28% in favour of future funding.

• Amongst National voters, 71% approve of the 2013 funding and 51% support future funding.

• Amongst Labour voters, 42% approve of the 2013 funding and 39% support future funding.

• Amongst Green voters, 38% approve of the 2013 funding and 25% support future funding.

UMR Research Director Gavin White said, “we would normally expect support for future funding to decline as the excitement of the 2013 event fades from memory. If the government does eventually formally commit to funding a future bid, it could be doing so in the face of majority opposition from the public.”

Results are from questions included in the UMR Online Omnibus Survey which was conducted 24 September to 10 October 2013. It has a nationally representative sample of 1,000 New Zealanders 18 years and over. The margin of error for a 50% figure at the ‘95% confidence level’ is +/- 3.1%.

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