Media release

6 November 2011

RadioLIVE-HorizonPoll: Support for lifting retirement age, close call on KiwiSaver policies

More New Zealanders support raising the age of eligibility for NZ Super from 65 to 67 years old than oppose.

However, it is a close call when people are asked which of the main parties' KiwiSaver policies they support and whether or not the country should borrow to restart contributions to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund.

A November 1-5 RadioLIVE-HorizonPoll of 1,636 adult respondents finds:

44.8% support lifting the age of eligibility for NZ Super from 65 to 67 34% oppose

Weighted by age, gender, personal income, region, ethnicity and party vote 2008 to provide a representative sample of the New Zealand population, the survey's maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level is ± 2.4%.

SUMMARY

Major savings policies

SUPER AGE

44.8% support lifting the age of eligibility for NZ Super from 65 to

67, 34% oppose

KIWISAVER

There is a close call between National and Labour KiwiSaver policies.

51% prefer National's policy to automatically enrol all employees in KiwiSaver, possibly from 2014, and allow them to opt out if they wish

49% prefer Labour's policy to make KiwiSaver compulsory for all employees aged 18-65 from 2014.

35.3% of employers say they won't be able to afford contributions, increasing at 0.5% a year, from 3% to 7%a year over 9 years

37.5% say they can afford it

27.2% are not sure if they can afford it

RESTARTING CULLEN FUND CONTRIBUTIONS

Another near-even result:

36% say re-start the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (Cullen Fund) contributions

35.2% say don't and 28.8% don't know.

It was explained that Labour would need to borrow the money to invest in the Cullen fund, though returns were expected to exceed borrowing costs.

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