Jennifer Lees-Marshment is the lead academic behind Vote Compass in NZ. She is named on the UN Agency Site UNESCO’s Inclusive Policy Lab. A profile of Expert Jennifer Lees-Marshment. IPL Expert University of Auckland. Expert in political management, political marketing, management of policy in the NZ Government. She describes herself as “A world expert in Political Marketing & Political Management. Produced award winning research on political leadership and public output, interviewing political staffers, from the Prime Ministers officers to identify best practices.Refers to the ‘lessons learned from the 2020 Election-Evidence to Policy Auckland University website. And a webinar on Policy, public opinion and political marketing. (Event Webner 9/12/2021). She has a direct link to the Prime Ministers officers and political staffers.. And named on the UN Agency website of UNESCO as an expert. 5^th September 2023 Auckland University website refers to ‘Online tool aligns voters views with Party Policies. Dept of Politics and Law, Faculty of Arts. Faculty of Science, Election

‘Vote Compass, an interactive online voting advice application tool developed by political scientists that is reported to help voters align themselves with certain political parties, candidates. Vote Compass was also an online voting tool in NZ’s Elections 2014, 2017, 2020 and now is a voting advice tool used in the run up to the 2023 election. Vox Compass is operated by ‘Vox Pop Labs’ in partnership with specific news agencies eg:-Wall St Journal, Vox Media, Canadian & Australian Broadcasting Corporations, France 24, RTL Group and Grupo Globo also TVNZ. Vox Compass is partnering TVNZ.  NZ Government owned and run TVNZ. Vox Pop Labs have connections with Corporations, Academia and Governments, they are totally bias, however they have set themselves up as an online tool to influence voters to vote for mainstream political parties as none of the other minor parties- freedoms parties are mentioned. They are not a influencing option given to the voters of NZ

Vox Compasses advertises itself publicly through TV NZ and other mainstream media and social media in NZ, they tout themselves as ‘NZr’s Get Ready to Ballot Box.“Get Help and Know who to Vote For” and “Vote Compass- can help you to decide which party policies are cut out for your Vote” also  “See how your political beliefs match up to your political parties and candidates”. Vote Compass was developed by Prof Clifton van der Lindon Dept Political Science McMaster University. Vote Compass is in Partnership with TVNZ, NZ Political Scientist as two main universities in NZ, (Auckland and Victoria Universities-tabulated researchers ) and a Data company namely Vox Pop Labs, is also backed by NZ Electoral Commission

Vox Pop Lab online tool engages with the tabulator researchers at Auckland and Victoria University. An online questionnaire gets voters to agree or disagree with 30 statement on various political issues and questions about Questions about Tax, Public Transport, Immigration, Urban Housing, Funding for universities, Taxing the Wealthy and also Hate Speech etc., Included in questions are references to:- to people whom identify as women, but assigned male at birth whether they should be able to compete in women’s sports, also legalizing cannabis, questions on Māori & Pacifica health, Education assessments, Oil and gas exploration, Prison sentences, Youth crime, Treaty of Waitangi and Environmental issues. Questions include “What party are you likely to vote for?. But Vox does not include minor parties in their list of influential advice to voters as responses. All major parties are listed including TOP The Opportunities Party, Labour, Greens, Te Pati Maori, National, ACT. This is a State Voting Tool.

Red flag- TOP Party (Opportunities Party Raj Manji). TOP having 13 Candidates is listed, but NOT New Conservative with 12, Vision with 25, New Zeal 6, Democracy NZ 13 and Outdoors and Freedoms, Loyal, Matt Kings Party, Vision are NOT listed by Vox Pop Labs-Vox Compass Voting Tool as parties to vote for. This is all endorsed and backed by the Electoral Commission as a way of driving voter engagement, delivered in Association with TV NZ Government owned and Auckland & Victoria University. One News publicly advertises, promotes this. Some of the questions asked by Vox Compass Public Voting Tool to voters are:- What party are you likely to vote for”? Vox Compass have the party list preplanned, lined up, all the major parties and TOP, yet ‘Freedoms NZ is polling higher than TOP (Opportunities Party). Yet TVNZ are promoting TOP (Opportunities Party). None of the other parties are listed such as Democracy NZ , Loyal Vision, any Freedoms NZ Parties, those parties under the Freedoms Umbrella. All backed, promoted, influenced by the Electoral Commission. So blatantly undemocratic.

Auckland academic, her name documented by an UN agency UNESCO, has direct communicative contact with the Prime Ministers officers and other official parliamentary staffers- The lead academic from Auckland University Jennifer Lees-Marshment and her team of academic advisors, researchers, tabulators. Leading Vox Compass Online Voting Tool in NZ lead up to the 2023 General Election. Vox Compass advertised by the Government owned Media and other Social Media.. Dr Lees- Marshment reported that Vote Compass has proved highly popular attracting over a million users combined in the 2014, 2017 and 2020 elections.  Saying “Voters can now go on the 1News website and answer questions about issues such as crime, health care, the economy, housing, education and the environment, and find out how closely various parties align with their views.” And it also offers extra information on party political positions, another influencing bias, no minor parties accept for TOP listed.

Marshment states that “she believes her team, which includes Dr Danny Osborne in Psychology and other colleagues at Victoria University work hard to reflect voters concerns. We are careful to point out current issues. Saying “ it’s all about connecting the fast paced, instant medium of TV (TVNZ Government owned and influencing Voters). A more reflective academic world to provide a high quality service for the public. Vote Compass directly engages with the public in thinking about policy and politics. She believes this is “Good for Democracy”. And “Its much easier for the public to explore party policies, for TVNZ reports the results of surveys which elevate voters perspectives in the electoral campaign”. Vote Compass initially created and managed by Canadian Political scientists, run in conjunction with a media sponsor, academic based in whatever country is using it.

Jennifer Lees-Marshment introduced Vote Compass to NZ from Canada in 2014 as a joint venture between academia and TVNZ for the election that year, and have used this online voting tool every election since. (TVNZ Government owned). She is the lead academic advisor to the government owned TVNZ’s Vote Compass. Promoted, backed, influenced by the government. Hugely undemocratic yet backed by the NZ Electoral Commission

LINKS:

https://informedfutures.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Political-Marketing-Management-in-the-2020-New-Zealand-General-Election.pdf 41 pages POLITICAL MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT IN THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION: KEY FINDINGS AND ADVICE FOR FUTURE PRACTICE Dr Edward Elder and Associate Professor Jennifer LeesMarshment December 2021

https://informedfutures.org/policy-public-opinion-and-political-marketing/

https://en.unesco.org/inclusivepolicylab/users/jennifer-lees-marshment

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/09/05/online-tool-aligns-voters-views-with-party-policies.html

https://leesmarshment.wordpress.com/

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/09/05/online-tool-aligns-voters-views-with-party-policies.html