M.P. Bet Bottom Dollar —and Lost It (Press, 30 September 1985)

On 30 September 1985, Graeme Lee, the National MP for Hauraki, engaged in a wager regarding a telephone survey conducted by Waikato University social scientists, which assessed the opinions of Hamilton East voters on an anti-homosexual law reform petition. Lee, who had initially expressed confidence in the overwhelming support for the petition, was surprised to find that only 37 per cent of the electoral roll had signed it, as indicated by the survey results. In contrast, petition organisers claimed that around 97 per cent of voters in the Hamilton East electorate had backed the petition. Despite his initial scepticism, after reviewing the survey data, Lee acknowledged that the research appeared to have been conducted to a professional standard. However, he disagreed with the results and raised concerns about the wording of the survey question: “Did you or did you not sign the petition on homosexual law reform?” He suggested that the phrasing might have caused confusion for some respondents. Lee pointed out that the existence of a competing pro-reform petition in Hamilton could have further muddled the responses, leading to misunderstandings among voters. This situation illustrates the complexities and challenges associated with gauging public opinion on contentious social issues, particularly when multiple petitions are in circulation.

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