23 Jun 2014

Climate change urged as vote swinger

9:10 am on 23 June 2014

A group of non-profit organisations is calling on voters to cast their vote in this year's election according to parties' climate change policies.

The Climate Voter intiative was launched on Sunday and is backed by a number of groups, including Greenpeace, Oxfam and Forest and Bird.

Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Steve Abel said the plan was to ask political parties a series of weekly questions, and hold a debate closer to the election.

Some Green candidates have supported the initiative on social media, but Mr Abel said it was not a campaign for the Green Party in disguise.

A political studies lecturer at Otago University, Bryce Edwards, said people were already drawing links to the Green Party which could be problematic.

"Electoral finance rules are quite tough on this and if a group if really a front group for a political party, those costs of the campaign have to be apportioned to the political party."