ANALYSIS: Political hopefuls peddling conspiracy theories have been rejected by New Zealand voters. PHIL JOHNSON/Stuff Billy Te Kahika at a protest in Auckland’s Aotea Square in September 2020. The New Zealand Public Party, Advance NZ, Vision New Zealand and the New Conservative Party all used misinformation and/or divisive far-right rhetoric throughout their 2020 election campaigns. University of Kent professor of social psychology, and a leading researcher on belief in conspiracy theories, Karen Douglas said one of the key drivers of belief in conspiracy theories was a lack of trust in authorities. When leaders were viewed as conspiring or hiding information from the public, it was fertile ground for conspiracy theories, Douglas said.

Source: Stuff October 20, 2020 19:18 UTC