Latest political polling paints a concerning picture for the National Party, with it slipping to 28.4% support in the March Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll.
It comes as rumours circulate around political circles about leadership speculation in the party.
It gives the left-block a projected 61 seats if the results were to be reflected at the election, which is just enough to take power, against the right-bloc's 59 seats.
The poll suggested Labour support of decided voters was at 34.4%, up 0.3 percentage points and National was down 2.9 percentage points to 28.4%.
The Green Party was at 10.5%, while NZ First dropped 0.8 percentage points to 9.7% and ACT rose by the same percentage points to 7.5%.
Te Pati Māori was at 3.2% and 'other' was at 6.2%. Of those asked, 5.1% were undecided.
Translated to seats in Parliament, Labour had 44, National 36, the Green Party and NZ First both had 13, ACT had 10 and Te Pati Māori had 4.
For preferred PM, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was up 4.7 percentage points to 22.7% and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was down 1 percentage point to 21%.
The poll was taken between March 1-3 of 1000 New Zealanders and weighted to the adult population. The maximum margin of error was +/- 3.1%.
17 Comments
It's around 8 months until the election.
That's a long time in politics, particularly considering the report on the government response to COVID will land before then.
That said, listening to RNZ journos get their undies in a bunch over the poll is kind of weirdly entertaining.
Most people are tired of reports on Covid. We've moved on.
Hear hear, leave it alone! And also leave Adern alone while they're at it! No wonder she doesn't want to live in NZ.
🥂🇦🇺
So, nothing new for the public to learn about what happened, and the response to events?
The enquiries made so far have essentially been made in camera, without the responsibile ministers publicly fronting.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/569906/coalition-parties-slam-form…
Does this mean swing voters will move to the left again at the next election?
With the pre-existing complaints about how Labour handled the end of the Covid epidemic (and gender identity related actions), I'd suggest voters just won't turn out at all.
Opportunities Party need to change their name again to The Other Party. They'd be over 6% already according to this poll.
I'll vote OP. Time has come to try something new. The current bunch are hopeless. The OP cannot possibly be worse
Yes, seems like a good time to introduce some innovative thinking into parliament.
The latest Roy Morgan poll, published on 3 March:
'A further 4.5% (up 0.5% points) of electors supported a minor party outside Parliament. This includes 4% (up 1.5% points) who support The Opportunities Party (T.O.P.) and a further 0.5% (down 1% point) who support other minor parties including the NewZeal, NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party (NZOFP), Vision NZ,
Conservative Party NZ, Women’s Right’s Party and the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party.'
That gives TOP nearly 90% of the 'Other' vote. If they score a similar proportion of the 6.2% 'Other' in the Taxpayers Union Curia poll they're looking at 5.5% support, which were it to hold on voting day would put them in Parliament with six seats.
Many people will feel much more comfortable at the prospect of a Labour-Greens-Opportunity government than one that included Te Paati Māori.
Their new leader was on 7 days. She seemed quite good, could be a vote winner if she can get some publicity.
Luxon has no need to worry....he's sorted he tells us.
What he'd say to you is..."Byeee!"
Can't be far from the point where Luxon needs to jump ship before the election - both for himself and for the benefit of the party.
If we spend too much time discussing if he is the right pm, then he is not the right pm.
And obviously the nation too. It really cannot be ignored that he is not cut out for politics and what prompted him to think, after not even one term, that he would be a fit a for prime ministership is quite baffling. Underneath it all it suggests that the move was sincere and well intended which in a sad sort of way echoes the path and the fate of Todd Muller.
Every 3 years a parade of barely educated clowns tries to convince us they're not clowns!
🤡
And with MMP each side is a three-ring circus
Lol...tres bon.
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