The latest 1News Verian Poll will be released tonight – and it’s bound to get tongues wagging.
The poll’s results will be revealed on 1News at 6pm on TVNZ1 and online at 1News.co.nz at the same time.
The last poll in February saw a plunge for Labour leader Chris Hipkins in the preferred prime minister stakes, dropping 10 points to 15%.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon remained steady on 25%, but it appeared the Government had missed out on any chance of a post-election honeymoon bump, with its party vote lifting 1% to 38%, while Labour remained steady on 28%. The Greens dropped 2% to 12%, as did ACT – by 1% – to 8%. New Zealand First was steady on 6% and Te Pāti Māori lifted 2% to 4% – its highest level of support since March 2017.
Political Editor Maiki Sherman sets the scene for the latest poll numbers.
February’s poll results suggested Labour would gain one seat if an election were held at the time, while ACT and New Zealand First would lose one seat each. With National’s seats remaining the same under the poll – 48 – it meant the coalition Government would still have a majority in the House of 65 seats instead of its current 67.
The so-called left bloc – Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori – the latter rejects the term “left” – would only have 56 seats under the poll’s numbers – not enough to form a government, in February’s poll.
In the lead up to tonight’s poll, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters gave a state of the nation speech in which he compared co-governance to Nazi Germany, and another at the UN criticising its security council for their use of veto powers and its failure to act decisively in Gaza.
Public submissions for the Government’s controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill also closed while debate raged.
On April 14, Luxon travelled to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines on an official visit aimed at strengthening business ties.
Discussion of cuts to the public service has also proliferated in recent weeks, as departments look to cut costs at the behest of the Government.
