May 30, 2008

Budget Fails To Do The Trick For Labour

Well not according to the NZ Herald - DigiPoll

The economy has moved into top spot as the issue most likely to influence voters in this year's election, just nudging out tax cuts, which is the second most important issue.
Labour has moved down one point to 36.2 per cent but National has also moved down fractionally, by 0.6 to 51.5.
The gap between the two main parties has barely budged from last month's poll: 15.3 points, compared with 14.9 last month. National would still be able to govern alone.


The poll indicates that Winston Peters' personal popularlity has almost doubled but unfortunately this doesn't seem to have helped his party much

If anyone received a lift from the Budget, it was New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who claimed significant gains for the elderly.
His personal ratings as preferred prime minister more than doubled to 6.7 per cent.

But that boost has not been replicated in support for his party (1.9 per cent, up 0.4 points).
On those figures, unless Mr Peters won Tauranga or another electorate, NZ First would not make it back into Parliament.