The Dominion Post has a front page story on a poll taken on the impact various funding scandals have had on public support for Winston Peters and NZ First
Today's poll for The Dominion Post suggests that the affair has dented Mr Peters' credibility, with 48 per cent of voters believing Prime Minister Helen Clark should stand him down from his ministerial positions over questions surrounding donations to NZ First.
Thirty-seven per cent of voters disagreed, and 15 per cent had no opinion. The findings are more damning when it comes to voters' views on whether NZ First should be involved in discussions after the election about the formation of the next government - just 39 per cent of voters think Labour should do another deal with NZ First, compared with 52 per cent who say no. The result was similar when it came to NZ First doing a deal with National - just 36 per cent said yes, and 54 per cent said no.
Miss Clark has expressed confidence in Mr Peters as her foreign affairs and racing minister and says she has taken him at his word that there was nothing illegal in NZ First's funding arrangements.
A spokeswoman said yesterday that Miss Clark had nothing to add to the "extensive responses" she had made in recent weeks.
"The issue of who will be involved in post-election negotiations will be determined after the election."
