Remember back a couple of weeks? Helen Clark was texting the totally independent Radio NZ political editor Brent Edwards with the great news about the Morgan Poll showing a narrowing in the polls? Well the bad news is that the latest poll shows a widening of the gap and proves the point that Labour really needs to collapse the NZ First vote.
In mid September 2008 the New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows National Party support at 47.5% (up 3%), a lead of 11% (up 4.5%) over the Labour Party 36.5% (down 1.5%) as the 2008 Election campaign begins. If the Election were this weekend the National Party would lead the winning Coalition.
Support for NZ First 5% (up 2.5%) has rebounded after the party funding scandal that engulfed leader Winston Peters while support for the Greens 6.5% (down 1.5%) has fallen back.
Support for the Maori Party was 1.5% (down 2%), ACT NZ 1.5% (unchanged), United Future 0.5% (down 0.5%) and Others 1% (unchanged).
The Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating at 103 points (down 12) has fallen with the calling of the New Zealand Election with 44% (down 6.5%) of New Zealanders saying the country is “heading in the right direction” compared to 41% (up 5.5%) that say the country is “heading in the wrong direction.”
Kiwiblog has a good post which explains the strange NZ First result. We hope NZ first plans on the basis of it having 5%. But we don't believe it for one second.
