(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Public support for incumbent prime minister Helen Clark increased this month in New Zealand, according to a poll by Colmar Brunton released by One News. 31 per cent of respondents would prefer to have the Labour leader as head of government, up four points since June.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Public support for incumbent prime minister Helen Clark increased this month in New Zealand, according to a poll by Colmar Brunton released by One News. 31 per cent of respondents would prefer to have the Labour leader as head of government, up four points since June.
Opposition leader John Key of the National party is still the top candidate at 38 per cent. Current foreign minister Winston Peters of New Zealand First is a distant third, with four per cent.
Clark has acted as New Zealand’s prime minister since December 1999. In November 2006, Don Brash—who had served as National’s leader since October 2003—announced his resignation and was substituted by finance spokesman John Key.
In the September 2005 ballot, Labour elected 50 lawmakers to the 121-seat House of Representatives, and assembled a coalition government with the Progressives. United Future and New Zealand First agreed to support the administration in confidence and supply votes for three years. National finished second, with 48 legislators.
On Jul. 18, Indonesian authorities said that three men convicted for their participation in the 2002 bombing of a night club in Bali would be executed "as soon as possible" after they declined to seek a presidential pardon. The three men have been on death row since their conviction in 2003. Three New Zealanders died in the attack.
On Jul. 21, Clark referred to the upcoming execution, saying, "The New Zealand government does not support the death penalty under any circumstances. Clearly these men are guilty of heinous crimes and those crimes, in any jurisdiction, would justify them (getting) very serious penalties available under law, but the New Zealand government will not and does not support the death penalty."
The next election is expected to take place in September 2008.
Polling Data
Who would you prefer as prime minister?
|
|
Jul. 2008 |
Jun. 2008 |
May 2008 |
|
John Key (Nat.) |
38% |
38% |
36% |
|
Helen Clark (Lab.) |
31% |
27% |
28% |
|
Winston Peters (NZF) |
4% |
4% |
6% |
Source: Colmar Brunton / One News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 New Zealand voters, conducted from Jul. 12 to Jun. 17, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
