(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Just days before New Zealanders go to the ballot box, current prime minister Helen Clark trails opposition leader John Key, according to a poll by Colmar Brunton released by One News. 40 per cent of respondents say National party head Key is the better leader for the country, while 36 per cent think the same of Labour party leader Clark.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Just days before New Zealanders go to the ballot box, current prime minister Helen Clark trails opposition leader John Key, according to a poll by Colmar Brunton released by One News. 40 per cent of respondents say National party head Key is the better leader for the country, while 36 per cent think the same of Labour party leader Clark.
Winston Peters of New Zealand First is a distant third with one 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 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 Nov. 3, Key renewed calls for a change in government, saying, "In the last nine years record numbers of New Zealanders have been leaving, in the last nine years productivity has been halving, in the last nine years a wage gap with Australia has been widening. We have got to have a single focus on growth."
Clark responded to Key, stating, "We face an unprecedented financial crisis in the lifetimes of any of us. What I believe is that we need proven strong leadership and I’ve got a track record of that."
The legislative election will take place on Nov. 8.
Polling Data
Who would you prefer as prime minister?
|
Nov. 5 |
Oct. 16 |
Oct. 9 |
|
|
John Key (Nat.) |
40% |
40% |
39% |
|
Helen Clark (Lab.) |
36% |
34% |
31% |
|
Winston Peters (NZF) |
1% |
2% |
2% |
Source: Colmar Brunton / One News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 New Zealand voters, conducted from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
