(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The governing National party holds a sizeable advantage over its rivals in New Zealand, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 53.5 per cent of respondents would vote for the National in the next legislative election.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The governing National party holds a sizeable advantage over its rivals in New Zealand, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 53.5 per cent of respondents would vote for the National in the next legislative election.
The opposition Labour party is second with 31.5 per cent, followed by the Greens with eight per cent. Support is lower the Maori Party, for New Zealand First, ACT, and the Progressives.
New Zealanders renewed the House of Representatives in November 2008. Final results gave the conservative National party 45.50 per cent of the vote and 59 seats in the 122-member legislature. The Labour party garnered 33.77 per cent of the vote and 43 mandates. The remaining seats went to other parties and independents.
Also in November 2008, National leader John Key formed a government with the support of ACT, United Future and the Maori Party. Helen Clark announced her resignation as Labour leader, and was supplanted by former trade and defence minister Phil Goff.
In April 2009, the Greens and National signed a memorandum of understanding, under which both parties established a "good faith working relationship" with no prerequisite policy commitments.
Earlier this month, Key suggested that the number of government agencies that currently operate in New Zealand might be reduced, saying, "New Zealand looks out of place with other similar countries in terms of the fragmentation of state agencies and the number of agencies. (…) When you have large fragmentation you also have duplication of administrative and back-office support functions."
Polling Data
If an election were held today which party would receive your party vote?
|
|
Feb. 28
|
Jan. 31
|
Jan. 17
|
|
National
|
53.5%
|
52%
|
53%
|
|
Labour
|
31.5%
|
32%
|
30%
|
|
Greens
|
8%
|
6%
|
8%
|
|
Maori Party
|
2.5%
|
3%
|
2.5%
|
|
New Zealand First
|
2%
|
3.5%
|
2.5%
|
|
ACT
|
1.5%
|
2%
|
2%
|
|
Progressives
|
0.5%
|
0.5%
|
0.5%
|
|
United Future
|
–
|
0.5%
|
0.5%
|
Source: Roy Morgan International
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 889 New Zealand voters, conducted from Feb. 15 to Feb. 28, 2010. No margin of error was provided.
