Issue Watch
Track global public opinion on current issues.
- 2008: Race for the White House
- Abortion
- Africa
- Angela Merkel
- Death Penalty
- Economy and Globalization
- Environment
- European Union
- George W. Bush
- Global Warming
- Gordon Brown
- Hamas
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq War
- Italy Election 2008
- Kevin Rudd
- Latin America
- Nicolas Sarkozy
- North Korea
- Oil and Gas
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Stem Cell Research
- Stephen Harper
- Terrorism
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Democrats
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Republicans
- U.S. Election 2008: The Primaries
- Vladimir Putin
- Yasuo Fukuda
Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
National Gains, Labour Drops in New Zealand
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - New Zealand’s National party remains ahead of all other rivals, according to a poll by Digipoll published in the New Zealand Herald. 52.1 per cent of respondents would back the main opposition party in this year’s election to the House of Representatives.
The governing Labour party is second with 37.2 per cent, followed by the Greens with 5.2 per cent, the Maori Party with 2.9 per cent, and New Zealand First with 1.5 per cent.
Labour leader Helen 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 May 2, Clark announced a national vaccination program aimed at curbing cervical cancer. A government issued communiqué stated: "We also expect to see a reduction in the number of abnormal smear results, which means that fewer women will have to go through the stress of receiving an abnormal smear result, as well as of the extra tests, diagnoses, and invasive procedures which can follow."
The next election is expected to take place in September 2008.
Polling Data
If an election were held today, which party would you vote for?
|
Apr. 2008 |
Mar. 2008 |
Jan. 2008 |
|
|
National |
52.1% |
49.9% |
47.5% |
|
Labour |
37.2% |
39.3% |
38.7% |
|
Greens |
5.2% |
3.9% |
9.1% |
|
Maori Party |
2.9% |
3.7% |
1.0% |
|
New Zealand First |
1.5% |
1.1% |
3.0% |
Source: DigiPoll / New Zealand Herald
Methodology: Interviews to 769 New Zealand eligible voters, conducted from Apr. 5 to Apr. 26, 2008. Margin of error is 3.6 per cent.