Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Labour Recovers Ahead of New Zealand Vote

September 08, 2008

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The governing Labour party is gaining momentum ahead of a legislative ballot in New Zealand, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 44.5 per cent of respondents would support the opposition National party in November’s election, while 38 per cent would vote for Labour.

Support for the conservative National fell by 3.5 points since early August, while backing for Labour increased by four points.

The Greens are third with eight per cent, followed by the Maori Party with 3.6 per cent, New Zealand First with 2.5 per cent, ACT with 1.5 per cent, and United Future with one 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.

Key worked as an investment banker for years before becoming the head of the National party. On Sept. 1, the opposition leader acknowledged his inexperience and compared himself to Barack Obama—the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in the United States—who has only served in federal public office for four years. Key declared: "I’m a bit like Obama. I am not institutionalized in Wellington [the country’s capital]. I had 18 years in the commercial world and I will be quite pragmatic."

The next legislative election must take place by Nov. 15.

Polling Data

If an election were held today which party would receive your party vote?

 

Aug. 31

Aug. 10

Jul. 27

National

44.5%

48%

47.5%

Labour

38%

34%

32.5%

Greens

8%

7.5%

8%

Maori Party

3.5%

2%

3%

New Zealand First

2.5%

6.5%

5%

ACT

1.5%

1.5%

2.5%

United Future

1%

--

0.5%

Progressives

--

--

--

Source: Roy Morgan International
Methodology: Interviews with 836 New Zealand voters, conducted from Aug. 18 to Aug. 31, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

 

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