New Zealand’s ruling coalition leads poll two months ahead of election
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The survey ahead of the Nov 7 ballot shows both major parties – National and Labour – struggling to win over voters.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- New Zealand’s ruling three-party coalition is set to win a second term, holding 64 seats in Parliament according to a recent opinion poll.
- The National Party’s support dropped to 29%, while smaller parties ACT rose to 10.5% and NZ First fell to 8.4%.
- Both major parties struggle to attract voters amid economic concerns, boosting smaller parties like the Greens at 13.9%, influencing government formation ahead of the November election.
AI generated
WELLINGTON – New Zealand’s three-party ruling coalition is on course to win a second term in office at a general election due in two months, according to a new opinion poll.
Support for the centre-right National Party, which has endured a tumultuous few weeks involving an unsuccessful leadership challenge against Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, slid 2 percentage points to 29 per cent, the Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll showed on Sept 7.
The coalition’s two smaller parties moved in opposite directions.
The populist New Zealand First fell 0.7 percentage point to 8.4 per cent, while the libertarian ACT Party rose 3.2 percentage points to 10.5 per cent.
Taken together, the three parties would hold 64 seats in the 120-member Parliament, meaning they would be able to form a government.
The poll, which surveyed 1,000 people last week, found the opposition Labour Party fell 1.9 percentage points to 25.9 per cent – its weakest result in more than two years.
The survey ahead of the Nov 7 ballot shows both major parties – National and Labour – struggling to win over voters.
National has lost support as high living costs and rising interest rates erode its credibility on the economy after pledging to revive growth, while Labour has failed to persuade voters that it offers a compelling alternative.
That disillusionment is driving voters to smaller parties, which could play an outsized role in deciding who forms a government.
The Sept 7 poll showed the Greens gained 3.8 percentage points to 13.9 per cent.
The centrist Opportunity Party, which has registered as high as 9.5 per cent in other polls, drew just 4.5 per cent – below the 5 per cent threshold needed to enter Parliament. BLOOMBERG
