Poll Shows Gap Between Main Parties Closing

Labour has been given a message by the latest TV3 C.M Research Poll. It needs the Green Party in Parliament to become Government. And National is short of gaining a majority as ACT lags in the polls. The gap between the two major parties is closing. Labour has 40% of the Party List vote, National 36%, Alliance 8%, ACT 7%, New Zealand First 4%.

New Zealand First needs Winston Peters to win the Tauranga seat if it is to gain
representation in Parliament.

The poll gives Labour 49 seats in Parliament, Alliance 10 seats, Greens 2 seats [if it wins a constituency seat] New Zealand First 5 seats [if it wins a constituency seat],United 1 seat, National 45 seats, ACT 9 seats.
Labour needs the Alliance and the Greens to govern. National, ACT and United can
only make it to 55 seats and would need New Zealand First to get to the required 60 seats to form a colaition Government. But there is a problem here; ACT’s Richard Prebble refuses to work with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

In the preferred Prime Minister stakes Jenny Shipley is ahead on 23% [up 3%], Helen Clark is on 20% up 2%.

The poll shows Mrs Shipley gaining in popularity, an expected phenomenon post the APEC leader’s summit and her stance on the East Timor crisis. However, 55% of pollsters thought she was out of touch, compared to 26% waving the finger at Helen Clark.

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