3News Poll: National Lose Lead

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 pm, July 26th, 2015 - 109 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, john key, labour, national, political parties, Politics, polls, winston peters - Tags: , ,

Tonight’s 3News/Reid research poll sees National and its franchises one seat behind the combined opposition. Labour could take over with support from the Greens and New Zealand First.

Good news for Colin Craig; his party is still more popular than ACT, the Maori Party and Peter Dunne!

Polling on foreign ownership of our housing stock is a clear winner for Labour, with 61% saying sales should be banned. Key needs to move fast or this issue will sink him.

Full results:

3 News/Reid Research poll, July 15-22, 1000 voters
Margin of error: +/-3.1 percent

Party standings

National – 47 percent, up 0.6 percent (on last poll in May)
Labour – 31.1 percent, up 0.7 percent
Greens – 11.4 percent, up 0.3 percent
NZ First – 8.4 percent, up 0.3 percent
Conservative – 0.7, down 1.2 percent
Maori Party – 0.6 percent, down 0.5 percent
ACT – 0.5 percent, no change
UF – 0.1 percent

Seats in house

121-seat Parliament

National – 57
ACT – 1
United Future – 1
Maori Party – 1
Right – 60

Labour – 37
Green – 14

New Zealand First – 10

Opposition – 61

Preferred PM

John Key – 38.3 percent (down 1.1)
Winston Peters – 11.3 percent (up 0.1)
Andrew Little – 10.2 percent (down 1.4)

Foreign buyers

Should the Government should ban “foreign buyers”, people who are not residents or citizens, from buying houses?

Yes – 61 percent
No – 35 percent
Don’t Know – 4 percent

National voters

Yes – 54 percent
No – 43 percent
Don’t know – 3 percent

109 comments on “3News Poll: National Lose Lead ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Sacha 1
    26 July 2015 at 6:58 pm

    Time for Labour to show it can work cooperatively with the Greens and Winston.

    • BM 1.1
      26 July 2015 at 7:02 pm

      Winston won’t work with the Greens and there’s nothing labour can do about it.

      End of story.

      Continuation of story:

      MMP in NZ works when there’s either one major party and a combination of minor parties that make up the numbers, like we’re currently got.
      It works because everyone knows their roles and positions.

      The other one is one a major party and one medium sized party
      eg: Labour and the greens or National and NZ first.

      What will not work is one major party and 2 medium size party’s, they’ll just clash endlessly and struggle to work together.

      Disagreement and positioning for the number 2 position makes a Labour/Greens/NZ first coalition unworkable.

      • te reo putake 1.1.1
        26 July 2015 at 7:12 pm

        Says who? Any number of possibilities are available to Labour now. And it’s out of Key’s hands on these numbers. Do you remember election day last year when Key was crowing about an absolute majority? Seems such a long time ago now, doesn’t it?

        • BM 1.1.1.1
          26 July 2015 at 7:37 pm

          Sez me.

          Key 3 : other side :0

          I think Key has one more in him, Angry can have a go in 2020……. if he’s still around.

          • te reo putake 1.1.1.1.1
            26 July 2015 at 7:48 pm

            Actually, it’s 3 all this century. And Key looks less and less like someone who’s got a fourth in him. Or, more importantly, less like someone who deserves another term.

            • BM 1.1.1.1.1.1
              26 July 2015 at 7:53 pm

              If Labour wants to win the next election they need to kill off either the Greens or NZ first.

              Too many chefs spoil the broth.

              • te reo putake …
                26 July 2015 at 7:57 pm

                We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, eh? I reckon the Greens are ready to be in Government and Winston is ready to let them. But a Lab/NZF govt with confidence from the Greens would be fine by me. Or the other way round. Or all three in it together. It’s all good.

                • Robert Atack …
                  26 July 2015 at 9:10 pm

                  Once the general Green voter understands the Greens are for financing the collapse of everything they are supposed to stand for, via their continued support of Kiwi Saver, BAU, growth. Their voter base will desert them …. probably by giving up on politicians and their continued delusional dreams and bullshit.
                  The next few months sample of run away climate change might wake a few more up?
                  Ice free Arctic anyone? … or near as dammit 😉

                  • Hanswurst …
                    27 July 2015 at 4:56 am

                    Once the general Green voter understands the Greens are for financing the collapse of everything they are supposed to stand for, via their continued support of Kiwi Saver, BAU, growth. Their voter base will desert them ….

                    You’ve got it arse-backwards, I think. The average Green voter will only vote for the Greens as long as they back those things.

              • Clemgeopin …
                27 July 2015 at 1:25 am

                Yeah? What about Nat+Act+Dunne+Maori…Bloody hell, That is 4 !

                and you are complaining about Lab+grn+NZF, which is 3?

            • CnrJoe 1.1.1.1.1.2
              26 July 2015 at 9:05 pm

              who the fuck wants a ponytail stalking creep as P.M. Who?

              goes to ‘character’. ‘Honest’ John and all..

          • Paul 1.1.1.1.2
            26 July 2015 at 7:55 pm

            Name calling – the debating technique of those with no reasoned argument.

          • irascible 1.1.1.1.3
            26 July 2015 at 8:17 pm

            Key’s Kronies are increasingly looking to be arrogant, out of touch, and insensitive which is the traditional road for National Party disaster. Key is increasingly ready to hurry off to his true home in Hawaii inbetween bouts of residing on Planet Key to brief Bennett and company on the practice of putting the boot into the working New Zealander. Hardly a recipe for a fourth term.

      • leftie 1.1.2
        26 July 2015 at 8:40 pm

        @BM

        I think you are very wrong.

    • Anne 1.2
      26 July 2015 at 7:12 pm

      Agree with Sacha but it’s also time for both the Greens and Winston to indicate they can work cooperatively with the Labour Party!

      I have one criticism of Andrew Little. He needs to urgently take professional advice on how to project his voice when talking into microphones and to the media on his phone. He has a soft voice which makes it hard to hear what he is saying. Compare his voice to John Key, Winston Peters , and the Green Party co-leaders and their words are loud and clear. Andrew Little… not so much. It might account for some of his relatively low personal ratings. People can’t quite hear him.

      • Karen 1.2.1
        26 July 2015 at 7:34 pm

        I agree, Anne.

        I have been waiting for someone to do something about this ever since he became leader. Needs much more volume and definition.

        • Anne 1.2.1.1
          26 July 2015 at 7:42 pm

          Glad I’m not the only one who thinks so Karen. te reo putake, you have close contacts to the upper echelons of the party… could you get the word through to Matt McCarten or someone saspo?

          • te reo putake 1.2.1.1.1
            26 July 2015 at 8:07 pm

            I’ll pass it on, Anne! Last week I was at a meeting where Andrew’s dress sense came under some scrutiny. Seemed funny at the time, but it’s all part of how people perceive him. And anything that improves people’s perceptions of him or helps get the message across is good intel.

          • ScottGN 1.2.1.1.2
            27 July 2015 at 6:34 pm

            You never know Anne, The Standard has reach. I remember some years ago when Little was on telly opining as the Shadow spokesperson for something-or-other and I posted on here, “Would somebody get that man a new set of spectacles!” (he was wearing his old bent metal frames). And, Lo it was done.

        • Ffloyd 1.2.1.2
          27 July 2015 at 1:25 pm

          You mean like. “CUT THE CRAP!!!”

      • sabine 1.2.2
        26 July 2015 at 7:40 pm

        The issue labour has is quite simple actually. They get rubbished by pretty much anyone on the left side of the ailes for not being forcefull and agry enough, for not being as hard as national, for not being green enough, for not being this and being that.

        I guess the left that wants to rubbish labour should maybe be quiet for a moment and then they could here the one with the soft voice instead of only the ones that speak forcefully or are shouty.

        Frankly, the voters of the left need to understand that if they don’t unite they will not win. That counts equal for the Greens as it does for Labour, and NZ First should align itself with the ones that will advance their agenda.
        At them moment everyone is ewww…..you are not pure of heart and I will take my marbles and not play with you until you are….and btw, it is I who decides is you are pure enough of me.
        Pragmatism is lost on them, despite the fact that the future is lost on all of us.

        • Anne 1.2.2.1
          26 July 2015 at 7:49 pm

          Agree sabine. You put it more forcefully than me. Although I do have my moments. 🙂

          • sabine 1.2.2.1.1
            26 July 2015 at 7:52 pm

            i had two little girls comes to my shop.
            they come every now and then for a fluffy. one is 5/6 and the other is somewhere around 10 i would guess.
            This time they came straight after school. No shoes either one of them, jackets that were way to big on them, but at least they are jackets.
            Can we share a fluffy in two cups Miss, cause we only have 1 dollar.
            that was probably the only hot milk they got for the day.

            fuck it. We are not forcefull enough.

            • BM 1.2.2.1.1.1
              26 July 2015 at 7:56 pm

              Report their parents to Cyfs.

              • marty mars …
                26 July 2015 at 8:06 pm

                for what bm? True colours showing there with your comment bm – not like you to let your ugly side out.

                • BM …
                  26 July 2015 at 8:16 pm

                  He’s obviously concerned about the kids welfare, Mum or Mum and Dad might be struggling a bit and need a hand.
                  Isn’t that what Cyfs is all about. ?

              • sabine …
                26 July 2015 at 8:16 pm

                you should try and find some loving. I think it would make you a nicer person.
                Really. There is not enough joy and happiness in your life if this is your only reaction.

              • rational thinker …
                26 July 2015 at 8:20 pm

                And say what the country’s so fucked that the middle class are struggling to provide for their family’s. That’s without talking about our lower economic group. FOOD SHELTER and CLOTHING are the basic necessities of life. Lets borrow 2 billion dollars to give the top ten percent a tax break while our children starve and go without clothing!! I don’t give a fuck if their parents abuse drugs, smoke cigarettes or whatever lame fucking excuses people try to fly. If their family’s cant provide for them then we need to take action as a society to make sure the children of this country have warm clothes and full belly’s when they go to bed. social coupons or whatever means necessary. Just because some family’s don’t have the money to provide or are so stressed by their situation in life because this country’s gone to the dogs doesn’t mean they don’t love their kids or cyfs should be anywhere near their kids

              • Tricledrown …
                27 July 2015 at 1:08 am

                What will cyf do BM bring their underfunded circus in and make things worse.
                Cyf has been continually underfunded after working voluntarily at the coal face for 30 years CYF have gone from very poor to very bad to totaly dysfunctional.
                Continual reductions in budgets over the years has left CYF completely ineffectual.
                The Case load per worker is Ten times what should be.
                Temporary foster and permanent foster families don’t want to take on the children anymore because the funding per child hasn’t changed in 30 years over the years many of these foster families have abused the children worse than the homes they came from that is still going on and the councilling and support services for the vulnerable and permanently damaged children is almost non existent.
                And those who are still doing councilling don’t spend enough time with each child are not up to the job in most cases or as we have seen end up abusing these children.
                So BM there’s your simplistic answer to the problem

        • Saarbo 1.2.2.2
          26 July 2015 at 8:03 pm

          @sabine 1.2.2

          +1

        • Grant 1.2.2.3
          26 July 2015 at 8:21 pm

          Well said Sabine. Social Conscience works for me too!
          Everyone loves the nature doco’s? Watching how successful species are generally gregarious and form social groups with the strong protecting the weak? Even National Geographic programmes show early tribal tendencies to resource sharing. It’s a natural instinct for us as a species to resource share and look after those that are weaker. So how come National Party supporters haven’t got that figured out yet? Without sharing, society collapses under the weight of greedy demands.

        • Jenny Kirk 1.2.2.4
          26 July 2015 at 10:13 pm

          totally +100% with you on this one too, Sabine. You’re talking a lot of sense.
          Hope some people listen or hear it .

        • whateva next? 1.2.2.5
          27 July 2015 at 7:43 am

          absobloodylutely Sabine, I couldn’t agree more. National/MSM are very good at creating division, but by crikey we fall for it every time!

      • Sacha 1.2.3
        26 July 2015 at 11:40 pm

        Anne, the Greens have always said they can work with Labour. That’s not where the problem lies in that relationship.

        Winston will never tell anyone who he can work with, but negotiating common practical initiiatives like the manufacturing inquiry is the sort of thing that voters will notice.

    • Chooky 1.3
      27 July 2015 at 9:02 am

      +100 Sacha…but can the Greens work cooperatively with Labour and NZF?

      • Sacha 1.3.1
        27 July 2015 at 10:31 am

        Why would you question the former? And I doubt whether many politicians could promise they can work cooperatively with Winston so both Labour and the Greens have a challenge there. Better start showing us some evidence that they’re trying.

        • Chooky 1.3.1.1
          27 July 2015 at 11:10 am

          OK if you want me to spell it out…

          imo the Greens brought down the Clark Labour govt by shitting on Winston from a great height as being “untrustworthy” over the Glenn affair 3 days out from a General Election…they chaired the committee overhearing evidence against Peters( certain political scientists also remarked on this…Peters lost that Election by a whisker ….and so did Labour which was depending on him for a coalition)

          …..also the Greens have recently shat on Labour’s legitimate concern about massive buy ups of Auckland properties by accusing Labour of “crude racial profiling”…not helpful from a potential coalition partner

          ….and then there were the media reports just before the last Election …not countered by the Green leadership ,….that they could form a coalition with jonkey Nactional… lost them a lot of votes

          …you also get continued sniping from certain Greens on this site against Winston Peters…as being untrustworthy and the rightful coalition partner of Nactional….not helpful imo…and playing into the framing and hands of the Nacts

          ( btw…i say this as a long time Green supporter)

          • Sacha 1.3.1.1.1
            27 July 2015 at 11:51 am

            Thanks. Interesting.

          • Visubversa 1.3.1.1.2
            27 July 2015 at 12:26 pm

            Add to that the experience with the Green Party when they do actually co-operate with Labour at the Local Body level. In the old Auckland City, there is City Vision which is a joint Labour/Green ticket which also attracts some non-aligned progressive people as well. It has been going since 1998 and generally ha worked very well. However, on two occasions, the Green Party supported some of its members who stood against the endorsed City Vision team. Once was in 2001 when 2 Green candidates and an “independent” Green ensured that Banks had a C&R majority to sell the airport shares and the pensioner housing and bring in the Birch Report. More recently, a group of Green Party members calling themselves “Liveable Communities” also stood.
            Labour in Auckland has acted to suspend the membership of someone who stood for selection and then stood against the team. What did the Greens do?

  2. G C 2
    26 July 2015 at 7:04 pm

    Good news for Labour, hopefully they can gain even more traction. National is masterful at responding to polling with ad hox policy though. I’ll wait with interest for the next poll results 🙂

  3. Draco T Bastard 3
    26 July 2015 at 7:06 pm

    Should the Government should ban “foreign buyers”, people who are not residents or citizens, from buying houses?

    That is actually support for a complete ban and not Labour’s well, we’ll put in some restrictions. Labour need to wise up to this as well as the rest of the Left parties.

    Of course, Kiwis have never supported foreign ownership. This was obvious back in the 1980s and probably earlier. Really, nothings changed in that respect. The only reason why we have foreign ownership at all is because of governments passing legislation that the people didn’t support.

    • G C 3.1
      26 July 2015 at 7:16 pm

      Totally agree ‘Draco T Bastard ‘ regarding houses anyway. Farmlands and the like could be leased but I’m sure you’re in agreement with that.

      I don’t understand why National are still behind the proverbial ‘8 ball’ on this one – very suspicious. Their ideology often seem devoid of the knowledge of human nature/greed.

      • sabine 3.1.1
        26 July 2015 at 7:36 pm

        their ideology is driven by the knowledge of human nature and greed especially their human nature and their greed.

        the article in the NZ Herald yesterday about two chinese Hong Kong Based student with a major share in Mega – Dot Com anyone? (now sold) and several million dollar houses in the rich suburb (now sold for a tidy profit) and several acres of Land – still on sale……and the 370.000$ donation to National over a few years is case in point.

    • Chooky 3.2
      27 July 2015 at 9:04 am

      +100 DTB

    • Colonial Viper 3.3
      27 July 2015 at 11:17 am

      let’s get serious about this DTB – give foreign owners of NZ land 5 years to fully divest their holdings to make them available for Kiwis again.

  4. ScottGN 4
    26 July 2015 at 7:43 pm

    Gee Key’s Preferred PM rating has really started to tumble, it’s down to 38.3% on this poll? That’s got to be a concern for National.

  5. Paul 5
    26 July 2015 at 7:51 pm

    If Labour want more votes, they need socialist policies.
    Jeremy Corbyn inspiring voters in the UK.
    And scaring the elite and its mouthpieces in the media.

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/23/jeremy-corbyn-understand-labour-new-members-change-party-fortunes

  6. tangled_up 6
    26 July 2015 at 8:11 pm

    combined opposition

    I’ve seen this a few times recently. Does not being in government automatically make NZF part of the opposition? Can you sit on the cross benches and be part of the opposition?

  7. McGrath 7
    26 July 2015 at 8:14 pm

    I don’t see this as a win for Labour. Targeting Chinese had essentially no effect on the polls, if anything it’s dropped Andrew Little’s popularity slightly.

    We’re essentially back to the state of play before the last election where Winston First held the balance of power, just before KDC and Dirty Politics blew it for the opposition.

    • rational thinker 7.1
      26 July 2015 at 8:54 pm

      I don’t think it was dot com or dirty politics that blew it for the left. Part of the problem is politics has become a popularity competition. Id hedge my bets that if Ritchie macaw ran for Christchurch electorate with no policies he would still win. Cunliffe just wasn’t up to the task. Poor voter turnout shows no confidence in our current selection of parties. If you didn’t have a problem with the information that nicky hager bought to the table your moral compass has no direction as far as im concerned. There is more than enough people in the didn’t vote bracket to push the opposition over the line. Get their attention and have a landslide victory . 1984 the year david lange won 93.7 percent turnout vs 2014 77 percent turnout. have someone of the same substance as lange running and you got yourself a win.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.2
      26 July 2015 at 9:57 pm

      Dirty Politics is what National did and thus the only party that Dirty Politics could have blown anything for was National. Unfortunately for NZ it was too late in the electoral cycle to really allow people to get their heads around the fact that National is totally corrupt.

  8. Facetious 8
    26 July 2015 at 8:24 pm

    It is not a win for Labour. Peters hates the Greens and will never strike a deal with Labour if the Greens are behind.

  9. Wayne 9
    26 July 2015 at 8:27 pm

    Well, It is clear on these results (and many others) that Winston decides. But actually so do the Greens, if they want to. They do not need to be the permanent appendage of Labour.

    Hard to say which way Winston will go. My view is that if the Nats are close to a majority, as in this poll, he will go with the Nats. But his price will be high.

    If the gap is much closer, say Labour on 35% or more, Winston will go with Labour, but on condition the Greens are marginalized. Though a lot will depend on how Shaw conducts himself.

    And of course if the election result is as tonite (or something similar), expect John Key to have make serious overtures to the Greens. There will be significant flexibility on many Green issues.

    The key point here being that if the Nats are within a breath of a majority, there will likely be a strong public expectation they will form the core of the govt. When one party is within 4 seats of an absolute majority, it looks fundamentally look stronger than the alternative.

    • Paul 9.1
      26 July 2015 at 8:30 pm

      If Winston there will be no TPPA and no more foreign ownership ( from either Berlin, Beijing or Boston) of our land.
      And no more asset sales.

    • Colonial Viper 9.2
      26 July 2015 at 8:32 pm

      I suggest a Grand Coalition.

    • gobsmacked 9.3
      26 July 2015 at 8:33 pm

      There will be significant flexibility on many Green issues.

      Love to hear what they are.

      The Blue_green fantasy is “leapfrog logic”. The silly notion that National would reject Labour (who they disagree with) and embrace the Greens (who they disagree with a lot more).

      “Ooh look, Shaw’s wearing a suit!”. That’s the level of political commentary we’re hearing from some hacks, and it’s nonsense.

    • Marvellous Bearded Git 9.4
      26 July 2015 at 8:38 pm

      @Wayne
      For the Greens to contemplate going with the Nats, the Nats would first have to offer an effective climate change policy, which they are uncapable of, let alone a million other things such as a living wage etc etc.

      And if the Greens make any noises about going with the Nats I for one will change my vote and vote Labour.

      • Chooky 9.4.2
        27 July 2015 at 5:07 pm

        +100

      • Chooky 9.4.3
        27 July 2015 at 5:15 pm

        if the Greens go with the Nats they will be gutted

        …when ‘Green’ or environmental organisations go with the right wing or corporates they betray their own ideals….as Naomi Klein has shown with numerous examples in her book on climate change ….’This Changes Everything’.

    • Draco T Bastard 9.5
      26 July 2015 at 10:03 pm

      The key point here being that if the Nats are within a breath of a majority, there will likely be a strong public expectation they will form the core of the govt.

      No there won’t because, as has been pointed out before, the largest party in government doesn’t get a free pass to form government.

      • Sacha 9.5.1
        26 July 2015 at 11:45 pm

        except in the minds of old folk raised on First Past the Post.

        • Draco T Bastard 9.5.1.1
          27 July 2015 at 7:14 am

          Nope, not even there. It’s really only National voters looking to their privilege that think that the largest party should form the government.

          • Sacha 9.5.1.1.1
            27 July 2015 at 10:32 am

            or we’ve heard Winston say it ..

            • Draco T Bastard 9.5.1.1.1.1
              27 July 2015 at 5:05 pm

              Actually, I don’t think we have. He says that he will negotiate with the biggest party first and that’s all he’s ever really said IIRC.

              • Marvellous Bearded Git …
                28 July 2015 at 9:36 am

                Would he do this under Lab 36 Green 13 Nats 41 NZF 7 Misc 3?

                He couldn’t form a government.

      • Wayne 9.5.2
        27 July 2015 at 7:32 am

        Draco,

        I have no doubt that there will be a “strong public expectation”, even if it is not realized. In my view it will be a difficult sell that there is sufficient mandate for Labour if Labour is on 31% and National is on 47%. The gap alone is more than half of Labour’s support.

        So of course it is constitutionally possible for Labour Green and NZF to form a govt in these circumstances, but it is not quite the same as being the most popular party as is the current case.

        And there have been enough posts on this site saying the National govt does not have a moral mandate because it did not get 50% of register voters. To be fair that does not have much sway outside the minds of the specific posters on that issue.

        • Draco T Bastard 9.5.2.1
          27 July 2015 at 10:00 am

          I have no doubt that there will be a “strong public expectation”

          I don’t. I think that the majority of people actually realise that it’s about forming coalitions and that’s why we got MMP voted back in rather than National’s preference for going back to a non-proportional system.

          And there have been enough posts on this site saying the National govt does not have a moral mandate because it did not get 50% of register voters. To be fair that does not have much sway outside the minds of the specific posters on that issue.

          And as you are aware that came about because National claimed a mandate that they didn’t have as the referendum on asset sales then proved.

        • Clemgeopin 9.5.2.2
          27 July 2015 at 10:44 am

          But 47% is still less than 53%.

          Of course, National can try to form a government with their ridiculously shameless parasitic hangers on like ACT (0.5%), Dunne(0.1%) and the Maori party (0.6%).

    • Pascals bookie 9.6
      27 July 2015 at 6:45 am

      “There will be significant flexibility on many Green issues.”

      Like what?

      Come on Wayne, name three things the Nats would make big moves on towards the Greens.

      Water quality? Mining? Emissions targets?

      Nope nope nope

      • Sabine 9.6.1
        27 July 2015 at 7:46 am

        well maybe they find a million or two for the “feed the kids” bill.
        After all National found 330 million for a cycleway somewhere, and the greens were very happy with that.

        And I am sure that National will be forever grateful that the Greens and the Labour Party did not work together in the last election and gave them Peter Fuckn Dunne who will rubberstamp anything and will throw anyone under the bus to keep his wages and perks.

        Its not only the Labour Party that has some soulsearching to do.

        • Smilin 9.6.1.1
          27 July 2015 at 9:21 am

          As much as the cycle ways are good for tourism and those who can afford it to use, a decent rail system is the major priority to fix this country’s transport problems for all and help deal to our carbon footprint
          Also the state of our biosecurity is abysmal
          As for PD he should be doin that- periodic detention for being a flamin nuisance a turncoat turd

        • Sacha 9.6.1.2
          27 July 2015 at 10:24 am

          “the Greens and the Labour Party did not work together in the last election”

          and who made that happen? things will not improve until people and parties who are actually responsible act like grown-ups and take responsibility.

      • Wayne 9.6.2
        27 July 2015 at 8:20 am

        Pascals bookie,

        I would say water quality and emissions would see a lot of negotiation toward the Green position. Mining, not so much.

        But this is just my view.

        • Pascals bookie 9.6.2.1
          27 July 2015 at 8:46 am

          Fair enough on views and entitlement to them, but given the govts current stance on both those issues, (eg, the balance between water quality and dairy farming is ‘rivers must be wadeable’) I’m not as hopeful as you are.

  10. upnorth 10
    26 July 2015 at 8:56 pm

    well the stats are clear

    The headline above should read.

    “Peter’s now the Leader of the Opposition – Andrew Little’s mandate is gone”.

    You know what I find interesting – zero nil ziltch bounce as leader.

    NZ First will never go into governmnet with Greens so the best pick is this

    Lets say there are 15 cabinet posts this how it would look

    Leader – Winston
    Deputy – Little
    Finance – Parker
    Social Wefare – NZF
    Economic – NZ First
    Health – King
    IRD and Revenue – Dunne

    See where this going – seriously Labour is in serious serious trouble then the Greens will jump on a Blue/Green government and seriously the public in NZ will go 100% for a Blue/Green rather than and Labour/NZF.

    Man I can not believe Labour could not see this coming.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.1
      26 July 2015 at 10:07 pm

      Wow, the RWNJs are panicking aren’t they? All this, NO, WINSTON WON”T GO WITH THE GREENS whinge is truly enlightening as to their psyche and even then it smells of National’s spin meisters Crosby/Textor.

      • infused 10.1.1
        27 July 2015 at 1:28 am

        Yeah… real panic here mate. Just like all those other times we told you so… i mean panicked…

      • Chooky 10.1.2
        27 July 2015 at 9:07 am

        lol…the Nacts are terrified of a Labour, NZF, Green coalition….which is most likely

        • Enough is Enough 10.1.2.1
          27 July 2015 at 10:26 am

          We should all be terrified of a government that contains Winston Peters in it.

          Just because he is an enemy of Key, doesn’t make him a saviour for socialism and equality.

          We need to be aiming for a Green/Labour government.

          Anything less will be a continuation of Douglas’ revolutionary neoliberalism.

          • Chooky 10.1.2.1.1
            27 July 2015 at 5:17 pm

            Peters worked very well with the Labour Government led by Helen Clark

            Peters has consistent form in opposing sales of state assets and against foreign ownership ( He brought down a Nactional government over this)

            …He scares the hell out of the Nacts…especially if he were to be in coalition with Labour, because it would be the government

            …so imo he should be in coalition with Labour

    • Smilin 10.2
      27 July 2015 at 9:43 am

      Shocking but very true the nats and their effrontery rules over the blatant sellout of this country to the multinationals and the flattening of our cultural identity to be just another commodity to global freemarket

  11. TheBlackKitten 11
    26 July 2015 at 9:23 pm

    I would not be too cockey just yet, not with relying on Winnie to form a government. Remember 1996 when this man held the country to ransom for six to eight weeks whilst he made both Labour and National dance like performing circus bears in who would give him the best bubbles in office before he made up his mind.
    This man has no alliance towards anyone or the country and his choice will be based purely on who will give him the best offer. He loves the drama and attention that this brings him. Do not be surprised if he goes with National in 17.

    • Clemgeopin 11.1
      27 July 2015 at 10:57 am

      “This man has no alliance towards anyone……and his choice will be based purely on who will give him the best offer…. Do not be surprised if he goes with National in 17”

      +1

    • gnomic 11.2
      27 July 2015 at 11:54 pm

      Winston wouldn’t get out of bed for bubbles. Now baubles, that’s a different story.

  12. maui 12
    26 July 2015 at 9:54 pm

    What worries me is National is still strong on 47%, although Roy Morgan shows their support may be dropping off, this poll doesn’t show that. I’m going to have to see it to believe it.

    • Clemgeopin 12.1
      27 July 2015 at 11:12 am

      True that. Even after multiple government scandals, lies, BS and inefficiencies, 47% seems too high. Shows how cleverly Key has fooled many gullible and/or the greedy public with his well coached calculated cunning.

      Triumph of evil over the good.

  13. Eltalstro 13
    27 July 2015 at 4:00 pm

    It doesn’t seem that anyone has remarked on the completely biased nature of the 3 news article. If anyone should be worried it is National but Gower makes out that it’s the other way around. If you believe Media Jerks spin you’re a sucker.

    Next, the Greens going with National? AYFS? They might pick up a few conscientious people at the edge from the right but they would lose the entirety of their base. I swing between Labour and Greens but I would never vote Greens again if they went with the Natsis. Look what happened to the Maori party.

    Come to think of it. This would possibly be the best case scenario. Greens go with Nats in 2017 which would decimate their core support and galvanise the opposition. What a pipe dream; it will never happen.