Latest Roy Morgan Poll

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 pm, December 11th, 2013 - 109 comments
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RoyMorgan11122013

And the results are bouncing around.  Labour is down 3.5 and the Greens are up 3.5%.  And the two blocks are neck and neck …

According to Gary Morgan:

Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows National (45%, up 0.5%) now exactly level with a potential Labour/ Greens alliance (45%, unchanged) just over a week before New Zealanders enjoy their Christmas and New Year’s Holidays.

If a National Election were held now the latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows that minor parties including New Zealand First (5%, up 1.5%), the Conservative Party of NZ (2%, unchanged), the Maori Party (1.5%, unchanged) and the Mana Party (1%, unchanged) will determine the shape of New Zealand’s next Government.

Despite a drop in support, the main opposition Labour Party received a boost in recent weeks with a comprehensive victory at the Christchurch East by-election – Labour candidate Poto Williams (8,119 votes) easily defeated National’s Matthew Doocey (3,506 votes) in a seat Labour has held continuously since it was re-established for the 1996 New Zealand Election.”

109 comments on “Latest Roy Morgan Poll ”

  1. Te Reo Putake 1

    Shows the value of getting the asset sales hoardings up early. Good work, Greens. Nice to see ACT registering a big fat zero and Colin Cray Cray functioning only as a right wing vote disposal unit. The two percent wasted on the conservatives is likely to be the margin Labour/Greens win by, so it’s all coming together nicely.

  2. Colonial Viper 2

    Very average. Let’s see how the next polls go which take full account of the retirement age increase. I’d also like to see if Labour has clawed back the gender differential it suffered after conference.

    • weka 2.1

      Hmmm, how would you tell which was being reflected in the poll?

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.1

        RM made that exception the one time after Conference to report on the gender data they had collected. I suspect you would have to pay them to get that breakdown now. There were only a couple of RM polling days after Parker’s announcement that Labour was lifting the super eligibility age so it will be barely reflected in this poll.

        Essentially, Labour got a bit of unpopular election year policy out of the way before Christmas. It’ll be interesting what news the NATs dump on the nation over the next week or so.

  3. kenny 3

    This just goes to show the folly of Labour MPs being missing-in-action. Keeping a low profile will never get a party noticed.

    • Will@Welly 3.1

      Two choices – missing-in-action or shooting yourself in the foot. Hone goes to S.A., Kevin Hague behaves dignified, meanwhile on the homefront Sue Moroney is getting suckered in by Bill English’s noises over paid parental leave. Phil thinks the TPP is a good deal. Yep, looks like 2008 all over again, Labour handing the election to National on a plate.
      Wakey, wakey, even the electors can see through the smoke and mirrors. Ah, but power has a price.

  4. red blooded 4

    If people are bouncing back to the Greens it’s partly cos Cunliffe is playing it too safe. I was NOT impressed to hear him commenting this morning on how he had enjoyed the company of Bolger and McKinnon as part of the NZ delegation to Mandela’s funeral. He said he was going to be a left leaning Labour leader, now he needs to step up to the mark.

    • gobsmacked 4.1

      What would you expect him to say, and how would it win votes?

      Cunliffe isn’t the problem.

      • Ad 4.1.1

        Well he sure ain’t looking like the solution right now.
        He is bobbing around without apparent theme or plan or presence.

      • Ake ake ake 4.1.2

        Would have expected him to say something that would convey he is in charge, with an overarching narrative that communicates it all makes sense given the comments by Shane WTF Jones, David Parker’s announcement to lift the super age or GST has to go up even more, and Phil Goff’s ra-ra-ra TPP is good.

      • Paul 4.1.3

        I’d expect him to sound more like a socialist leader.
        Listen to how folk like Minto speak.

    • infused 4.2

      It’s because Cunliffe is an idiot. Saying one thing to one party, one thing to another. People are not stupid.

      • Paul 4.2.1

        Oh an insult.
        That was a worthwhile entry into the discussion.

        • Murray Olsen 4.2.1.1

          Maybe it was a bit of a stupid insult, but Cunliffe isn’t doing much to show us there’s no truth to it. He should be doing something about Jones, Parker, and Goff. Silence suggests he agrees with them.

        • infused 4.2.1.2

          yeah the truth hurts.

          • Arfamo 4.2.1.2.1

            People are not stupid.

            Of course they are. Enough of them were for Key to be able to form a government.

            • Colonial Viper 4.2.1.2.1.1

              I know your comment is a bit tongue and cheek but that’s not entirely true and a rewriting of that history will not help us understand the failure.

              Labour did not provide a strong, in touch alternative or a strong enough campaign for many to vote for. It’s one reason why NZ First and the Greens surged ahead. People were getting sick of Key and wanted alternatives. Another 50,000 – 100,000 votes for the red team and John Key would not have been able to govern.

              • Arfamo

                Ah that’s better. Got my original label colour back now. I’m just staggered at what apathetic voters have allowed these clowns to do – the damage could take decades to fix. The entire public service is riddled with clowns at the helm as well, but that problem existed under the Labour administration too.

                • Colonial Viper

                  Blaming the electorate for not being smart enough to vote you in is a bit of an easy way out of dodging responsibility IMO.

                  You can’t have a political party which claims to represent the interests of the 90% then get less than 30% of the vote. That suggests a massive disconnect somewhere.

                  • Arfamo

                    Yup. I think the disconnect starts at the income level and widens the more one has available for investment.

                • Paul

                  Agreed Arfarmo.
                  We have a dumbed down population brought up on the distractions of celebrity and sport and fed a diet of junk food and news by the corporations and the media.#

      • felix 4.2.2

        “It’s because Cunliffe is an idiot. Saying one thing to one party, one thing to another.”

        I wonder if any of you are ever going to come up with an example of that..

        “People are not stupid.”

        And yet…

    • mac1 4.3

      The problem might just be with how Cunliffe is reported; that is, the difference between what he actually is asked, what he says and what is reported.

      The interview:
      Reporter: So, Mac1, would you like to have gone to Madela’s funeral with Bolger and MacKinnon?
      Mac1: Yes, it would have been great to have gone……….
      Reporter: Why would that be?
      Mac1: To pay my respects to a man who influenced my life in a positive way, who taught the world the way to reconciliation was a path to be preferred, to see how South Africa has fared since apartheid against which by the way I protested from the Sixties, to learn from that society’s experience after both colonialism and authoritarian rule, to investigate reconciliation and inclusion as a basis for a society to conduct itself, to see …………………..

      The report:
      Mac1 says it would be great to have gone to South Africa with Bolger and MacKinnon.

  5. Paul 5

    The Greens make clear stand on issues like Assets Sales and the TPP.
    Why would you vote Labour if you were one of the 800 000 non voters; Labour continue to fudge on key economic issues, which they have since the 80s. It is clear that are still infected by neo-liberal ideas within the party. Until these factions are removed, then many just see Labour as a milder version of the Tories.

    • Bearded Git 5.1

      Yes but the beauty of the left’s position is that if you think Labour is weak on policy you can vote Green instead. Key’s problem is he only has the crazy crayfish on his right. (Love ACT’s Roy Morgan zero)

      As I keep repeating, Winston hates Key and will go with Cunliffe, probably with the Greens on the outside again. Labour/Greens/Mana/NZF are home and hosed on this latest RM poll.

      • Wayne 5.1.1

        Winston is unlikely to allow a major party that is more than 10 points behind the other major party to form a government, especially with him as only the third wicket in such a deal.

        In contrast, in the Roy Morgan situation his negotiating position with National would be very strong. He would say to the NZ public that he was going with their most preferred party, which is actually a view he holds quite strongly.

        For Labour to be in frame (when Winston holds the balance) the gap has to be significantly less than 10 points. I would say no more than seven.

        • gobsmacked 5.1.1.1

          Wayne

          Would you prefer a deal with Winston Peters, or with Colin Craig?

          (post-election, not pre- )

        • framu 5.1.1.2

          Your forgetting the act/nat initiated witch hunt that saw winston removed from office a few years back. Do you want to put money on winston having forgotten that?

          im not saying winston was innocent, just that the nat/act machine is just as bad – remember how straight after rodders got in trouble?

        • alwyn 5.1.1.3

          If Winston and his hangers on get back into Parliament after the next election, and he was in the position of Kingmaker, I think he would prefer to go with National. He’d rather be the second party in a coalition that third in one where the second party hates you.
          I think he would also go with the party that will give him a knighthood. Are Labour out of Clark’s shadow enough to do that?
          On the other hand I am not sure that National would have him. Governments he has been part of struggle a bit don’t they. National might decide a K/G/NZF mixture would be explosive and the Government would collapse within a year.
          The idea however that Winnie actually cares who is the largest party is wrong though. Winnie only cares about the best interests of Winnie.

          • Arfamo 5.1.1.3.1

            Has Winnie, since he established NZ Farced, ever been part of a government that didn’t get booted out at the next election? I could be wrong about this but I have the impression that once Winston’s become part of any coalition government, it’s been doomed.

            • Wayne 5.1.1.3.1.1

              They are third term governments so were probably going to lose anyway.

              • alwyn

                Your interpretation is absolutely right but somehow it is so dull.
                I prefer to take Arfamo’s view that Winnie is the equivalent of a suicide bomber or perhaps Typhoid Mary.
                Much more dramatic somehow, don’t you think?

  6. gobsmacked 6

    Morgan polls have some general merit, but the Morgan commentary has none –

    If a National Election were held now the latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows that minor parties including New Zealand First (5%, up 1.5%), the Conservative Party of NZ (2%, unchanged), the Maori Party (1.5%, unchanged) and the Mana Party (1%, unchanged) will determine the shape of New Zealand’s next Government.

    No, it doesn’t show that. It shows that NZ First would be in Parliament, but the Conservatives, United Future and ACT wouldn’t. Of course they might each win electorate seats, but that is entirely separate – there is no information about that in the poll. (There’s no info about Mana or the Maori parties either, but unlike Dunne, Craig and ACToid Anonymous, they aren’t wedded to National).

    What the poll really shows is that the Conservatives are a media fiction. In the history of MMP, no party outside Parliament has had as much publicity as the CCCP in the past month. It has made no difference at all.

    Usual caveats, margin of error etc. But if Craig isn’t above or close to 5%, even after weeks of headlines, he’s one hell of a gamble for John Key.

  7. just saying 7

    Maybe Cunliffe needs to start walking his (leadership battle) talk.
    Anytime now would be good.

    • lurgee 7.1

      Give him six more months!

    • kenny 7.2

      +1

      David Cunliffe has to start leading from the front and taking it to National.

    • gobsmacked 7.3

      No. He has a good grasp of public opinion, even if many Standardistas do not. Outside a tiny minority, politics is winding down for the year.

      Cunliffe should do nothing except recharge batteries and work on internal matters (campaign staffing, caucus renewal etc) for the next month. It’s election year that matters, from February on.

      • Ad 7.3.1

        You have far too narrow a view of politics and its ambit.

        From the close of Parliament next week, right through to the middle of January, newspapers and tv newsrooms are begging for stories to do.

        Cunliffe has absolutely no profile outside of Parliament or Labour (other than on rare set pieces).

        The next 60 days would be usefully employed on all the soft stories that Clark did so well: sports events, arts events, orchestras, society pages, columns and op-eds: content so that stations and newspapers can wrap their advertising around them.

        It can certainly be done to a plan – it does not need to be done ad-hoc as it apparently is now.

        But clearly for any sense of plan or consistent message to emerge we have to wait for Simon Cunliffe to be installed as Chief Press Secretary in mid-January.

        This Labour leader needs to be broadened out. Politics is a heartless competition: he needs to arrest this floundering around so well illustrated in the polls – or the members will start asking the same questions of him as they asked of Shearer.

        • gobsmacked 7.3.1.1

          Well, he isn’t riding a motor bike or chopping wood or playing the guitar or talking about how he’d like to do Liz Hurley, and – speaking only for myself, perhaps – I’m very relieved that he isn’t.

          I don’t have time tonight to run through my preferred Cunliffe Strategy, but in a nutshell it would be “Do what you’re good at, be your cerebral self (simply because that’s who you are), be focused and you’ll be fine.” In other words, ignore anyone who gave advice to Shearer or Goff.

          In 2014 voters – especially potential Labour voters – will want an antidote to John Key.

          To be continued …

          • Colonial Viper 7.3.1.1.1

            In other words, ignore anyone who gave advice to Shearer or Goff.

            In terms of the hired help, the are mostly gone (or banished) now…as for the elected help, well that’s a work in progress.

          • Bearded Git 7.3.1.1.2

            +1

      • kenny 7.3.2

        But he has to do that AS WELL (that surely is a given). I thought the election campaign started when he was elected leader – every chance we get we have to make them look over their shoulders in fear, so to speak. Don’t give them time to draw breath before the next attack; be relentless in exposing their dis-regard for the 99%.

        Then watch the polls improve.

      • Anne 7.3.3

        +1 @ gobsmacked 7.3

        Yes, he’s concentrated on the groundwork for next year leaving no stone unturned which is precisely what he should be doing. He’s re-organised and re-energised the caucus – another priority. He’s working to ensure he has the best team of advisers and spin doctors available. It takes time to do all of the above but he seems to have succeeded in less than 3 months. Pretty good going in my book. He’s already proven he’s Key’s match in the House which will gradually win him kudos among the largely apolitical voting public.

        After 3 months of intense preparation, next year should be pay-off year.

  8. Ad 8

    TRP is correct on the numbers but far too charitable. OK it could be worse it could be Shearer.

    On the back of Labour Party conference, the Christchurch East, the education results scandal, and the assets referendum, Cunliffe has had all the platform one would wish for to improve. Instead we went backwards. I thought this guy was supposed to do better?

    Labour appear to be on a binge-purge cycle caused in my view by a lack of media strategy, lack of a functioning diary around which good stories can be built, and lack in fact of anything except set-piece wonders.

    IMO Cunliffe looks unfocussed and peripheral. His apparent plan of relying on getting out the unvoting 800,000 is not enough to assure a win. He needs to look and feel like he has a plan, a presence and a profile.

    Too late to save 2013 – all we can hope is that he and his office and media team and caucus actually get their shit together in the new year.

    • lurgee 8.1

      As I said when Shearer was leader, and people were wailing about his lack of progress: there isn’t really much the opposition leader can do at this stage. Most of the electorate are not thinking about who they might vote for. A lot of them will still say whoever the voted for in 2010 and won’t really think about changing until the election campaign kicks off. They’ll be mildly surprised to learn that Phil Goff has gone and will say things like, “Cunliffe? Is he the one who was in the UN? You mean he’s another one? They’re onto their third since 2010?!! Lordy!”

      The poll movement is probably just variation. Everything is pretty much as it was 6 months ago. That’s probably all you can discern from these figures.

      • gobsmacked 8.1.1

        Cunliffe will do well in the election campaign. Shearer? Given the evidence, he would have flopped. But now, we’ll never know (thank God).

        Labour have the right leader, there’s a lot to improve about their strategy, but that’s a topic for another day (year).

        The Labour caucus could transform their party overnight, if they wanted to. Too many of them don’t, and Cunliffe can’t do much about that.

      • Ad 8.1.2

        Since the election, and certainly since Shearer shuffled off, the poll oscillations have sharpened into longer peaks. That’s precisely because Cunliffe is built up for great set-pieces, such as the Labour conference in Christchurch, but then there’s no media follow-through.

        Result is a nasty surge of enthusiasm for the guy, followed by toughing, which is then replaced with another set piece. You can read Cunliffe’s ride very closely to the polls with that pattern.

        He’s a man, a good man, but apparently a man without a plan.

        And without a plan, he’s going to remain just a man.

        • Ad 8.1.2.1

          Not ‘toughing’; ‘troughing’.

        • mickysavage 8.1.2.2

          You are too impatient Ad!

          Give him time. When he sets his mind to stuff it happens, Christchurch East being an example.

          Labour does not need to peak now, it needs to get its organisation into shape and it needs to start cultivating a bit of momentum.

          National’s support is looking really shaky. It is a couple of inspired speeches away from turning.

          Agreed that David needs to get out more but he has had a real hard couple of months …

        • dave 8.1.2.3

          we are a year away from the election i wouldnt expect massive jumps in the polls there going to bounce around all over the place but as we progress we will see those polls narrow up you can count on that we only need to get 2 percent of those 800 thousand voters to vote and slippery is a goner and for all those slaters out their WE WILL WIN !

    • Bearded Git 8.2

      “IMO Cunliffe looks unfocussed and peripheral. His apparent plan of relying on getting out the unvoting 800,000 is not enough to assure a win.”

      IMHO I think you are wrong Ad. The Nats have lost Dunedin (Hillside, Ag Research), Christchurch (earthquake, Christchurch East), Wellington (Key slagging it off), West Coast (miners compensation), East Cape (council reorganistaion).

      Key is too Auckland focussed. Getting some of the 800,000 out will seal the deal.

  9. lurgee 9

    My hunch was always that Shearer was the sort of person who would react well to the pressure of a political campaign. Still, as you say, academic now.

    • Ad 9.1

      Whoever is or was leader, on current trajectory the whole Labour Party is presuming that the one thing that will get them to power is a great mobilisation project of 800,000 enrolled non-vote.

      Anyone see the great volunteer resurgence (as distinct from a membership resurgence) that would enable this to happen? Not felt the call to arms yet?

      Someone needs to pick up the phone.
      The poll peaks tell us that should they call, we do answer.

      • Ake ake ake 9.1.1

        Ad, may I say I agree with your comments so far on this page.

        There was some fireworks display after he won the leadership, a little bit of spurt after the Chch by-election, and then … ho-hum.

        And we’re now on the verge of the holidays and the end of the year. Any hope of anything else from the Leader of the Opposition’s office 2013? A pre-Christmas message? Maybe something with a bit of policy substance? Pale blue? Real red? Tickled pink?

      • mickysavage 9.1.2

        Membership is surging Ad, the party needs to work out what to do now …

    • Colonial Viper 9.2

      My hunch was always that Shearer was the sort of person who would react well to the pressure of a political campaign. Still, as you say, academic now.

      Ummm. Uhhhh. Ummmmm. Maybe. Yeah.

  10. Plan B 10

    Best thing so far this week has to be DC standing next to JK . Dc was a head taller- made JK look like a midget. JK will be mad about that when he sees the pics.

    • Will@Welly 10.1

      Always works in an election campaign. The smaller candidate virtually always comes off worse. After the first debate in 2011, when Goff called Key a liar, Key was on the back-foot. If Goff had been smart at “The Press” debate and countered Key’s “show me the money”, Key might have had second thoughts about being so smart. Unfortunately whoever the campaign manager was, let Goff down, and the rest is history. Smart thinking is needed.

  11. labour in parliament are giving little hint of being a coherent/focused/’ready’ political party..

    ..english got a zinger in against them the other day in parl…

    ..pointing out that they are a party that doesn’t know what it stands for..

    ..he was using it as a jibe on a particular policy..

    ..but it so rang true..for the party in general..

    ..at the time i noted you could hear the group-rustle..

    ..as the labour mp’s all moved uncomfortably in their seats..

    ..as this truth sheeted home..

    ..and given the t.i.n.a. pension-age-raise-threat..coupled with the alternate raise g.s.t. threat..

    ..with the t.p.p.-pimping..

    ..and labours’ refusal to discuss the plight of the really poor..ie beneficiaries..and to only ever talk about ‘the working poor’..

    (have you noticed that..?..once you do..it sticks out like great dane balls on a toy-poodle..)

    ..all seem to point to a party still lost in the neo-lib forest..

    ..phillip ure..

  12. Mike 12

    Enough is enough! Shearer has to go!!!!!!

    Oh hang on…..

  13. Philj 13

    I predict. Smart left voters will lean to green, apathetic leftist poor voters, IF they get to the voting booth, will vote Labour. Peeved right wingers might vote NZ First. Will it be enough to oust this crony pseudo ‘government’? It’s really big business in charge. Is it possible to have a government adjudged to be corrupt? Who, how could this come about? Now that NZ is, officially, the least corrupt country in the world! Hahaha.

    • Watching 13.1

      Now that NZ is, officially, the least corrupt country in the world!

      You need to sit down and discuss this with people that actually have worked in various countries around the world. You maybe surprised.

      • KJT 13.1.1

        Yes I have.

        Friends from India are shocked at the underhanded political crony capitalism.

        At least, they say, “in India it is out in the open”.

  14. bad12 14

    Interesting poll from Roy Morgan, David Parker gives NZFirst an oxygen boost with His ”there is no alternative other then to raise the age of superannuation entitlement”,

    That seems to have worked well, the ‘well’ of course depending upon your view of NZFirst, but in the sense i have that there is a large chunk of the Labour Caucus that would rather ‘work’ with Winston Peters than the Green Party then the ‘out of the blue’ announcement by Parker about superannuation makes perfect sense,(and yes perhaps i am attaching to the ‘right wing’ of the Labour Caucus a far too high ability to engage in machiavellian politics than they actually possess),

    Being a Green Party member i am more than happy with the upwardly mobile % the Party has in the latest Roy Morgan,(tho i am not yet at the point of whacking an extra herbal tea bag into the pot), it’s really a bit of a head scratch where political parties are usually spanked in such polls after periods of internal party dissent spilling into the public arena as has recently occurred with the Green Party candidate wilfully shoving His foot into various of his own orifice, each more painful than the other, in a vain ‘leadership challenge’ that from here seemed to have only the intent of ‘heading off’ some much needed Party disciplinary action followed closely with an abject public apology for His behavior to Party leader Metiria Turei,

    But, in this instance the Green Party has suffered a reverse reaction from the voting public with a nice bounce in the latest Roy Morgan and i am more than happy with the Party heading for 15% of the popular vote, part of this bounce my opinion would say is from Labour’s lack of a clear cohesive narrative,

    With numbers as good as these,and i have a hope that such numbers will hold up through an election as opposed to a belief as the Green Party usually polls higher than it’s actual vote on the day, Hone Harawira’s Mana Party are still looking likely to be getting my Party vote as a strategic move in attempting to provide an extra MP for Mana…

  15. BM 15

    Jeez, the rich prick from Herne Bay won’t be happy with that.

    Labour’s shed something like 20% of it’s support in the last couple of months, what gone wrong.?

  16. mac1 16

    Nothing wrong with the opposition level -pegging with the government eleven months out from an election especially when the trend for the government is down and the trend for the opposition is up, BM. There’s a whole bunch of rich pricks, to use your words, who are not all happy with that, and will be using all their tricks to try and turn that trend around.

    Your ‘rich prick’ jibe is just one of them. Better though when stated without basic literacy flaws.

    • BM 16.1

      I disagree, you need new glasses boyo

      It’s the complete opposite, Labour trending down, National trending up.

      Roy Morgan has always favored the left so this is a great result for National going into election year, they’ll be stoked.

      • framu 16.1.1

        its MMP though isnt it

        its not the individual numbers that matter – especially when nat has killed off all its possible coalition partners, bar guess who

        im not claiming any kind of victory here, just noting that focusing on nat vs lab alone doesnt actually tell you anything accurate

        • BM 16.1.1.1

          Think you’re going to find the greens will become an albatross around the neck of Labour.

          Next year you’re going to have Cunliffe saying stuff to appeal to the middle and you’re going to have Norman getting all extreme saying the polar opposite.

          And the voters will be like “WTF, who’s in charge?, I know if I vote Labour I get the Greens, one guy’s saying one thing and the other guy’s saying something completely different, who do I believe, who’s telling the truth?”

          Unless the Greens are just there to make up the numbers, the next election will be a complete write off for the left, having two roughly equal sized left parties competing for power, the ego’s of both Norman and Cunliffe will clash like nothing else, destroying any chance of the left being elected.

          Key will look on acting all assured and in control, pointing out the infighting on the other side.
          Game, set and match, again to the blue team.

          • framu 16.1.1.1.1

            yeah some of us dont treat politics as some hive mind thing and can figure out that the two parties can agree and disagree without the whole house of cards collapsing

            all youve done there is show up your own woeful ignorance of other people. Your also pretty ignorant of green politicians and green voters – but no surprises there

            dont you think that the greens and labour have already been down that line of thought? (well maybe not shane jones)

            havent you noticed that already both parties are avoiding such conflicts and the ones sounding shrill is you hero, unidentified guest?

            you really do inhabit some strange alternate reality dont you

            but back to my actual point – “im not claiming any kind of victory here, just noting that focusing on nat vs lab alone doesnt actually tell you anything accurate” – you do understand that right?

            • Watching 16.1.1.1.1.1

              yeah some of us dont treat politics as some hive mind thing and can figure out that the two parties can agree and disagree without the whole house of cards collapsing

              Not sure if I agree with that statement. It true that political activists would say what is the issue, and in reality you are correct. However, IMO most of the population has little interest in the comings and going of political parties, and just want stable government with someone in charge, & maybe BM has a point.

              With Labour 30 % and Greens 15% we are entering new territory. The Greens are not a 3 seat party that Key has used or for that matter Clarke also used as an ‘alternative’ option to get over the line. The Greens will be a powerful block in any Labour led government regardless of the type of the coalition agreement between them.

              The seed has already been planted by Key that Norman has a lot of oxygen, and I expect that Key will attempt to create a line about who is really in charge. It’s an easy one liner to communicate a big message.

              havent you noticed that already both parties are avoiding such conflicts and the ones sounding shrill is you hero

              Wait until they get into power & see how it this works under pressure – who know what will happen when DC say NO to the Greens.

              • framu

                true enough – but to put it in BBQ speak – does it matter of dave and russ dont always agree?

                yep – key will do exactly that – but that relies upon the cult of key. The more he does it, the more he starts to turn people off – and once youve dropped the key your not picking it up again. IE: it would have worked previously, but the more he does it and the longer national are in power the faster and faster it loses its effect, exponentially so. The only question is have we reached that point?

                While i agree that many people are fairly switched off politically and just want stable govt, i think that many get the general thrust of MMP – that no two parties are exactly the same, its not a big deal and there are worse parties than the greens who have been giving a shot before

                And with regards to what happens after – the greens do have pretty good track record behaviour wise in parliament – labour are, of course, anyones guess.

                Its never stopped other parties with worse track records has it?

          • mac1 16.1.1.1.2

            Key looking all in control having to depend on two very wobbly parties and a tea-party created ACT member bound for court and conviction.

            Key looking in control having to court Colin Craig and the Conservatives and portray them as being a reasonable and acceptable coalition partner.

            Key looking in control while flailing about looking for his backers to create a new right wing party.

            Key looking in control whilst being the mockery of the world’s press- the unidentified guest who knows not how to conduct himself as befits a solemn occasion, but prefers to simper alongside his powerful superior.

            Key looking in control while not remembering how he thought about the most significant issue in 1981 and of that generation.

            Key looking in control while going against the wishes of two thirds of the electors in selling state assets.

            Key looking in control while logging up a catalogue of lies, memory lapses and deceptions that beggars even the politically blase.

            That John Key?

            • Arfamo 16.1.1.1.2.1

              Hang on. I remember that bloke. Didn’t he mug your brother?

              • mac1

                This brother speaking here, Arfamo?

                “Yeah, I dunno officer. He snuck up on me from behind, out of nowhere. He was wearing a pinstrip suit and a blue tie.”

                Perhaps, but some of us were mugged at the ballot box by him.

                • Arfamo

                  Lol. Yup. Nz is full of victims mugged by this faceless Soprano. We get mugged at the petrol pump, the supermarket, paying our car registration fees, power bills, telephone bills, appealing against government agency decisions, collecting prescriptions (if you can afford to pick them up after paying the doctor)…

                  They’ll be charging a fee for voting in elections next, I imagine.

          • Craig Y 16.1.1.1.3

            Sorry, no. What about Germany? Look at the stability of the German Social Democrat/Green federal governments in the Noughties.

      • bad12 16.1.2

        BM, that argument is spurious when you consider that the Green Party has ‘picked up’ the % of the vote Labour has ‘lost’ in the current Roy Morgan poll,

        i cannot quite imagine Winston Peters entering a coalition with the National Party after all the damage inflicted upon NZFirst by previous attacks by the Tories, although i can ‘see’ a 2 week period,(or longer),after the 2014 election where Winston forces the National Caucus from Slippery the PM down to publicly humiliate themselves in a public display of fawning arse-kissing befor He tells them to assume the position…

      • mac1 16.1.3

        “Roy Morgan has always favored the left”

        It also has been the most accurate.

      • KJT 16.1.4

        Votes going to the Greens. Surprise!

        Hardly an indication of votes heading for the , so called, middle.

      • mac1 16.1.5

        Note, BM, I spoke of opposition and government, not Labour and National. Nice try with the reframing of the argument.

        Try these figures for size and then talk about trends post election.

        http://www.roymorgan.com/morganpoll/new-zealand/government-v-opposition

  17. One Anonymous Knucklehead 17

    How many times does it have to be said that you might just as well examine tea-leaves than extrapolate meaning from a single poll?

    I note that if this is a “low spike” on the graph it is higher than the previous seven similar features, and is entirely consistent with a continuing rising trend. Be nice if it were steeper but.

    • McFlock 17.1

      +1

      haters gonna hate
      tories gonna gloat
      chicken littles gonna panic.

      beginning of 2012, nat routinely beat labgreen totals.
      Now it’s the other way around.

  18. Great, so its going to be temana and the conservative party who will determine who becomes government.

    FMMP

  19. Digmen1 19

    The heading should have been Labour drops 3%

    And are Labour and the Green a formal coalition ?
    the largest party gets first chance to form a government.

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    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
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    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
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  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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