EDITORIAL
Politicians will tell you – especially when their party is on the slide – there’s only one poll that counts and that’s the one on election night.
While that may be true, you can guarantee behind the scenes, political strategists and party hierarchy will be analysing every poll movement and percentage point rise and fall to see where their party lies in the political landscape and the public’s mood, and monitoring party missteps, muck-ups and meltdowns.
Last week’s Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll had National down 4.1 points to 34.9% from September while Labour is up 3.6 points to 30.3%. The Green Party was down 0.6 points to 10.4%, while Act was up to 9.7% (+0.9 points). New Zealand First was up 0.8 points to 7.6% and Te Pāti Māori was down 2 points to 3%.
But the Nats’ rating is not too bad considering the number of cuts this National-led coalition Government has made to the public service and Māori health initiatives. Add to that the huge amount of legislation – some well-liked and some not so well-liked – the Government has pushed through this Parliament at record pace.