Brash still popular, despite allegations

Support for Don Brash has not abated after allegations of an extra-marital affair, with a Herald on Sunday Digipoll showing support for the National Party leader as Prime Minister has grown.

As a defiant Brash returned to public life yesterday, attacking the Government and labelling those who stole his emails "scum", the snap poll showed 67.2 per cent of New Zealanders - including 81.1 per cent of National voters - believe Brash should remain as National leader after last week's allegations of an affair with Diane Foreman, vice-chairwoman of the Business Roundtable.

The poll showed 24 per cent say Brash is their preferred prime minister - up from 22.4 per cent in August. Labour leader Helen Clark remains the most preferred leader, on 51.3 per cent, down from 52.4 per cent in August.

The poll, taken since the alleged affair was revealed, showed Brash was still National's preferred leader with 31.6 per cent support, ahead of John Key on 21 per cent and Bill English on 15.8 per cent.

Almost three-quarters of Kiwis disapprove of the private lives of politicians being brought to public attention in Parliament, with women strongly believing affairs of the heart belong at home. Only 16.5 per cent of females polled said private lives were fair political targets, compared with 25.5 per cent of men.

The allegations have had only a minor impact on the party vote with National weighing in at 44.2 per cent support, down from 46.4 per cent in August, ahead of Labour on 39 per cent, up from 38.7 per cent in August. The poll of 400 voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 per cent.

If Brash were to step down, Key seems to be the popular choice to replace him with today's poll putting him at 30.7 per cent support ahead of English on 21.2 per cent and Gerry Brownlee on 5.5 per cent. The public choice matches the preference of National MPs, according to Herald on Sunday sources. Party figures say Key is favoured as a replacement leader, with Brownlee or Katherine Rich as deputy. There is also support for English returning to the top job with possibly Simon Power as his deputy. Brash is expected to put his leadership on the line at National's caucus meeting on September 26.

Key yesterday dismissed any significance of him scoring well as a preferred leader, saying it came with the finance portfolio profile.

Brash said he was comfortable with caucus members discussing a change in leader.

"I think there are always people in every caucus who wonder whether there might be some benefit in having a change. The caucus has given me no indication at this point they want a change."

In an interview yesterday, he highlighted his complaint to police over the theft of his emails more than a year ago, labelling the thieves "scum".

Brash also attacked Clark for the focus on his private life.

"The primary purpose of Helen Clark and her mates bringing this to the public domain was to distract attention from the important issues and I will not be distracted."

Former Act leader Richard Prebble said he wasn't surprised by the poll results because most New Zealanders believed it was wrong to make political capital out of the private lives of MPs.

It was not the "New Zealand way to kick people when they were down", he said, especially when "the scandal had no fuel".

"Don Brash can ride this out, but there will be longer-term questions over what he should do," Prebble said.

Political scientist Barry Gustafson said today's poll could create some hesitation within National about rolling Brash.

"I think they will change leaders before the election... but perhaps they'll be thinking a little more now over the timing. If they were going to move against Brash, the ideal time would be before Christmas, just before everyone goes off on holiday."