GE appears to be costing Labour support

By HELEN TUNNAH

The genetic engineering issue appears to have cost the Labour Party political support.

Backing for the party has fallen six points in the latest TV3-NFO poll, from 52 to 46 per cent.

That follows a nine-point, four-month, fall to 45 per cent for Labour in the Colmar Brunton/One News poll last month.

Both polls showed the Government's main Coalition partner had fallen to its lowest level since just after last year's election in July.

The surveys come at a difficult time for the Labour-led Government, which is facing opposition to its policies from Maori, farmers and anti-GM lobbyists.

Both the lifting of the moratorium on the release of GM organisms at the end of the month, and final policies on the seabed and foreshore access dispute, due soon, are expected to keep Labour under pressure.

Support for most of the other parties increased in the TV3 poll of 1000 voters, made public last night.

National increased a point to 24, as did New Zealand First (to 10 per cent) and Act (6 per cent). The anti-GM Green Party rose two points to 8 per cent.

Backing for Helen Clark as preferred prime minister also slipped, from 40 per cent to 37 per cent.

Her nearest rival remains NZ First leader Winston Peters, who enjoyed a two-point rise to 16 per cent.

National leader Bill English slipped two points to 5 per cent and finance spokesman - and potential leadership contender - Don Brash now has 3 per cent.