By FRAN O'SULLIVAN, assistant editor
Sport rivalries frequently divide us, but a clear majority of New Zealanders say we should get closer to Australia by 2020.
A Herald-DigiPoll survey shows that 41.8 per cent of New Zealanders think by 2020 the countries should form a common market.
A further 14.1 per cent want
a single Australasian state.
The poll - published on the eve of Australian Prime Minister John Howard's annual bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Helen Clark - underpins the Government's push for further economic integration.
A significant minority - 41.8 per cent - want to stay independent.
The Government plans to use the 20th anniversary of the Closer Economic Agreement (CER) to further harmonise business laws.
Helen Clark will host a business reception in Auckland tomorrow for Mr Howard. Bilateral talks on Sunday are expected to canvass how the nations can combine to reach critical mass as a regional investment destination.
Although the Clark Government has put new momentum into the transtasman agenda, the Prime Minister's own party support base is more inclined towards political independence - 46.6 per cent against the 41.8 per cent national average.
National Party supporters more strongly favour the common market (45 per cent against the national average of 40.8 per cent) or unification (17.5 per cent to 14.1 per cent).
Herald Special Report:
State of the Relationship - Beyond CER
