TV3 backs debate worm after bias claim

Labour's Phil Goff (L) and National's John Key. Photos / Supplied TV3

Polling company Roy Morgan and TV3 are defending their leaders debate "worm" against allegations it was skewed by Labour supporters infiltrating the panel.

As Prime Minister John Key and Labour leader Phil Goff faced off, the reaction of a panel of 65 undecided voters was shown at the bottom of the screen in the form of a moving line graph or worm as it is commonly known.

Mr Goff was widely regarded as coming out on top during the debate and that view was either reflected or reinforced by the worm - which tended to rise when he spoke more than it did when Mr Key spoke.

However blogger and National Party member David Farrar yesterday identified three members of the panel he said were either Labour activists or voters: John Kingi, Clinton Wooly and Nive Sharat.

Their presence was "a major credibility blow to the panel/studio worm", he said.

Roy Morgan Australia chief executive Michele Levine said she had been made aware yesterday of the presence of at least one Labour supporter on the panel.

However she believed the worm, or "Reactor" as Roy Morgan calls the device, was not susceptible to manipulation by a single member or even three.

She also said Roy Morgan's monitoring of individual panel responses did not reveal any overt attempt at manipulation. No panel members were consistently giving Mr Goff an overwhelmingly positive response or Mr Key an overwhelmingly negative one.

3 News Auckland bureau chief Keith Slater, who produced the debate, said a reputable market research company, later revealed to be Infield International, had recruited the panel and he was satisfied the company had done what it could to ensure it was made up of undecided voters.

Mr Goff said Mr Farrar's concerns were a case of sour grapes.

"Labour had nothing to do with how that panel was constituted."

Mr Key was happy with the debate.

"I think people who have watched the debate will come away with their own thoughts about it."

CAMPAIGN WATCH SIDELIGHTS

Bean counting: Forget the worm. Or reading the tea leaves in Epsom. Muffin Break's coffee bean poll showed National was the only party to gain any ground last week despite the hoo-hah over cups of tea. The latest count nationwide has National up a percentage point to 43 per cent. Labour is on 28 per cent and the Greens and Act are on 14 and 6 per cent respectively. Unfortunately, the beans of all other parties were aggregated. So there is no figure for NZ First.

They said it: "In all my years in politics I've never seen such panic." - Winston Peters on John Key's dire warnings of instability should NZ First make it back into Parliament .

What is happening today: John Key and Phil Goff go head to head for the final time. TV One, 7pm-8.30pm.