Poll shows Hipkins overtaking Luxon as preferred PM

There’s some bad news for the coalition Government following the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll, as Labour edges ahead of National and the centre-left bloc increases its lead.

The poll, conducted from March 2-4, shows National up 1.7 points to 33.6 per cent, while Labour gains 2.8 points to 34.1 per cent.

The Greens drop 3.2 points to 10.0 per cent, while ACT declines 2.3 points to 7.7 per cent.

New Zealand First is down 1.3 points to 5.1 per cent, while Te Pāti Māori rises 2.1 points to 6.5 per cent.

For the minor parties, Outdoors and Freedom is on 0.6 per cent (-0.3 points), TOP remains at 0.5 per cent, and Vision NZ is on 0.4 per cent (+0.4 points).

Based on these results, the centre-right bloc drops one seat to 58, while the centre-left bloc gains one seat to 62.

On those numbers, National and ACT could not form a Government even with the support of New Zealand First, the Taxpayers’ Union says.

National gains three seats to 42, while Labour also rises by three to 42.

The Greens lose four seats, bringing them to 12, while ACT drops two to 10 seats.

New Zealand First falls by two seats to six, and Te Pāti Māori gains two to a total of eight seats.

For the first time since the election, Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins has overtaken National Party leader and Botany MP Christopher Luxon as preferred prime minister.

Luxon drops slightly to 20.3 per cent (-0.4 points), while Hipkins jumps 3.1 points to 20.7 per cent.

ACT Party leader David Seymour falls to 5 per cent (-1.4 points), New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is at 8.6 per cent (+0.6 points), and Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick falls 4.1 points to 4.8 per cent.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross says: “Kiwis elected this Government to fix the economic mess.

“Unless the Government starts delivering meaningful growth, the polls are only going to show them slip further.
“Luxon losing his top spot as preferred prime minister for the first time has to be a wake-up call.

“We’re neck-deep in the worst economic downturn in three decades, and the country needs to see a plan to rebuild the economy.
“With Budget 2025 in just over two months’ time, now’s the time for the Government to be laser-focused on delivering economic growth.

“Kiwis need high bang-for-buck reforms like full capital expensing, because managed decline has lost its appeal.”