Heather du Plessis-Allan: Last night's poll results show National needs a rocket

On last night’s double poll: Really, this is not so much a story about the Labour party’s success as it is about the National party needing a rocket.

I mean, sure Labour should absolutely celebrate the bump in their polls, but let’s put this in context. The best this poll bump gives Labour is a hung parliament. That’s a draw. Their big, pre-planned election year reset hasn’t given them an outright win, they must be a little bummed by that.

National though should be very bummed out that it is drawing with a Government many consider one of the worst Governments, if not the worst Government in living memory.

How is that happening? 

Over the BBQs this summer I heard the same thing consistently from people who want to vote Labour out. They can’t vote for National, because they don’t know what National stands for.

National is gonna have to start fronting up with some policies, or they risk doing serious damage to themselves and Chris Luxon.

One of the worst things out of that poll night for National was that only 37 percent of Kiwis trust Chris Luxon.  44 percent don’t. That is happening because Luxon keeps changing his mind.

He wouldn’t support ankle bracelets on kids, then he wanted ankle bracelets on kids.

 He wouldn’t allow a referendum on co governance, and then he left the door open to a referendum on co governance. 

He wanted to cancel Labour Day, then he didn’t want to cancel Labour Day.

National opposed the clean car discount scheme, then they let slip they’d keep the clean car discount scheme.

National promised to scrap the top tax rate, now they’re reviewing whether to scrap the top tax rate.

Luxon wouldn’t rule out working with Brian Tamaki, then he would rule out working with Brian Tamaki.

That is happening because Chris Luxon and National don’t know what they stand for, because they haven’t released any policy yet. Kiwis are going to struggle to vote for someone if they can’t trust them not to change their mind once they’re in Government.

Neither of these parties will celebrate being in a draw last night, but for National it’s much worse.

Because, how do they explain trailing one of the worst Governments in history in the polls?

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