Peter Dunne: political commentator on the latest 1News Verian poll result showing people aren't happy with the Government

Some experts believe the Government can't rest on its laurels. 

A recent 1News Verian poll found 40 percent of people think the country is in worse shape since election day, a year ago. 

Former United Future Party leader and political commentator, Peter Dunne, says people aren't happy - but there's no sign they prefer the Opposition more.

He says other recent polling shows National needs to improve. 

"It shows they've managed to retain most of their support  - but the big message moving forward is that they've got to grow that significantly in the next election."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good afternoon.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
Today is exactly one year on from the election, and
a poll shows that we're split on whether the country
is better or worse off. The latest One News variant
pole shows forty percent of us think the country's in
worse shape than it was before the election, thirty percent
think it's better, and twenty six percent says say that
there's no difference. Political commentator and former MPP had Donner
is with me. Now, hey, Piter, Hi he Now, Peter,

(00:21):
are you reading this as a realistic assessment of the
shape of the country, the shape that the country is in,
it's obviously got worse than the last year, or do
you see this as a reflection of how people perceive
the government's performance.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Well, I'd go slightly for the former, although it's a
little bit of both. I think there are two factors
at play here. It's probably an accurate assessment of how
people feel, but it's not necessarily an accurate assessment of
how they would vote in an election. If you look
at all of the polls and average them out over
the last year, the coalition still retains about US six

(00:55):
to eight percent lead over the opposition, which would be
enough to see it back in government with a reasonab
big dad majority. So I think there's a little bit
of both at play here. People are not unhappy, wanting
to see better, but don't really want to make a
change at this point.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Given how grumpy we got with the last lot, Jacinda
and Chippy L I'm surprised that the coalition government isn't
polling much higher, are you.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
No, Because I think what's happened is that there was
a climate of expectation after the last government. This government's
come in said there are a lot of problems we've
got to resolve. There's going to be paying the short
term before we get any long term game. Well, I
know we've heard that over many years and many governments,
and I think what people are doing is working their
way through that. So I don't think they're giving them
the high credit that the government right feel it deserves.

(01:39):
I think also you've got to remember that when National
came in, it came in with thirty eight percent of
the votement. That's the lowest of an incoming government for
a long time. So there's not a great reservoir of
support there for them. The fact that they're still polling
thirty six thirty seven percent shows that they've managed to
retain most of their support. But the big message moving
forward is they've got to grow that vote significantly to

(02:03):
win the next election.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
How do you think they're going in terms of what
they're actually doing.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Oh, they would tick off most of the policy achievements.
I think the quarterly the quarterly reports have been a
good way of measuring that they've made some tough choices,
They've implemented policies. I think the coalition has worked cohesively.
None of that, of course, necessarily rates into popular support.
But the government is doing what it said it was
going to do. And I note Christopher Luxon's comments last

(02:29):
week that he doesn't care about the polls. He says,
I just want to deliver for New Zealanders and the
key is my jobs to demonstrate in twenty twenty six
that the country's in better hands, in a better place.
That's his challenge.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Peter, always love having you on the show. Thank you
so much, Peter, done, political commentator. For more from Hither
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