Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent responds to the Government's latest drop in the polls

New data shows a grim result for the governing parties.

A Taxpayers' Union-funded Curia poll shows National, ACT and New Zealand First have lost the balance of power. 

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explains what this drop could mean for the coalition.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sed B.
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
Senior political correspondent Barry Soper in studio, Get a berry.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Good Ale, It's nice to be here again.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Great to see you too, Barry. So is it realistic
that Luxeon will be replaced anytime soon? And should national
be worried about a poll eighteen months out for the election?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yeah, there are two quite distinct questions. I think there
will be worry in the National ranks, there's no doubt
about this. And don't forget this. Polster is their own polster,
the Curier pole, so it is their own. It's not
the Talbot pole, which is the Labor Party posters. So
it's put Labor marginally ahead of the National Party, even
though both main parties have gone up in their rankings.

(00:55):
But when it comes down to Chris Luxon, you know, look,
he's had one hell of a time since he took
over his primers. There was no it was a baptism afar,
there was no honeymoon. The gallery has been on his
case ever since he came in, and I think the
public has as well, because they believe that after these

(01:16):
dreadful three years that have just been through the COVID
years and post COVID that things should have been put
right almost immediately, and that's the expectation of the voter,
but they could never be. So you've got a government
here that really hasn't made significant gains and that's what
the public wants. So they're disappointed. And if an election

(01:38):
was held now, fortunately there won't be one. The center
left would have the numbers, the center right, even with
New Zealand first, wouldn't. So it's not good. Look at
the polls. Sorry, sorry, I'll just rave on about this
last bit. But if you look at the average of
a third prime minister through the ages, and I thought,
you know, it's interesting to see just how prime ministers

(02:01):
did poll. Look at Helen Clark that she used in
opposition poll appallingly she had an average of sixty four
percent in the nine years.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
She was, Wow, far that something anything for those kind
of numbers now, absolutely, yeah, fascinating stuff.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Is always very good to see you again. We'll catch
up soon.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Sorry, didn't get a word in edgewise. Chaps.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
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