-
Related
The polls have swung throughout this election campaign like never before and the latest One News Colmar Brunton poll shows things remain almost too close to call between the two major parties.
With just a week left until the election, the latest poll shows just two points separating National and Labour.
The new shows National holding its lead, but its support is down five percentage points to 41.
Labour has picked up one point to hold 39% support.
With just two points in it and National's exclusive Brethren pamphlet blunders yet to register, it is impossible to predict the results on election day.
The Greens are steady on 6%, a point above the threshold they need to remain in parliament.
Taking a bit of pressure off New Zealand First and its leader Winston Peters, the poll shows its support up one to 6%. Act is up two points to 3% support and United Future picks up one to 2%.
Finally the Maori Party is down one point to hold 1% and Destiny New Zealand is unchanged on 1%.
If this poll proved accurate, National would be the largest party in parliament on 51 seats, with Labour a close second with 49. Both would need the support that New Zealand First has promised to provide to the largest party in parliament.
On the latest poll's numbers, National could form a minority government with United Future's three seats, but would need Winston Peters' promised seven votes to ensure them confidence and supply.
On the other hand, Labour could form a minority government with their 49 seats, if they added Jim Anderton's one vote and the Greens' eight. This would still leave them short of numbers and needing Peters' support on confidence and supply. They could not count on United Future support, as the party has said they won't work with the Greens.
In the preferred Prime Minister stakes, Helen Clark is up two points to 42%. Don Brash is down one to 30%, but the fallout from the exclusive Brethren pamphlet controversy is yet to register.
Two snap newspaper polls out earlier on Sunday showed a conflicting picture of the fortunes of the two main parties.
The Sunday Star Times snap poll showed National leading Labour by seven points, while a second poll for the Herald on Sunday had Labour in the lead.
