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Labour leader Phil Goff -
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Maori voters are indicating they have gone right off Labour leader Phil Goff.
A special poll for TV One's Te Karere programme shows Goff is bottom of the heap as preferred PM.
The Te Karere Digipoll of voters in the Maori seats shows 59% do not think he provides good leadership on Maori issues, with only 18% approving of his performance.
In contrast, Prime Minister John Key received 47% support and only 37% are opposed to his leadership on Maori issues.
Key was also preferred Prime Minister with 31%, followed by Pita Sharples on 12%. Goff trailed behind New Zealand First leader Winston Peters (7%), gaining 5% support alongside Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia.
And almost half the people in Maori electorates who vote Labour say Goff is not the best person to be leading the party, while 36% support him.
Last week the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed onto Ratana Pa near Wanganui for the annual birthday celebrations of the prophet Ratana.
And Goff was keen to reinforce that the Labour Party is in step with the Ratana movement at the celebrations, playing up their historic ties after a frosty reception for the party in 2009.
Race relations has proved tricky territory for Goff lately and his recent warning about looming racial division may have hurt his standing among Maori voters.
"I have work to do with the Maori community, they need to know me better, I need to work more closely with them. I'll be doing that this year," the Labour leader says.
However the Maori and Labour parties with 38% support each were ahead of National (17%) in party preference.
"Labour's come up 12 points in the poll - that's good. I've got some work to do, I intend to it," says Goff.
The poll surveyed 1,000 Maori voters from the Maori and General rolls between January 6-27. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%.
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