Labour leader Chris Hipkins said his party will turn around its result in tonight’s 1News Verian poll and win the election.
The poll showed if an election were held today Labour would receive just 29% of the party vote - a crashing fall from 50% on election night 2020.
National and ACT, meanwhile, would have the numbers to govern with 65 seats in Parliament between them.
Today, Hipkins said the campaign was “just getting started”.
“I acknowledge that it’s been a tough three years for New Zealand and we go into this campaign as the underdog.”
He said there was “a lot at stake” in the election.
“We’re setting out a positive plan for the future. I’m very optimistic about New Zealand’s future.
“We’re up against what would be the most radical right wing government - National [and] ACT - that New Zealand’s seen since Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson.”
Chris Hipkins has also seen his preferred PM rating dip in the latest 1News Verian poll.
Douglas was a finance minister in the fourth Labour Government, led by David Lange, and Richardson was a finance minister in the fourth National Government, led by Jim Bolger.
Hipkins added: “I’m absolutely determined. We’re going to campaign hard, we’re going to turn this around and we’re going to win.”
He said the Opposition had presented “relentless negativity” throughout his tenure as Prime Minister.
“I’ve been focused on running the country. I’m raring to go, I can’t wait to get on the campaign trail.”
He said while troubles with ministers might have meant the country didn’t think Labour was focused on the public’s issues, he was.
“I’m relentlessly focused on issues around the cost of living.”
He said he was not worried about being rolled as leader and the poll result was not insurmountable.
“I’ve certainly seen poll results like this turned around during an election campaign.
“There’s everything to campaign for. National and ACT are proposing to put people out of jobs and significantly cut our public services. I don’t think that’s what New Zealanders want.”
He was also not worried about the gap closing between him and Luxon in the preferred prime minister stakes, saying the campaign had not yet properly started.
“We’ll get a sense of momentum from [the campaign].”
'Mandate for change'
ACT’s poll numbers would translate to 17 seats in Parliament - its biggest party vote ever, and significantly increasing its current caucus of 10.
Leader David Seymour said the poll’s numbers would make his party almost a quarter of a new government, which was a “mandate for change”.
“We’ve long said it’s not enough to swap Chris for Chris, and red for blue, we need to make sure this country changes direction.”
He said ACT’s preference was for “a tight working relationship with the Nats to carry out a plan that will fix New Zealand’s inflation, lawlessness and division”.
“However if they’re not prepared to commit to a strong plan, we’re quite happy to say no to the baubles, sit a little bit further away and work it through issue by issue.”
He said that would be more difficult for both parties but ACT was prepared to do that.
“We’re more committed to policies than positions for politicians.”
He said there was momentum behind the ACT Party.
Regarding the preferred prime minister numbers, and that voters did not seem convinced by either Hipkins or Luxon, Seymour said that meant it was an election about policy, not personality.
He said ACT’s influence over National, if the election delivered it, would be “collegial and constructive”.
'Take this country forward'
National leader Christopher Luxon said the poll showed New Zealanders thought the country was headed in the wrong direction under Labour.
“I back our ideas to take this country forward.”
On the preferred prime minister numbers, Luxon parried to the strength of the party.
“Really, it’s about, I think, a National-led government that will be strong and stable, focused on the economy, that has the leadership, the ideas, and it has the energy to take the country forward, is what it’s all about.
“We’re seeing is a Government that’s tired, it’s out of ideas, frankly it’s out of touch and I think it’s increasingly out of time.”
'Harmful and dangerous'
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said the National Party wanted to go “in the exact opposite direction” to the Greens in climate action.
“That’s quite harmful and dangerous and what we are focused on is making sure that the Greens have got the biggest influence [in the next government].”
She said Labour’s poll result was a question for Labour but the Greens were focused on issues to do with climate change, ending poverty and addressing housing.
Davidson said a vote for the Greens would increase the chance of a progressive government.
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