Chris Hipkins insists Labour hasn't lost momentum despite drop in support
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins denies that the Labour Party has lost momentum despite a recent dip in polling numbers. He argues that the current political climate shows a trend toward a change of government and maintains that Labour remains a strong contender for the upcoming election.
Why it matters
The polling data reflects the shifting political landscape in New Zealand ahead of a highly competitive general election.
Chris Hipkins insists Labour hasn't lost its momentum, despite dropping in support since January.
He says the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll shows what other polls are showing, "which is a trend away from the National Party, a trend towards a change of government."
Labour is maintaining its hold on the top spot at 34 percent , despite a drop in support of 1.6 points since March, in the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll.
National has slumped to its lowest level of support since Christopher Luxon became leader, falling 2.1 points to 28.7 percent.
Speaking to RNZ's Morning Report , Hipkins said the drop in support for the major parties, and the increasing support for the minor parties, was a reflection of "how weak" the National Party was as a first-term party leading a government.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in