Two polls show budget bounce for Nats
So-called Labour lite budget lets the goverment move beyond the Oravida scandal; positions it strongly just four months out from the election.
Be it a strategic shift to the left ahead of the September 20 election, sound economic stewardship, an attempt at a circuit-breaker after the Collins and Williamson scandals (or all of the above), the Budget seems to have done the trick for National.
Two post-Budget polls show the party increasing its lead over over the opposition.
A 3News Reid Research poll has National up 4.4% to 50.3% support
A OneNews-Colmar Brunton poll has the party up 4% to 51%.
3News-Reid Research has Labour down 1.7% to 29.5%, and the Greens down 1.0% to 10.2%.
The One-News Colmar Brunton poll has Labour down 1% to 30% and the Greens unchanged on 11%.
Both polls had NZ First scraping over the MMP threshold (OneNews: 5.0%, TV3: 5.6%), but there would be no kingmaker role for Winston Peters, with National about to govern with ACT and United Future, assuming they keep their seats.
The minor parties are in the margin of error in both polls.
The only one to register above 1% is the Conservatives on 2.3% in 3News' poll (OneNews has the part on 1%).
Neither poll gives Mana and the Internet Party enough support to bring an extra MP in on Mana leader Hone Harawira's coat-tails if he holds his electorate, where he faces a strong challenge from Labour.
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Two polls show budget bounce for Nats
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