Polls show students favour National

Madeline Thompson, 13, was one of the Year 9 students at Tauranga Girls' College who took part in the Electoral Commission's Kids Voting programme and mock voted yesterday. Photo / George Novak

National is heavily favoured to win Saturday's election according to two polls of Tauranga Girls' College students.

Monday's survey saw National preferred by nearly half of the 17 and 18-year-old Year 13 students, followed by Greens on 22 per cent and Labour a distant third at 11.7 per cent.

The electoral traction provided by Kim Dotcom helped push the Internet/Mana coalition to 5.2 per cent support from the 77 girls who took part in the survey - nearly double the support since the same poll was taken in June.

The girls were asked: "If the election was held today, which party would you support?"

The other big winner since the June survey was New Zealand First which surged from 1.9 per cent support to 5.2 per cent on Monday.

Support for New Zealand First and Internet/Mana appeared to be at the expense of Labour whose popularity slumped 5 per cent since June.

The Conservatives were also heading towards the 5 per cent threshold, achieving nearly 4 per cent of the party vote.

Asked who was their preferred Prime Minister, 57 per cent of the girls named John Key, with Labour and the Greens leaders trailing a distant second and third.

Meanwhile, if a group of Tauranga Girls' College students have got it right, the National Party would struggle to form a government on its own on Saturday night, while Labour and the Greens are neck-neck in their poll.

Ninety Year 9 students using replica ballot papers to vote for real parties and real candidates took part in a mock general election at a pooling booth set up at the college yesterday. Like the real election, the students were asked to cast their votes after participating in an Electoral Commission run Kids Voting programme, aimed at teaching them more about the electoral system, and raising their awareness of the important role government plays in their lives.

Students including Madeline Thompson, 13, and 14-year-old Cleo Wearne said participating in the programme had taught them valuable tools to use in the ultimate decision-making process.

That included undertaking a comprehensive analysis of each party's policies, both major and minor, and looking at how those policies would impact on them and their families, they said.

Both girls, who voted for National to remain in power, said they believed the party deserved another three years to cement what the National-led government had started to do, which had helped to strengthen the economy and ensure the country headed "in the right direction".

Poll results

Y13 Tauranga Girls' poll

PARTY SUPPORT

National 49.4%
Greens 22%
Labour 11.7%
New Zealand First 5.2%
Internet/Mana 5.2%
Conservatives 3.9%
Maori 1.8%
Act 1.8%

PREFERRED PM

John Key (National) 57.5%
David Cunliffe (Labour) 13.7%
Russell Norman & Metiria Turei (Greens) 9.6%
Winston Peters (NZ First) 6.8%
Jamie Whyte (Act) 5.5%
Te Ururoa Flavell (Maori) 4.1%
Hone Harawira (Mana) 1.8%

Y9 Tauranga Girls' poll

PARTY SUPPORT

National 41%
Labour 16%
Greens 14%
New Zealand First 8%
Internet/Mana 7%
United Future 5%
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party 5%
Conservatives 1%
Maori 1%
The Civilian Party 1%

CANDIDATES

Simon Bridges (National) 43%
Ian McLean (Green Party) 19%
Rachel Jones (Labour) 19 %
Clayton Mitchell (NZ First) 7%
Verna Ohia-Gate (Maori Party) 5%
Nathan Heslop (Conservative) 4%
Rusty Kane (Independent) 1%
Yvette Lamare (Independent) 1%