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New Zealand voters' confidence in the economy improved over the past three months to its highest level in 17 months, an opinion poll shows.
The One News Colmar Brunton poll showed 36 per cent of respondents were optimistic about the country's economy over the next 12 months, compared with 32 per cent in the last survey in October.
Those expecting a deterioration fell to 33 per cent from 42 per cent, making it the first time since mid-September 2005 that the number of optimists outnumbered pessimists.
