Act support up after leadership change

A poll shows Act's support has increased since Don Brash took over as leader. Photo / Janna Dixon

Support for the Act Party has increased since Don Brash's successful leadership bid, with the latest poll showing the party would pass the 5 per cent threshold to get into Parliament.

Act received 3.65 per cent of the party vote in the 2008 election, but has five MPs in Parliament because then-leader Rodney Hide was voted in as MP for the Epsom, giving the party four list seats.

The online Horizon poll, conducted over two days last week, found support for Act had increased to 5.3 per cent, up from 3.7 per cent last month, giving it enough support to get into Parliament without winning an electorate seat.

People participate in Horizon polls by joining a website, and can win prizes for participating.

The weighted poll of 1744 respondents had a maximum margin of error of 2.3 per cent at a 95 per cent confidence level.

The poll suggests Act's leadership change has attracted back supporters, with voter loyalty from those who voted Act in the 2008 election increasing from 42.7 per cent last month to 64.4 per cent this month.

It found 15.6 per cent of Act voters supported the leadership change, with 56.2 per cent saying they were neutral and 28.3 per cent opposed.

Labour made the biggest gain in the poll, up from 23.9 per cent support last month to 26.9 per cent this month. National dropped slightly, from 37.7 per cent in April to 36.6 per cent.

The poll found Hone Harawira's new Mana Party had greater support than the Maori Party, with 2.3 per cent compared with the Maori Party's 2.1 per cent - both within the poll's margin of error.

It found 11.3 per cent supported the formation of the Mana Party, while 5.16 per cent were opposed and 37.2 per cent were neutral.

Nearly half the respondents, or 49.7 per cent, said the Mana Party was unattractive to them, and 36.8 per cent thought it would weaken the Maori Party.

- NZPA