Barry Soper: Nats rock-solid but Jacinda not quite the rock star she was

The opinion polls are in revealing what we think about Winston Peters, Jacinda Ardern and Simon Bridges. Photos / File

Opinion polls are fairly meaningless at this stage in an election cycle but at least they do give an indication of how well everyone's settling into their new jobs.

There have been two over the past 48 hours and they tell us that National's support has been rock solid in the mid forties which is where it's incredibly remained for the past decade.

It's unusual in that most would have expected a dip after they were counted out at the last election by Winston Peters.

Winston Peters and his party have been hammered in the polls. Photo / File

It's Peters himself though and his party that's been hammered, now at only half the strength it needs to make it back into Parliament, in one poll and still too low in the other which sends a clear message to him, his supporters didn't like the decision he made anointing Labour and what he's done with it since.

Labour didn't get the bounce it could have expected after its first Budget, which hardly set the world on fire, but was a solid workmanlike effort from Grant Robertson. At least the party's hanging in at just over 42 per cent of the vote.

But the fairy dust surrounding Jacinda Ardern seems to have settled; not even her well publicised meetings with European leaders and her rock star treatment at the Commonwealth leaders summit in London, seems to have done that much for her.

The fairy dust surrounding Jacinda Ardern seems to have settled. Photo / File

Around 40 per cent prefer her as Prime Minister, nowhere near as many who climbed on the John Key bandwagon when he was at the same stage of his reign at the top, at well over 50 per cent and climbing much higher as time went on.

Perhaps the cute baby photos in a couple of weeks time will do the trick for her.

The politician who should be a little concerned about these polls is Simon Bridges after three months in his job.

Simon Bridges has got to do a lot of work to get better known; even he acknowledges that. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

Scraping up just 9 per cent support in one poll and 12 in the other, shows he's got to do a lot of work to get better known; even he acknowledges that.

The one smiling from ear to ear is Judith Crusher Collins. She showed how chuffed she was to finally make it on to the leader board at 3.7 per cent in one poll and 2 per cent in the other that she gave aw shucks interviews about it.

Judith Crusher Collins finally made it on to the leader board at 3.7 per cent in one poll and 2 per cent in the other. Photo / File

Bridges said of her appearance that like many in his caucus she's doing a fantastic job. Just how good of a job she'll do will depend on how bad he is at the job.

Leading one of the biggest Oppositions in the country's history, probably the biggest, brings with it a lot of idle hands and as the clock counts down to the next election they'll be looking for work.