Budget fails to give Labour poll boost

By HELEN TUNNAH, deputy political editor

Tariana Turia's new Maori Party has begun to register in the polls as Labour continues to drift behind National despite last week's Budget handouts.

Troubled political times that hit both the main parties in the last month have not caused either to slide.

But neither has Labour's $3 billion family assistance spendup delivered it an immediate popularity boost.

The Herald-DigiPoll survey shows National retaining its lead over Labour by 44 per cent to 36.1 per cent.

The gap back to the other parties remains wide and New Zealand First is the only one to clear the 5 per cent threshold.

The result shows a minor slip for both main parties since the last DigiPoll, in February.

Taken soon after Don Brash's landmark Orewa speech on race relations, it showed National had moved clear of Labour, 45.5 per cent to 37 per cent.

The result reflects a One News-Colmar Brunton poll taken the week before the Budget which showed a 10-point gap between the parties.

An NBR-Phillips Fox poll published last Friday put Labour one point ahead of National.

Labour appears to have arrested its post-Orewa slide despite having to weather several storms last month, including the 20,000-strong hikoi to Parliament, rebel MP Tariana Turia's resignation and its ill-judged proposal effectively to decriminalise underage sex.

National remains ahead of Labour despite its lack of clarity over its nuclear policy.

But the Budget delivered last Thursday, the first day the five-day poll began, has not given Labour the kickstart it sought.

Instead, the party vote support for Mrs Turia and her new Maori Party, to be launched on July 11, indicates it could be a force in the next Parliament.

The party secured 2.4 per cent, enough to give it three MPs if Mrs Turia can hold on to her Maori electorate seat.

Helen Clark's rating as preferred prime minister continues to fall. She has now slipped from 40.4 per cent in February to 34.4 per cent this month.

Mr Brash's support has risen marginally, from 28.9 per cent to 29.8 per cent.

The poll of 712 voters was taken between May 27 and June 1, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 per cent.