KEY POINTS:
Health is by far the most important issue for Labour supporters and law and order is the most important issue for National supporters, according to the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey.
The environment is also creeping up the priority ratings but is viewed as most important by more than twice as many Labour voters as National.
Health remains the No 1 issue among all voters, as 17.8 per cent rate it the top priority (24 per cent for Labour voters and 15.7 for National).
Law and order rates second on 13.4 per cent (11.5 per cent for Labour and 21.6 for National) followed by education on 9.7 per cent and environment on 9.4 per cent (13.2 per cent for Labour and 4 per cent for National).
In the last poll in December, the environment was rated as the most important issue by only 5.2 per cent.
Health is almost always rated the most important issue - the notable exception being during the 2005 election, when taxation pipped it.
The environment's rise reflects the higher priorities both major parties are giving to policies to address climate change.
Prime Minister Helen Clark announced at the Labour Party conference last October plans that foreshadow climate change issues as among her top priorities.
That was followed up by making "sustainability" the theme of her formal Prime Minister's statement to Parliament on February 14.
The economy is the top issue for fewer people now than in December (4.2 per cent compared to 7.3).
And the number of people who think the Government is heading in the right direction is higher (46 per cent compared to 43.9).
Despite those positive results for the Government, fewer people than before think the economy will do better in the next 12 months (34.8 per cent compared to 39.8); 24.6 per cent think it will get worse (26) and 22.9 per cent (23) think it will be about the same.
In the battle of the sexes between National and Labour, women are now more evenly split between National and Labour than they were before, when they leaned more heavily towards Labour.
Of all the women respondents, 43.2 per cent support National compared with 42.6 per cent for Labour.
That is in contrast with last time when 47 per cent supported Labour and just 36.6 per cent National.
And the tendency for males to be over-represented in National Party supporters figures may also be undergoing change.
Among male respondents, 43 per cent support National and 38.6 per cent Labour.
That is also more evenly spread than in the December poll, when 49.5 per cent of men supported National and only 36.1 per cent supported Labour.
