Up, up and away? At last, a significant surge in David Shearer's rating as most preferred prime minister. The popularity of the unassuming Labour leader has jumped by more than five percentage points to just over 18 per cent in today's poll.
The sudden increase will be a major boost to Shearer's confidence after three days' worth of being pilloried by all and sundry over his $50,000-plus American bank account which he failed to declare in the MPs' Register of Pecuniary Interests.
The rise is vindication aplenty for Shearer's belief that solid personal poll ratings are built on substance rather than false pizzazz and pretending to be someone you are not.
Taking the former approach meant he had a pretty torrid first year as leader and failed to convince doubters in his party that he is up to the job.
Today's poll should go some way towards silencing those critics. It will serve as justification for the Labour caucus decision to back the unflashy Shearer ahead of the more colourful, more heart-on-sleeve David Cunliffe. The poll might even have a slight band-wagoning effect as voters realise it's now okay to like Shearer.