Labour edging Maori Party in key East Coast region

A poll shows Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia holding the lead over his Maori Party opponent Atareta Poananga in the Ikaroa-Rawhiti electorate.

The Marae-Digipoll survey of 400 voters gave Mr Horomia 53 per cent of the vote compared with Ms Poananga's 40 per cent.

When voters were asked where they would put their party vote, 46.8 per cent said Labour and 37.7 per cent the Maori Party.

New Zealand First was third with 8.8 per cent and National fourth on 3.6 per cent.

And a Fairfax/ACNielsen poll released on Saturday had Labour in the lead.

The poll for the Dominion Post newspaper put Labour on 42 per cent party vote support and one point ahead of National on 41 per cent. The Greens were on 6 per cent , NZ First was steady on 6 per cent, United Future on 2 per cent, while the Maori Party and Act were each down one point to 1 per cent.

- NZPA