KEY POINTS:
Labour has gained support in the latest One News Colmar-Brunton poll but is still trailing National.
The poll shows Labour on 39 per cent support - up three points from the last One News poll in October - and National on 46 per cent, down three.
The poll contrasts with a TV3 TNS poll released two weeks ago which put Labour on 44 per cent support and National on 41.
The poll, which surveyed 1000 people, also shows National leader John Key racing up in the preferred prime minister stakes with 27 per cent support, up from 11 per cent in October.
The support puts him just five points behind Prime Minister Helen Clark, on 32 per cent.
The Greens are on 7 per cent, up one, the Maori Party on 3 per cent, up one, New Zealand First down one on 2 per cent and Act and United Future steady on 1 per cent. If the results were translated into an election with United Future, the Maori Party, Act and the Progressives holding on to their electorate seats both National and Labour would need the support of the Maori Party to govern.
The result would give National 57, Labour 48, the Greens nine, the Maori Party four and Act, United Future and the Progressives one apiece.
- NZPA
