Labour holds eight-point lead in latest poll

Labour holds an eight-point lead over National and, with the Greens, would have a majority in Parliament if an election were held now, a poll released last evening shows.

The TV One-Colmar Brunton poll had Labour steady on 45 per cent support, with National down four points to 37 per cent.

The Greens picked up three points, moving to 6 per cent, and New Zealand First was down one point, also on 6 per cent.

Act was steady on 2 per cent, United Future and the Maori Party were both steady on 1 per cent, and the Destiny Party also had 1 per cent support.

The Greens' rise to above the 5 per cent threshold is crucial -- it has no electorate seat and will have no MPs if it can't get past the barrier on election night.

But 6 per cent support gives it eight seats, and a Labour-Greens majority of 64 in the 120-member Parliament.

Added to that would be at least one seat from the Progressive Party, which did not register in the poll although Jim Anderton is expected to retain his Wigram electorate.

National could not make it, even with the help of NZ First, United Future, and the Maori Party.

The poll does not consider the possibility of the Maori Party winning more than one electorate.

In the preferred prime minister poll, Helen Clark was up two points to 43 per cent and National's leader Don Brash was down four points to 21 per cent.

Greens co-leader Rod Donald told NZPA that climbing above 5 per cent was the "perfect result" for his party to launch its campaign.

"It delivers the clean coalition between Labour and the Greens that the country wants," he said.

"Our lift is a direct consequence of Helen Clark and Jeanette Fitzsimons (the other Green co-leader) being seen together and working together in a united campaign."

Labour and the Greens have buried the differences that caused both parties problems in the 2002 election campaign, and are working together this time.

The One News-Colmar Brunton poll questioned 1000 voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 per cent.

- NZPA