National climbs closer to record high in latest poll

Prime Minister John Key. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The National Government's support has risen to near record levels while Labour's polling has fallen below the 30 per cent mark in a 3News poll reported last night.

According to the Reid Research poll, National's support was up 2.9 percentage points to 57.5 per cent, not far off the record 60 per cent it hit in the same poll two years ago.

Labour was down 3.8 percentage points to 27.1 per cent.

The Greens were down half a point to 7.7 per cent, NZ First down half a point to 2.8 per cent.

The Maori Party was up marginally at 2.5, and Act picked itself up off the floor, rising 1.1 points to 1.7 per cent, while United Future remained the cellar dweller at 0.2 per cent.

Labour also fared poorly by the preferred prime minister measure. As Prime Minister John Key rose a touch to 52.4 per cent, Phil Goff remained at 6.8 per cent.

Commenting on the result, Mr Key told 3News National was "very focused on the issues that matter to New Zealanders - they are in relation to the economy, the earthquake, law and order".

"The contrast between us and Labour is that Labour are focused on themselves."

Mr Goff, who in the past month has had to contend with the Darren Hughes affair, rumours of a leadership coup, and Damien O'Connor's criticism of the party's list selection process, acknowledged it had been "a couple of hard weeks in politics".

The poll questions 1000 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 per cent.