National surges ahead in the polls, Ukraine war enters the third week of devastation and job ad listings are still at record highs in the latest NZ Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald
The world is still talking about Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern - but the narrative has begun to shift after a critical poll showed her popularity has dropped.
Ardern has been a frequent feature in international news pages over recent years, obtaining a higher profile than any other New Zealand Prime Minister in living memory for her leadership during a string of national tragedies and the Covid pandemic.
But that gloss may be wearing off overseas as news from New Zealand filters through, showing that Kiwis may be looking elsewhere for their next PM.
National has rated higher than Labour in the latest 1News-Kantar poll for the first time in more than two years, and could form a Government with Act if Te Pāti Māori fails to win an electorate seat and gets knocked out of Parliament.
National has surged 7 points to 39 per cent to take the lead in the latest poll - the first since January.
Labour has dropped 3 points to 37 per cent. It is the first time National has been ahead of Labour since February 2020, a month before the Covid 19 pandemic tore through the world and New Zealand was plunged into lockdown.
Christopher Luxon was up 8 points to 25 per cent in the preferred prime minister stakes, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern was down just 1 point to 34 per cent.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saw her Labour Party dip below National for the first time in two years. Photo / Pool
International news agency Bloomberg played it straight with its coverage, highlighting our concurrent rise in prices and Covid cases as potential factors in the seismic shift.
It also noted that National had left behind its chaotic recent past to become "more settled" under the leadership of Christopher Luxon.
That measured tone was not matched in the Daily Mail, which took a typically tabloid tone in suggesting that "furious New Zealanders are turning against Jacinda Ardern".
The Mail carried copy from the Australian Associated Press, which laid the blame for Jacinda's poll plunge with our "generationally high inflation" and Omicron outbreak, while also making mention of the violent protests at Parliament.
Australia's news.com.au headlined a story on the latest poll: "Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party in trouble with latest New Zealand poll results."
The article noted "Kiwis may be turning against Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party" and mentioned the Omicron outbreak, "mass dissent among the vaccine-hesitant" and the rise in inflation as factors in the latest poll results.
"New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is in trouble ... with the opposing National Party now the preferred option to lead the country."
National leader Christopher Luxon told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking this morning people wanted strong economic leadership and there was a sense that the Government had lost direction.
"We've got some big challenges to work through - the cost of living is going to be a big one to work through in the next few years - but we've also got some massive opportunities out there in the world.
National leader Christopher Luxon had plenty to celebrate last night when the poll results landed. Photo / Michael Craig
"It's a pretty exciting future for this country. If we can just work our way through challenges and get focused on winning again would be great."
Ardern appeared unconcerned by the polls, saying: "My focus rather than being on polls is on people."
