KEY POINTS:
Another post-budget opinion poll has shown support for the Government slipping and the National Party on the rise.
The New Zealand Morgan poll taken between May 19 and June 1 - the budget was delivered on May 22 - has National up 1.5 points to 50.5 per cent and Labour down three points to 32 per cent.
It shows a significant fall in Labour's Auckland support since the budget, down 7.5 points to 27 per cent.
National's vote in Auckland increased 5.5 points to 56.5 per cent.
At the beginning of this month a TV One poll showed Labour down six points to 29 per cent and National up one point to 55 per cent.
TV3's poll on the same night showed Labour dropping three points to 35 per cent and National up two points to 50 per cent.
A New Zealand Herald poll at the end of last month, which was taken on either side of the budget date, did not show much change.
In that poll, Labour dropped one point to 36.2 per cent and National lost 0.6 of a point to 51.5 per cent.
The average gap between the main parties in those four polls was 18.7 points, which is high for this stage of the election cycle.
Labour has a huge task ahead to close the gap between now and the election, which is expected in late October or early November.
All four post-budget polls show National would win enough seats to govern on its own, without needing coalition or support parties.
The latest poll is in line with others on the minor parties.
Only the Greens, who score 7 per cent, are above the 5 per cent threshold for the party vote that has to be reached for parties to have MPs in Parliament without holding an electorate seat.
- NZPA
