Shipley jumps to lead as preferred PM

By Vernon Small

Jenny Shipley has vaulted ahead of Helen Clark as preferred prime minister, after a high-profile month on the international stage.

A New Zealand Herald-DigiPoll survey found Mrs Shipley the preferred leader of 24.7 per cent of those polled, a 50 per cent rise on the 16 per cent she scored in the previous monthly poll.

Labour leader Helen Clark was the first choice of 18.3 per cent, little changed on her 18.8 per cent backing in early September.

Among women voters, Mrs Shipley had 28.9 per cent to Helen Clark's 17.6 per cent. Men were more evenly divided - 21.6 per cent for Mrs Shipley and 18.9 per cent for Helen Clark.

The survey, taken between September 23 and October 1, follows Mrs Shipley's chairing of Apec, including the enthusiastically received visit by President Bill Clinton, and the Government's decision to send troops to East Timor.

Asked whether Apec had been good for the country, 66.9 per cent of those polled thought it had been, while 19.2 per cent said "no."

Approval has risen sharply since a Herald-DigiPoll survey taken before Apec, when only 46.2 per cent thought it would benefit the country, and 41 per cent thought it would not.

Although Mrs Shipley's star has risen in the past month, her party has only slightly reduced Labour's lead. National's support, 33.8 per cent, is down 1.9 percentage points since early September, while Labour is down 3.6 at 40.2 per cent, leaving it with the numbers to hold a knife-edge majority in Parliament with the help of the Alliance.

The poll for preferred prime minister saw support for minor party leaders little changed. New Zealand First's Winston Peters was preferred by 6.2 per cent, slightly lower than the 6.9 per cent he scored in September in the wake of his successful Winebox appeal.

Alliance leader Jim Anderton recovered to 5.3 per cent support, after dropping to 4.4 per cent a month ago.

Other politicians to rate included Act leader Richard Prebble, 1.9 per cent, and the Treasurer Bill English, 1.7.

The poll of 867 people has a 3.3 per cent margin of error.