Te Pāti Māori could decide next election - poll

Te Pati Maori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. Photo / Mark Mitchell

By Will Trafford of Maori Television

Te Pāti Māori could decide the outcome of the next election according to results from the latest Newshub Reid Research political poll.

The poll sees Labour drop six percentage points to just over 38 per cent while National has leapt nine points to 40.5 per cent.

The polling would see the combination of National and ACT receiving 47.5 per cent, in contrast to another Labour, Greens deal receiving just 44 per cent of the vote. Adding the 2.5 per cent votes garnered by Te Pāti Māori would be enough to push a National, ACT coalition over the 50 per cent threshold to govern.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi wouldn't rule out being part of a National, ACT coalition this morning but said it would require a "realignment" of National and ACT's approach to Te Tiriti issues.

"If they can start to re-align to catering to a more Te Tiriti-centric Aotearoa, then we can have those discussions but at this particular time we're not hearing that.

"There was strong support for National once upon a time ... Te Tiriti o Waitangi allows us to create a system that is fair, that is just, that is equitable for all," he said.

Waititi says the decision on who the Māori Party would go with is also up to co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Waititi added Labour's policies were headed in the right direction but might not be progressive enough.