National slips, NZ First rises: voters are sending a message
The latest polling is grim for Christopher Luxon and the New Zealand National Party. Support is slipping again, and what was meant to be a steady alternative is starting to look uncertain and out of touch.
Luxon still struggles to connect. The corporate polish is there, but conviction is not. Voters are not just looking for tidy talking points, they want leadership. Right now, National feels reactive rather than in control.
Meanwhile, New Zealand First is rising. Under Winston Peters, it is once again tapping into voters who feel ignored by the political mainstream. It is not flashy, but it is effective.
Even more concerning for National, the New Zealand Labour Party remains ahead.
The RNZ poll, published this morning, puts Labour in the top spot on 35.6%, up 0.6 points from January, while National is down 1.1 points to 30.8%.
New Zealand First continues its upward trajectory, climbing 0.8 points to 10.6%, its highest score since July 2017.
The Greens are on 10.1% (up 0.5 points), Act is on 7% (down 0.6 points) and Te Pāti Māori sits at 3.2% (up 0.2 points).
