New zealand’s ruling party plunges in polls, PM luxon rules out resigning

New Zealand National Party Polls at 4-Year Low, PM Luxon Rules Out Resignation

National Party Support Drops Amid Leadership and Economic Concerns

March 6 (Reuters) - Support for New Zealand’s ruling National party has fallen to its lowest level in more than four years and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is no longer voters’ preferred leader, polling showed on Friday.

The monthly Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll showed support for the conservative Nationals dropped 2.9 points to 28.4%, the worst showing for the party since late 2021.

Declining Popularity of Luxon and Coalition Government

Luxon, 55, and his coalition government, which has been in power since the 2023 election, have lost popularity over the past year due to a weakening economy and higher unemployment. The decline exposes the centre-right bloc to strong competition from the Labour party which has seen its polling numbers improve in recent months.

Speculation Over Luxon's Leadership

While the poll results fuelled speculation of Luxon’s resignation, he told local media he would "absolutely not" stand aside ahead of a general election on November 7. 

"We’ve got a lot of work to do and I’ve got skills that are actually very useful at this time when we’re trying to navigate some challenging global environments," he told Newstalk ZB.

"Our biggest challenge in this country is our economy, and I understand our economy well."

Coalition Partners' Polling Performance

The Nationals' coalition partners New Zealand First and ACT polled at 9.7% and 7.5% respectively. 

Labour Party Gains and Election Implications

Labour's Rising Support

LABOUR GAINS GROUND

Support for Labour rose 0.3 points to 34.4%, while the Greens recorded 10.5% and Te Pati Maori at 3.2%. 

Potential for Centre-Left Government

That would translate to 61 seats at the election, enough for the three parties to form government as a centre-left bloc, the poll said. 

New Zealand has used a mixed-member proportional electoral system since 1996, making coalitions the norm.

Leadership Approval Ratings

The poll, which surveyed 1,000 people, also found approval for Luxon fell 1 point to 21%. 

Labour leader Chris Hipkins gained 4.7 points to 22.7%, overtaking Luxon as preferred prime minister.

Criticism of Luxon's Policies

Luxon, the former CEO of Air New Zealand, has faced criticism for some of his policies, including the closure of a separate health authority for indigenous people and a lack of funding increases for frontline employees.

(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Saad Sayeed)