New Poll Shakes Up New Zealand Politics: Coalition Still Strong Despite Labour and National Losses

New Zealand's political landscape has shifted following the release of a new 1News-Verian poll. The survey, conducted from May 24th to 28th, shows a decline in support for both the ruling Labour Party and the opposition National Party. Labour's support dipped 3 percentage points to 29%, while National fell 2 points to 34%. Despite these losses, a potential coalition government of National, NZ First, and ACT would still hold a majority of seats with 63. This comes after the government's second budget, which included controversial measures such as an investment boost policy and cuts to KiwiSaver contributions. The poll reveals a more positive outlook for other parties. The Green Party saw a 2-point surge to 12%, and NZ First experienced an increase of 1 point, reaching 8% – its highest in the poll in about eight years. ACT saw a 1-point drop, remaining at 8%. Te Pāti Māori is up 1 point at 4%. 'The fact that ACT is still, by and large, on the same results that we had on election night is not surprising,' commented Brooke van Velden, Deputy Leader of ACT, during an interview on Herald NOW. The poll, based on 1002 eligible voters, offers a snapshot of public opinion following the release of the government's budget. The results highlight the dynamic nature of New Zealand's political scene and the ongoing impact of the government's policies.