Jacinda Ardern remains most popular politician as Luxon slumps in new poll
Thursday, 19 June 2025
Jacinda Ardern remains New Zealand’s most popular political figure, according to a new poll which reveals a stark contrast between the favourability of the former prime minister and current PM Christopher Luxon.
In the latest The Post /Freshwater Strategy Poll with Infrastructure NZ, Ardern recorded a net favourability of +12, the highest of any figure surveyed.
Nearly half of voters (46%) viewed her positively, up four points since the poll was conducted in November 2024, while 27% viewed her unfavourably.
That surge comes off the back of a blaze of publicity for her new memoir and a new documentary about her five-year premiership.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins also saw an improvement, registering a net favourability of +4— up five points — with 36% of voters viewing him positively and 32% negatively.
In contrast, Luxon’s standing has continued to decline.
His net favourability fell to -18, down two points, with just 31% of voters holding a favourable view and nearly half (49%) viewing him unfavourably.
Among political parties, Labour holds a net favourability of +6 (42% favourable), compared with National on -8 (37% favourable). The Greens are further behind at -14, while ACT is on -22, and Te Pāti Māori trails with -29.
ACT leader David Seymour and Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick both posted net favourability ratings of -12, with Seymour’s support dropping eight points since November.
Winston Peters, despite a net favourability of -11, saw a 13-point improvement, suggesting a resurgence in voter appeal.
Since November, approval ratings have risen for Hipkins and Peters, while Luxon is decreasing.
International figures fared poorly: Donald Trump recorded a net favourability of -49, and Elon Musk wasn’t far behind on -38.
Even King Charles III rated more favourably than many local politicians, with a net approval of +11— 33% of voters hold a positive view of the monarch.
Leadership head-to-head
The poll also quizzed respondents on leadership attributes, and revealed voters see Hipkins as stronger across a wide range of personal and leadership qualities — with Luxon only narrowly leading in two areas.
Voters were asked which leader best fits specific statements.
Luxon led on making the right decisions for NZ, even if unpopular, with a net lead of +5 (40% chose Luxon, 35% Hipkins).
He was also in front on spending taxpayers’ money wisely, with a net lead of +5 (38% Luxon, 33% Hipkins).
However, Hipkins leads across all other tested leadership traits — in some cases by wide margins:
Responding best to a national crisis: Hipkins +4
Making decisions to improve my life: Hipkins +6
Most relatable: Hipkins +9
Understands what me and my family are going through: Hipkins +18
Most likely to reduce carbon emissions and improve the environment: Hipkins +19
The biggest gap is on empathy — where 43% say Hipkins best understands their personal and family situation, compared with just 24% for Luxon.
Luxon’s leads on “tough decisions” and “fiscal responsibility” have shrunk by three points each since November. He also lost five points on the empathy measure, suggesting he’s struggling to connect with middle New Zealand.
Hipkins is the preferred companion for a long car journey, leading Luxon by 10 points.
Despite this, a quarter of voters remain undecided or unsure on many of the comparisons.
The poll, conducted between June 12 and 15, surveyed 1,150 voters and has a margin of error of approximately +/- 3%.