New poll has National just in the 30s - but Labour winning Government

Sunday, 19 April 2026

A new poll has National crashing down to 30% support while Labour soars to 37% - and Government.

The poll comes as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon faces increased pressure on his leadership, after a string of polls had the party below 30% support.

The 1 News/Verian poll, released on Sunday night, had slightly better results for National, with the party managing 30% - down four points on the last poll released in February. But unlike those other polls it shows no path to Government for Luxon.

In full the results were:

• Labour: 37% (+5)

• National: 30% (-4)

• Greens: 11% (no change)

• NZ First: 10% (no change)

• ACT: 7% (-2)

• The Opportunity Party: 3% (+2)

• Te Pāti Māori (TPM): 2% (no change)

These results are quite different from other recently released polls, with NZ First a lot lower and the Greens and Labour higher.

This is the worst result for National in this poll since the last election.

Read more:

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• Luxon says he has caucus behind him, and would win an election if held today

On these results the left bloc would win a majority of seats in Parliament, presuming TPM wins a single electorate seat. If it didn’t, Parliament would be evenly divided, with no path to power for either major party leader.

If TPM won a single electorate seat, the left bloc would cross the 61-seat governing line - with 46 seats for Labour, 14 for the Green Party, and two for TPM. National would have 37 seats, NZ First 12, and ACT 9.

Hipkins on top in preferred PM

Labour leader Chris Hipkins was ahead in the preferred prime ministerial stakes.

Hipkins was down one point to 19% but ahead of Luxon, who was on 16% - down four points.

Attorney-General Christopher Bishop popped up in the preferred prime minister question - at 2%. NZ First leader Winston Peters was up two points to 12% while Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was up one point to 6%, and ACT leader David Seymour steady at 4%.

Bishop was on Q+A on Sunday morning and repeatedly said that no one that he knew of in National’s caucus wanted Luxon to resign as leader.

He did say the party had to do better, however.

“This is a National Party who wants to be returned to Government and wants National to be returned in solid numbers, more of my colleagues to come back to power as well. I want to lift our vote above what we got at the last election.”