Poll: Swarbrick says Kiwis already 'incredibly frustrated' with Govt

Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says the Government’s poor result in the latest 1News Verian poll is down to the public rejecting its approach.

But ACT leader David Seymour - part of the coalition Government - says New Zealanders are facing tough times and incumbent governments tend to bear the brunt of that at the polls.

He also said the tough times were due to the actions of the previous, Labour-led Government, and it’s too early for New Zealanders to enjoy the rewards of the new Government’s policies.

The 1News Verian poll, released this evening, suggests if an election were held today, the coalition Government would be no more - and a left-wing Labour-led government could be returned to power.

The poll had all three coalition parties down on the previous 1News Verian poll, and New Zealand First below the 5% threshold to return to Parliament. It meant the Government would not have the numbers to form a majority in Parliament. However, Labour and the Greens were both up, increasing their numbers to - with Te Pāti Māori’s six seats - secure a majority.

ACT was on 7%, down 1% on the last poll.

Seymour said his party was polling “high compared to its historic support” although not as high as its polling peaks.

He said the result showed it was “not doing too bad”.

“New Zealanders are grim because of the economy, going into winter, potentially rising unemployment - that will always hurt a party in government. But we also are still yet to show the effects of the policies we’re putting in place, having only really got our feet under the desk at the beginning of this year.”

Regarding the poll being the party’s worst result in two years, Seymour said the two years had been the “highest performing” of ACT’s history.

“You always want more support.

“I remember year after year I used to bang away and 7% was a dream. If you’re trying to tell me that’s now a nightmare then I’m a pretty happy guy.”

He said there was a tough economy and the Government was working to turn it around, but there was a “hangover” from the previous government.

“We have to come now and take away the punch bowl from the party that’s gone on too long. That won’t make you popular, but we’re not voting this year, people are going to vote on the economic management of this government over several years.”

Seymour said he did not believe there was an issue of trust between the Government and public, as Labour leader Chris Hipkins had intimated.

Instead it was to do with a “broken economy” the Government had inherited “from the last government”.

Green Party co-leader Swarbrick said the poll result was “pretty cool”.

“It probably reflects that consistent, evidence-based policies and advocacy are resonating with people.”

She said New Zealanders told her they were “incredibly frustrated” with the Government’s direction.

“It speaks to the lack of popularity with their agenda which is shredding progress we’ve made on climate change over the past six years as well as quite intentionally increasing inequality. And frankly, New Zealanders are rebuking that.

“They frankly are fed up with the lack of respect that this Government shows for people and the planet.”

Regarding the impact of Greens’ scandals so far this year - first with Golriz Ghahraman’s shoplifting allegations and then migrant exploitation allegations surrounding Darleen Tana and her husband - Swarbrick said investigations surrounding those had been progressed professionally and according to Green kaupapa.

With Swarbrick now in third in the preferred prime minister stakes, she said she “didn’t get into this gig for the sake of a position or a platform” but to “fight tooth and nail for the things that I believe in”.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said ACT and New Zealand First’s role in the coalition was why it was “tanking”.

She said this was because, in her opinion, those parties were “dragging it back into the 1800s”.

“From our perspective it’s been probably one of the easiest governments to be in opposition because they are just so negative. They’re not providing any solutions.”

Ngarewa-Packer said she was not surprised by the poll result and hoped it would form a trend.

“We don’t want to see the degree of race divide and disharmony going in Aotearoa in this era and there’s a younger population that are really making it known where they see the country going.

“I really am encouraged that we do have a nation that is looking to unite on strengths and be much better at thinking for those who are marginalised in our society.”

She said a government that included her party would not attack those who were struggling.

“We’ve been really open about where we believe the tax system should be focused. It would be transformational in addressing the 2.2 million people in Aotearoa who earn less than $30,000 a year.”

New Zealand First and Winston Peters were invited to comment on the poll but declined.

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