Wednesday, 26 February 2025 11:21

'Bugger the polls!'

Written by  The Hound

OPINION: As Jim Bolger once said, "Bugger the polls!"

But let's face it, we can't help ourselves from looking every time a new one comes out.

This far out from an election, it doesn't matter much which mob has, in theory, got its nose in front, and yet, the Hound struggles to believe that, according to the Curia poll, the left-of-centre bloc is polling stronger than the other mob so soon after sending the country to the bottom of the OECD economic rankings.

The old 'right way, wrong way' indicator has swung into the red too, suggesting that for PM Luxon and friends the honeymoon is over and the people want to see material improvements, particularly in terms of the economy and cost of living - easily the priority issues, according to this poll.

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If voters see some growth and wages rising faster than prices, the government could say they've "fixed" things as they ride into the next election.

Back here on Earth though, the economy they inherited is a basket case, and the long-term headwinds are fierce.

Political commentator Liam Hehir says, "dreams are not plans" and if the turnaround doesn't come in time, National may have no choice but to go negative.

"Everybody wants to fight on the economy if they can. But when neither side has a compelling story, the contest shifts to other issues. That's not new. In fact, it's the stuff of politics everywhere, always."


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