Support for Act up after leadership change
Support for the ACT Party has increased since Don Brash's successful leadership bid, with the latest poll showing the party would pass the 5 percent threshold to get into Parliament.
Support for the Act Party has increased since Don Brash's successful leadership bid, with the latest poll showing the party would pass the 5 percent threshold to get into Parliament.
Act received 3.65 percent of the party vote in the 2008 election, but has five MPs in Parliament because then-leader Rodney Hide was voted in as MP for the Epsom, giving the party four list seats.
The online Horizon poll, conducted over two days last week, found support for Act had increased to 5.3 percent, up from 3.7 percent last month, giving it enough support to get into Parliament without winning an electorate seat.
People participate in Horizon polls by joining a website, and can win prizes for participating.
The weighted poll of 1744 respondents had a maximum margin of error of 2.3 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
The poll suggests Act's leadership change has attrActed back supporters, with voter loyalty from those who voted Act in the 2008 election increasing from 42.7 percent last month to 64.4 percent this month.
It found 15.6 percent of Act voters supported the leadership change, with 56.2 percent saying they were neutral and 28.3 percent opposed.
Labour made the biggest gain in the poll, up from 23.9 percent support last month to 26.9 percent this month. National dropped slightly, from 37.7 percent in April to 36.6 percent.
The poll found Hone Harawira's new Mana Party had greater support than the Maori Party, with 2.3 percent compared with the Maori Party's 2.1 percent -- both within the poll's margin of error.
It found 11.3 percent supported the formation of the Mana Party, while 5.16 percent were opposed and 37.2 percent were neutral.
Nearly half the respondents, or 49.7 percent, said the Mana Party was unattrActive to them, and 36.8 percent thought it would weaken the Maori Party.
NBR staff
Mon, 16 May 2011
Mon, 16 May 2011
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Support for Act up after leadership change
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