Winston predicted to return to parliament
Political punters predicting the return of Winston Peters have put their money where their mouths are, with iPredict contracts suggesting New Zealand First will win parliamentary seats this year.
Political punters predicting the return of Winston Peters have put their money where their mouths are, with iPredict contracts suggesting New Zealand First will win parliamentary seats this year.
New Zealand First is predicted to received 5.9% of the party vote in this year's general election, while National are on 43.4% (down from 44.5% before Christmas), Labour 34.9% (down from 35.9%), Greens 7.8% (up from 7.7%), New Zealand First 5.9% (up from 4.4%) Act 3.1% (down from 3.3%), United Future 2.4% (up from 0.4%) and Maori Party 2.3% (steady).
Act is also expected to return to parliament, with iPredict traders rating the embattled party leader Rodney Hide 65% likely to retain his Epsom seat, an increase of 58% from prior to Christmas. Peter Dunne's one-man United Future has a less certain future, only rated 45% likely to retain the Ohariu Belmont electorate (up from 39%).
The return of New Zealand First would complicate John Key turning National's party vote dominance into a government - with present predictions making a Labour/Green/New Zealand First/Maori Party arrangement a theoretical possibility.
Matt Nippert
Wed, 12 Jan 2011
Wed, 12 Jan 2011
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Winston predicted to return to parliament
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