Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Fairfax poll attacked by PM

THE PRESS/STUFF WEBSITE: Prime Minister Helen Clark has launched an attack on Fairfax Media's political opinion poll, claiming it is "way out of line'' and favours National over Labour.

Clark's criticism of the poll, conducted for The Press and other Fairfax titles by respected Australian and New Zealand pollster Nielsen, follows a shocking survey result for the Government at the weekend.

Nielsen's poll of 1091 people, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 per cent, put National on 56 per cent support and Labour on 29 per cent - a gap of 27 points and the party's worst showing since 1996.

The Greens were steady on 6 per cent in the poll , New Zealand First was up two to 5 per cent, the Maori Party slipped one to 2 per cent and ACT and United Future were stuck on 1 per cent.

Clark was offered the opportunity to comment on the poll last Friday before its publication but declined.

However, on her return from overseas yesterday, she came out firing, telling TVNZ's Breakfast that she did not accept the Fairfax poll and Newstalk ZB that it was "totally out of line'' with other polls.

Questioned at her post-Cabinet press conference yesterday, Clark said she stood by her criticism of the poll.

"You could look at a range of polls and draw the conclusion for yourself that it was out of line.''

Asked if she believed it favoured the National Party, Clark said: "That would be the evidence from looking at a range of other polls, yes.''

She cited a recent Insight poll, which Clark said was taken over the same time period, that returned an 11-point margin.

"The Insight one has been rather conservative in estimating Labour's support. Even that, in the same time period, is showing a very different result.''

The Insight poll had National on 51 points and Labour on 35 - still a 16-point gap.

However, Clark maintained even this result was not the feedback that Leg 3Labour was receiving. "It's perfectly obvious that this year's a tough challenge. It's always been a tough challenge,'' Clark said.

"It's made a particularly tough challenge because you have an international economic slowdown, the fallout from the subprime crisis in the United States which has impacted on mortgage rates here without the Reserve Bank lifting a finger, you have a huge spike in oil prices - none of these the fault of the New Zealand Government.''

Clark said she believed New Zealanders would begin comparing Labour and National "and it's my intention that the Labour Party will be very competitive''.

Fairfax group executive editor Paul Thompson said Fairfax believed Nielsen methodology was sound. "I am not surprised by the Prime Minister's comments given what was a very bad result for Labour.''

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