The 1News Verian poll showed NZ First was on 6 per cent, Labour was on 26 (down 1), the Greens were up one to 13, Act was steady on 12 per cent and Te Pāti Māori was on 2 per cent (down 1).
National's leader Luxon told 1News today that he did not want people to think the general election on October 14 was a foregone conclusion.
He said it was clear the majority of the country wanted change, and they’d have to vote to achieve it.
Labour leader and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told 1News he didn’t think Luxon had the political skills to get Act leader David Seymour and NZ First leader Winston Peters to agree on anything.
Peters said: “They need experience, they need accountability.”
Hipkins and Luxon were still at level pegging as preferred Prime Minister on 23 per cent.
In the last 1News Verian poll a week ago, National and Act would have been able to form a government with 61 seats.
National was on 37 per cent (down 2 points) and Act was at 12 per cent (up 2). NZ First had hit the 5 per cent mark.
Labour was on 27 (down 1), and the Green Party on 12 (up 2). Te Pāti Māori was on 3 per cent.
A Newshub Reid-Research poll earlier this week also had National and Act with 61 seats between them - and NZ First bumping over the 5 per cent threshold needed to get into Parliament.
That poll went to air hours after Luxon said he would pick up the phone to talk to Peters if he had to on election night - the first time he specifically ruled Peters in as a potential governing option.
Hipkins and Luxon spent this afternoon away from the hustings and brushing up on their numbers ahead of the Newshub leaders' televised debate at 7pm on Three, which is being moderated by Patrick Gower.
Both parties have already released most of their major policies. With overseas voting beginning today and advanced voting starting on Monday, the pressure will be on Hipkins to shake things up and find some way to resonate with voters.
