John Key Will Have The Glory Of Leading New Zealand’s First Full Majority Government: Poll Surveys

With just nine days left for the crucial election, the National Party in New Zealand has taken an unassailable lead, after recovering from short ebb in its popularity as fallout from the Dirty Politics scandal, Stuff. Co. Nz reported. This will pave the way for Prime Minister John Key to lead the country with a comfortable majority on his own, without depending on marginal parties to form a government.

In the latest Stuff.co.nz/Ipsos poll, National is far ahead of all other contenders. The survey finds that the surge of popularity happened after justice minister Judith Collins was dropped from the Cabinet and the government came out unscathed from the fall out of Dirty Politics. Judith Collins was forced a few days ago, when a 2011 email suggested her alleged attempts to undermine the head of Serious Fraud Office, an agency reporting to her.

The survey was held over the five days from Collins' resignation and saw the National surging to 54.2 per cent that was up by 3.4, while its rival Labour Party lost ground. If this trend persist till the poll day National may walk away with a 15-seat majority over other parties. That will also make it less dependent on parties like ACT and UnitedFuture.

First Majority PM

There is unanimity in all opinion polls that a clean sweep is awaiting Key's National Party with more than 50 percent of the vote. A New Zealand Herald poll put National's vote at 50.1 percent with Key's backing as the preferred prime minister at 68.9 per cent. The Fairfax Media survey put the National party surge at 54.2 per cent. In contrast, the Labour Party could muster only 23.8 percent (NZ Herald) and 24.3 percent (Fairfax) with David Cunliffe's popularity hovering between 14 to 15.8 percent

Crowning Glory Awaits Key

A clean sweep for National will also mean a crowning glory for John Key to become the leader of New Zealand's first majority government. It was in 1996, New Zealand adopted the German-style mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system and that opened the path for coalition governments. The opinion poll also attests to the confidence of John Key that the Dirty Politics saga will not hit the prospects of his National Party. It looks as if the Dirty Politics backlash came as a vacuumed up the minor players with NZ First and the Conservatives falling short of the 5 per cent MMP limit.