Auckland (The NZ Today)
A majority of voters believe Christopher Luxon would change his position and work with the Opportunity Party if National needed its support to form a government after the election, according to a new 1News-Verian poll.
The survey found 56 percent of respondents thought the National leader would reverse his current rule-out, while 21 percent believed he would stick to his position. The remainder were unsure or declined to answer.
Even among National supporters, 54 percent expected Luxon to change his mind if Opportunity became necessary for government formation.
Luxon has repeatedly ruled out working with Opportunity during the campaign and has continued to insist that position will not change.
Asked whether he was concerned that many voters did not appear to take that commitment at face value, Luxon said he had been consistent and would continue giving the same answer through to election day.
The findings add another layer to the growing coalition debate around Opportunity, which was polling at 6 percent in the latest 1News-Verian party vote survey — above the 5 percent threshold needed to enter Parliament without winning an electorate seat.
Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong has argued throughout the campaign that Luxon may reconsider after November 7 if the parliamentary numbers leave National short of a majority.
Earlier polling also showed pressure on Luxon’s position. A 1News-Verian survey released on October 6 found 40 percent of voters thought National should reconsider its Opportunity rule-out, compared with 33 percent who wanted the party to maintain it.
Luxon, however, has continued to reject that suggestion and has repeatedly told reporters and voters that Opportunity is not part of National’s preferred post-election arrangements.
The coalition question remains significant because recent polling has repeatedly placed Opportunity in a position where its MPs could influence the balance of Parliament, depending on the final result and electorate outcomes.
The latest finding does not show what Luxon would actually do after the election; it measures what surveyed voters believe he would do if faced with that situation.
Source: 1News-Verian Poll and 1News
