We thought that Thursday's Roy Morgan poll would be the last for July, but we were wrong. The latest Herald Digipoll is out this morning. And it merely confirms all the other polls which have emerged in Labour's Winter of Discontent. The Herald reports:
Voters prefer Labour's remedy for the economy over National's, according to the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey - but they still don't like the doctor.
A slip in support for Labour has given Labour leader Phil Goff a massive challenge to make up ground four months out from the election.
In the latest survey, Mr Goff has again dropped back into the single digits as preferred Prime Minister - down to 9 per cent, from 12 per cent last month. He remained well behind Prime Minister John Key, who stayed steady on 70 per cent.
Among decided voters, the Labour Party also dropped three points to 33 per cent despite relatively strong approval of its new capital gains tax policy.
National increased its support slightly to 52, despite substantial opposition to its plans for partial sales of some state-owned enterprises, including among its own supporters.
Oh dear; three polls now where polling has taken place entirely after the release of Labour's game-changer, and Labour has lost support in each and every one of them.
And the message that this poll is giving is clear; the public does NOT want a Phil Goff-led Labour government. Goff himself can't even shake off the shadow of his predecessor; read on:
The slump for Mr Goff reversed several months of slight improvements in his personal rankings from 8 per cent in October. To rub salt into the wound, his predecessor, Helen Clark, also gained ground by two points to reach 8 per cent after steadily dropping since she left office.
And Goff himself cops a flogging from the member of the expert panel commenting on this poll:
Jon Johansson, a politics lecturer at Victoria University, said the poll showed that even when Labour had ideas that met with public approval the voters were not receptive to the "current messenger."
"There's no hiding the fact that the public are not responding to a Phil Goff-led Labour."
Mr Johansson said Mr Goff needed to give up on a head-to-head popularity contest with Mr Key and let other caucus members take a greater role.
"They really need to run a campaign that de-emphasises leadership because so long as the overriding comparison in voters' minds is Key versus Goff, that is not good for Labour.
"At the moment it's a straight out popularity contest that Goff has lost. There is nothing Goff can personally do to change on the back of a 30-year narrative in politics."
Jon Johansson is dead right. Phil Goff entered Parliament in 1981, and apart from a brief hiatus between 1990 and 1993, has been there ever since. He is yesterday's man, not Labour's hope for the future. We suspect that this weekend, there will be an increasing body within Phil Goff's caucus which is thinking of survival. Parliament resumes on Tuesday for its second-last sitting of the current term, and a quick, bloodless coup at caucus would give the new leadership team three weeks in the spotlight.
But who? We're tipping a Parker/Street pairing, which will appeal to most factions within the party, except perhaps Damien O'Connor's self-serving unionists. All that remains is to see whether there is a will within Labour's caucus to get the phone back on the hook.
16 comments:
Phil Goff rates 6% in the Preferred Prime Minister polls. His party scores just 27% in the Preferred Government polls. He's way down and apparently present no challenge to John Key or the National Party in October yet you continue post after post to attack and belittle Goff. You demean him at every opportunity, highlight his every mistake, point to his every failing, daily criticising the man as though he were a leper. What does this tell us about you Inventory2 (He Who Hides Behind False Name)? That you are vindictive? Yes, you sound very vindictive and cruel. That you like to bully those who are weakened and on their knees? Yes, you like to put the boot in when Goff is polling low. You are so very confident that Key is dominating all the polls, yet you can't restrain yourself from attacking Goff at every opportunity. Your behaviour makes you seem nasty. How does your wife view your behaviour? Does she know what you say on line? How does your God regard your un-Christian behaviour Inventory2, because un-Christian is a good description of the kind of character assassination that you practice here. Would you preach these views from the pulpit?
When one stands before the people craving acceptance, one must take the salt or brine that is offered back.
Ford Anglia.
Mr Holmes in his herald column puts the boot into Mr Goff this morning as well.
IV2, you evil, heathen, heartless, character assassin, you.
Now off you go and pat that nice Mr Goff on the head (mind his hair now), pour salve on his wounds, powder his lying socialist arse and then run along to confession.
There's a good boy!
Anonymous @ 9.05am
..."That you like to bully those who are weakened and on their knees? "...
Good fun eh!
It's politics...take a couple of cement pills & come back later. Goff's political body should be ready for burial about December.
I've get it! Let's rip Key a new one too shall we? It would be such a laugh and you could all join in. His drunkenness at social gatherings, shall we start with that? I could tell you a story or three! Remember when he was caught on camera, denying his connections to the wine growers industry? He slurred himself into a corner that day, didn't he! hee hee hee!
33% seems a good score for Labour when the reality is they are around the 30% or below mark(and falling) in most other recent polls.
It says a lot about the credibility of this Herald Poll - and Labour - when Clark rates at over 7% in preferred Prime Minister polling.
Phil, you really must stop commenting under your anonymous alias.
It just demeans you even more.
Just trying to be helpful Phil.
Cheers
Lofty
Remember the photo from the Young Nats conference and Key with his arm draped over the young Asian girl's shoulder and his hand hovering over her boob? That was such a laugh! I suppose he was drunk.
When all else fails, attack the messenger eh Anon (9.05am). There was nothing nasty in the post. But if you and Anon (10.32am) are one and the same, we can see where the nastiness starts and ends.
Good fun eh!
It's politics...take a couple of cement pills & come back later Inventory2, there's a good boy!
If we can say here without censure that Helen Clark is a bilious bitch, then accusing John Key of drunkenness and lechery is nothing!
Let the fun begin!
Go for it IV2. Goff deserves all he gets. He is denying his involvement in the free market policies of Roger Douglas (about the only thing he has to be proud of) while rounding on National for wishing to sell so-called state assets. His hypocrisy alone earns him all the bile which can be cast his way.
Cadwallader
it will get worse for Goff (sorry anon ,, Mary?) because if he survives the next few weeks and keeps the "leadership" role, he will be the one to have head to head debates with Key. We saw Key murder Cullen when he was finance spokesman under Brash and dealt to the shrew when he was leader. Goff has NO show.
and all the anons (possibly one person of course) and bObby G's constant attack on KS's religious beliefs are getting boring.
'the shrew'
Oh sweet jesus it's all on! We're allowed to compare our leaders to animals!
Let's see, Key, donkey's too easy, viper maybe?
I'll mull over this exciting new possibility. Demeaning our leaders with animal allusions. Excellent!
well anon at 4:08, I lowered my stds and did some name calling of my own. Sick to death of wankers calling John Key names like donkey or shonkey .. I mean the bloke is a class above the likes of you
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