Jacinda Ardern plunges five points in the polls in final weeks before New Zealand's election - but is still on track to win a majority
Jacinda Ardern's Labour party remains in a commanding position to win next month's New Zealand election despite losing ground in a poll released on Tuesday.
Labour is down five per cent but still holds the support of 48 per cent of Kiwis, according to the TVNZ poll.
The opposition National party, led by Judith Collins, remains stuck without a pathway to power on 31 per cent, down one per cent.
Jacinda Ardern's Labour party remains in a commanding position to win next month's New Zealand election despite losing ground in a poll released on Tuesday
On those numbers, Labour could govern alone with 62 seats in the 120-member parliament.
Ms Ardern declared herself 'pleased with the result though regardless, we will not be complacent'.
'You can see from these numbers that not too much has changed.'
The 40-year-old has been mobbed on the campaign trail, to the point where she's been criticised for not socially distancing from her fans.
In the preferred prime minister stakes, Ms Ardern is steady on 54 per cent, with Judith Collins down two per cent to 18 per cent.
The pair are contesting the first of four televised leaders debates on Tuesday night.
The opposition National party, led by Judith Collins, remains stuck without a pathway to power on 31 per cent, down one per cent
TVNZ POLL - SEPTEMBER 2020
Labour: 48 per cent (62 seats)
National 31 per cent (41 seats)
ACT seven per cent (nine seats)
Greens six per cent (eight seats)
NZ First two per cent (no seats)
New Conservative two per cent (no seats)
TOP two per cent (no seats)
Maori one per cent (no seats)
Advance NZ one per cent (no seats)
While 14 per cent of Kiwis are undecided, the TVNZ poll also revealed a jump in support for two smaller parties.
The new parliament would also include the Greens, with six per cent or eight seats, and libertarians ACT, who returned their best result in 17 years.
ACT, the only party to oppose Ms Ardern's gun law reforms after the Christchurch terror attacks, polled at seven per cent and are on track to grow their caucus from one to nine.
The party of Deputy PM Winston Peters, New Zealand First, is once again on track to miss out on parliament, polling at just two per cent.
Parties need to gain five per cent of support in the electorate to secure seats in New Zealand's parliament.
The poll is the first in six weeks and the first since the return of COVID-19 to the community in New Zealand's second wave of the virus.
It is also the first time conspiracy theorists Advance NZ have registered in public polling, though they returned just one per cent.