Phil Goff

Wellington, Oct 19 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff says National is still enjoying a honeymoon with the public after a new poll showed it had double the support of his party.

TV3's poll of 1000 voters last night put the National Government's support at an exceptionally high 59.9 percent compared to Labour's 27.2 percent.

Mr Goff said the poll covered a recess period when it was hard for Labour to get publicity and before recent controversies over rugby broadcasting and ACC.

"This is a new government, it's in its first year of government, they still have the appearance of being fresh, of being people-friendly. We know from experience that the gloss wears off," Mr Goff told Radio New Zealand.

"It's a difficult stage of the political cycle for the Labour Party, we don't get exuberant about high polls we don't get deeply depressed about low polls.

"We want to be doing better, we are working hard to do better in those polls, but we will stand by the values we think are important to New Zealanders."

In other findings the poll put Green Party support at 6.9 percent, the Maori Party 2.4 percent and ACT 1.7 percent.

In the preferred Prime Minister stakes on 4.7 percent support Mr Goff languished behind John Key on 55.8 percent support.

Former PM Helen Clark, who now heads the United Nations Development Programme in New York, scored 8.2 percent.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, whose party is not even in Parliament, got 3 percent support. His party got 1 percent.

The poll questioned how down to earth people thought the leaders were. Mr Key scored 80 percent and Mr Goff 37 percent. It also asked if people thought the leaders had personality, Mr Key scored 72 percent and Mr Goff 26 percent.