Labour Moves Ahead Of National On Controlling Cost Of Living, Ipsos Poll Finds

Labour has overtaken National as the party New Zealanders consider most able to handle the cost of living, according to the latest Ipsos Issues Monitor survey.
The topic has remained the top concern for New Zealanders since February 2022, and has now gone up five points since the last survey in February 2024 - bucking a steady downward trend.
Labour overtaking National on ability to handle the issue for the first time since October 2021 - climbing 4 percentage points to 32 percent, compared to National's 1-point drop to 31 - will be a worry for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon who made it a key election issue in 2023.
Labour also remains New Zealanders' top pick on the number 2 issue healthcare - rising 4 points to 40 percent to National's 24, up 1 point - with the issue also increasingly a concern, hitting another new record at 43 percent.
National is still on top when it comes to the economy at 35 percent but that's a 1-point drop from February, Labour closing the gap by the same amount, rising to 30 percent. Concern about the economy lifted 2 points to 32 percent.
Housing and law and order are the fourth-equal concern at 25 percent, with worry about housing dropping 2 points and law and order holding steady.
Labour gained three points to 32 percent on housing while National stayed steady at 27 percent, and Labour gained 4 points to 26 percent on law and order with National still in the lead but dropping two points to 34 percent.
Labour has also overtaken National on petrol prices and taxation, meaning it's now considered the party most able to handle all the 6th to 20th-ranked issues other than climate change (Greens), pollution and water (Greens), Issues facing Māori (Te Pāti Māori) and Defence/Foreign Affairs (National).
Ratings of the coalition's performance rose slightly from the last survey's record low of 4.2 out of 10, to 4.3.
The Ipsos New Zealand survey was carried out between 23 to 30 May and asked 1002 New Zealanders what they thought were the top three most important issues facing the country today.
The poll is conducted through online panels, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points. It had no external sponsors or partners, is initiated and run by Ipsos "because we think it is important for businesses and organisations to understand the challenges that New Zealanders face in the context of their everyday lives".
Results were weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the wider New Zealand population. Some results may sum to 100 percent and others may show a difference higher or lower than the actual due to rounding, multiple responses, or the exclusion of "don't know" or "not stated" responses.

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RNZ News

3 hours ago

• RNZ News

Christopher Luxon concludes China trip: 'No evidence' of collaboration with Russia, Iran or North Korea

Photo: Supplied / Dan Brunskill Christopher Luxon has wrapped up his trip to China, dismissing suggestions the superpower is working with Russia, Iran or North Korea to undermine the West - as alleged by NATO's top official. The prime minister says he also stressed to China's leaders that engagement in the Pacific must advance the region's interests, but refused to say whether the recent Cook Islands crisis was raised by either side. Speaking late Friday at New Zealand's embassy in Beijing, Luxon said he was leaving "very, very convinced" the bilateral relationship was in "a really strong place and in good heart". The comments followed a day of top-level meetings at the Great Hall of the People, capping a three-day visit to China, Luxon's first as prime minister. The prime minister and his officials now fly on to Belgium and then to the Netherlands, where he will attend the annual NATO summit. Photo: Supplied / Dan Brunskill Asked about NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte's recent warning that China is working together with Russia, Iran and North Korea, Luxon noted the "Dutch directness" - but indicated a "difference of opinion". "We haven't seen evidence of those four powers coordinating in a way, actively against the West," Luxon said. "We've seen bilateral associations, say, between Russia and North Korea, with respect to the war in Ukraine. We've seen bilateral arrangements between Iran and Russia as well, but we haven't seen evidence of a wholesale force." The rest of the delegation was now returning to New Zealand on the air force 757. Photo: Supplied / Dan Brunskill The talks came a day after revelations New Zealand suspended nearly $20 million in funding to the Cook Islands , after its agreements with China earlier this year. Luxon repeatedly refused to say whether that issue, or any other, was discussed behind closed doors. "We need to respect that they are private diplomatic conversations that need to be respected in the privacy of the sanctum." A media statement issued at the end of the trip said Luxon had raised "the need for engagement in the Pacific to take place in a manner which advances Pacific priorities". Pressed to clarify, Luxon said the concern had been well-canvassed: "Making sure that… all major powers that aren't part of the Pacific family… respect the centrality of the Pacific Island Forum." While none of China's leaders directly mentioned the Cook Islands crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun earlier said China's cooperation with the Pacific nation "should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party". Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Friday labelled the funding pause "patronising" and pointed out he had not been consulted on any agreements New Zealand entered with China this trip . Luxon denied any double standard, but said he had "nothing more to add" on the subject. "I'm not going to get into it. I've spoken ad nauseam about the Cooks and the challenge." The prime minister's statement also said he raised "rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific" including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Photo: Supplied / Dan Brunskill Before speaking to reporters, the prime minister took part in an official welcome ceremony at the Great Hall and then a sit-down with his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang. In opening remarks, Li spoke of global turbulence and the need for "mutually beneficial cooperation". He said he had been "deeply impressed" by Luxon's friendship and hospitality during his 2024 visit to Wellington. In response, Luxon said the international challenges made ongoing dialogue more important "even where we differ". The meeting ended with the signing of 11 agreements, promising cooperation in areas including customs, food safety, and tourism. Luxon - and the wider business delegation - then stayed on for a banquet dinner at the Great Hall. Earlier on Friday, Xi said the bilateral relationship had experienced "many ups and downs" but remained respectful and at the forefront of China's Western ties. Luxon meanwhile described the bilateral relationship as "long-standing" and of "great consequence" to New Zealand. "The world looks to China as a major global power to play a constructive role in addressing many of the challenges that are facing us all," he said. Speaking to RNZ before departure, Luxon said he had established "good rapport" with both leaders during their previous meetings. The prime minister last met Xi in November at the APEC summit in Peru . At the time, Luxon characterised their conversation as "warm, positive and constructive" but noted clear differences over the AUKUS defence pact and missile testing in the Pacific. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Otago Daily Times

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OUSA rep running for council criticised

A Labour candidate for the Dunedin City Council has become the target of a campaign calling for him to stand down as a student representative. Jett Groshinski's decision to run as a Labour-endorsed candidate at this year's local body elections has caused tension within the Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) executive, where he is the political representative. He has been allowed to continue his role in a reduced capacity, and OUSA president Liam White was confident any conflict of interest could be avoided. However, since then, fellow student Fergus Parks has posted flyers across the university campus calling for Mr Groshinski to step down from his representative role. Mr Parks said his posters were filling a communication gap left by OUSA. He was supportive of Mr Groshinski standing as a candidate, but the problem was he was doing it "at the same time while he's on the executive''. "The perception of the students is, 'oh, he's just been using this role as a means to support his campaign'" The biggest problem was it had been "effectively radio silence'' from OUSA on the matter, Mr Parks said. "There's been no official posts, no official notices from the president and everything which has so far happened has only been facilitated by the student newspaper [Critic Te Ārohi], which is independent of the OUSA. "The lack of clarity leading up to here just doesn't fill you with hope about how they're going to handle it" He was also concerned Mr Groshinski would continue to receive a full wage for reduced duties while other executive members took on more work. Mr Groshinski said the executive had agreed to a "conflict of interest plan'' to keep his two roles separate. He could comment on election matters as a candidate, but referred any requests for OUSA comment on to Mr White. Mr White said the OUSA executive had held thorough discussions on the matter and there was a "diversity of opinion amongst the executives''. "Some people thought that he should resign outright, that it wasn't a conflict that we could manage, and some of the executives disagreed with that. "But eventually we went with Jett not being involved in media. "He will not be involved in the OUSA local body election process ... and he's going to come off as chair of the political action committee" Mr White said he was confident Mr Groshinski and the OUSA were managing the situation, although he did say resignation was not out of the question if there was a serious breach of trust. There had been some frustration about others picking up parts of Mr Groshinski's role, but there was also an understanding "that just [had] to happen''. Asked about Mr Park's concerns on communication, Mr White said exams meant it was an exhausting time of year and he trusted Critic to give a fair representation of the situation. In a personal capacity, he did not want to drive more attention to the matter and would rather Mr Groshinski be seen as a student running for council, instead of standing as an OUSA executive member. OUSA was unlikely to endorse a candidate for the election and would instead focus on educating students about the candidates, he said. In 2022, Mr Groshinski unsuccessfully ran for Dunedin mayor and council.

Otago Daily Times

5 hours ago

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Counting on the census

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