Mr Lange ‘not Worried’ By Poll (Press, 11 August 1986)
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Summary: Mr Lange ‘not Worried’ By Poll (Press, 11 August 1986)
On 11 August 1986, New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange commented on recent opinion poll results indicating a significant narrowing in the support between the Labour and National parties. Speaking at a news conference in Suva, Lange expressed confidence despite Labour's support declining to 48 per cent, a drop of four points since March, while National's support had risen to 47 per cent, gaining seven points over the same timeframe. The poll, conducted by the New Zealand Herald and the National Research Bureau, showed that the Democratic Party held 3 per cent of the voter support, and the New Zealand Party accounted for 1 per cent. Lange dismissed concerns regarding Labour's declining popularity, stating, “When you are one ahead, mate, you’ve won.” He drew a parallel to the recent rugby test match between Australia and New Zealand to highlight that a one-point lead signifies victory. Referring to the perception of a surprising loss of support, Lange suggested that the poll results were predictable and attributed the changes to various factors, including discussions surrounding homosexual law reform and even the weather. Additionally, Lange anticipated that a forthcoming leadership poll would reflect poorly on him, humourously stating that he believed he would not rank highly in the results. On the other hand, the new president of the National Party, Neville Young, remarked on the upward trend in National's support, asserting that the public was beginning to favour the Leader of the Opposition, Jim Bolger. Bolger himself echoed these sentiments, describing the poll results as positive for the National Party and indicating he had sensed a shift in public sentiment against the government. Overall, the political landscape appeared to be shifting, with signs of increased competitiveness between the Labour and National parties as they headed towards the forthcoming elections.
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