By Xinhua,
Wellington : Just eight weeks before New Zealand’s general election, the opposition National Party has recorded a substantial lead over the Labor Party, according to a major poll released on Monday.
The TV One News opinion poll of 1,000 people was taken in the six days before Prime Minister Helen Clark announced the election date of Nov. 8.
National has slightly increased its lead over Labor in the latest One News political poll and there is now an 18 percent gap between the two major parties.
National is up 2 points to 53 percent, while Labor’s support dropped 2 points to 35 percent.
National leader John Key is on 40 percent support as the preferred Prime Minister, while Clark received 31 percent.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.