National is maintaining its strong lead in the polls despite the tea tape saga this week.

Two new polls released today, show National has lost steam, but was still over the 50 per cent mark.

Prime Minister John Key has been under fire this week after he refused to release a secret recording of him and ACT candidate John Banks.

But ONE News Colman Brunton poll results released today has National on 53 per cent, while a 3News Reid Research poll has the party at 50.2.

Key was still the preferred prime minister by far with 53 and 49 per cent respectively, while Labour leader Phil Goff was on 13 and 10 per cent.

Labour was down in both polls, showing 26 per cent support in the ONE News poll and 27.4 in the 3News poll.

The Greens have benefited from Labour's poor form with the party showing a record high 13 per cent support on both polls.

NZ First leader Winston Peters, who has been relishing the tea tape controversy, was down to 2.2 per cent in the TVNZ poll and up to 3.5 per cent in the 3News poll, closer to the 5 per cent mark needed to get into Parliament.

ACT was on 1.6 per cent, Maori on 1.6, the Conservative Party on 1.4, Mana on 1.3 and United on 0.3 in the ONE News poll.

3News had ACT on 1.8, Maori on 1.3, Conservative on 1.1 and Mana on 1 per cent.

Based on the ONE News results, National could govern alone with 66 seats, while Labour would get 32 seats and the

Greens would get 16 seats, One News said.

In the 3News poll, National would get 64 seats.

- Fairfax NZ