Jacinda Ardern has reached her highest ever rating as preferred Prime Minister, climbing up to 51% in the first 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll to be conducted since the Christchurch terrorism attacks.

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Simon Bridges' preferred PM rating dropped down to just 5%, the lowest during his time as National Party leader.

Jacinda Ardern - 51% - (Up 7%-points)

Simon Bridges - 5% - (Down 1%-point)

Judith Collins - 5% - (Down 1%-point)

Winston Peters - 3% - (Steady)



Ms Ardern has leapt 7 percentage points since last polling in February, when she sat at 44%.

Former National Prime Minister Sir John Key’s highest result ever was 59%, recorded during a poll in September 2011.

Ms Ardern said following today’s poll that she knows "when I'm fulfilling people’s expectations and when I’m not, but my focus is still on doing the best I can".

When asked if the reaction to her handling of the Christchurch terrorist attacks had contributed to her rating, Ms Ardern said she did not want to speculate.

"All I know is that I’m doing my job to the best of my ability," she said. "That’s what the public expects of me. I just know I have a job to do on behalf of New Zealand, and I’m doing it."

Ms Ardern’s rise comes as Opposition leader Mr Bridges dips down to 5%, along with fellow National MP Judith Collins who also fell one percentage point to 5%.

Bridges’ result is the lowest since he became National Party leader.

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"What matters is the party vote," Bridges says. "I'm pleased where I'm at. I'm pleased leading a party that’s in the 40s, that’s consistently there.

"I’ve got a great team. I know that on the issues we're confronting as a country - a weakening economy under Labour, a capital gains tax, cost of living rising exponentially - we’re in a very strong position to paint a much better future for New Zealand and to win the next election.

"I’m much more focused on the party vote. That’s ultimately what determines how the party does, whether it gets the chance to lead.”

Today’s poll has National on 40%, down 2 percentage points on February, with Labour on 48%, up 3 percentage points.

When asked about Ms Collins' rating, Mr Bridges said: "We’ve got a bunch of great MPs who are really doing a good job."

He said he thought the result could be "a function of name recognition, a variety of things".

"I'm leading the Opposition, we’re out there doing the right things, I think the numbers will jump around."

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters sat steady on 3% in the poll. Twenty-eight per cent of respondents did not know who their preferred Prime Minister was.

Labour rises as National falls

Source: 1 NEWS

Labour has widened the gap over National and would be able to govern with the Greens alone, according to the results of the latest 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton poll.

The party vote results see Labour reach its highest numbers since February 2018, with National dropping to its lowest since early September 2017.

Labour Party - 48% - (Up 3%-points)

National Party - 40% - (Down 2%-points)

Green Party - 6% - (Steady)

New Zealand First - 4% - (Up 1%-point)

Act - 1% - (Steady)

Labour has gone up three percentage points to 48% since the previous poll in February, while National fell by two to 40%.

Those polled were asked which political party they would vote for.

The Green Party remained steady on 6% and the poll result saw NZ First rise by one percentage point, but only to 4% - one off the 5% threshold.

The poll result would give Labour 60 MPs and the Greens eight in a 120-seat Parliament.

Seats in Parliament based on 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll results

Labour Party - 60

National Party - 51

Green Party - 8

Act Party - 1

TOTAL - 120

Economic outlook

Optimism - 37% (Up 2%-points)

Pessimism - 36% (Up 1%-point)

An optimistic outlook of New Zealand’s economy rose, when those polled were asked if the economy will be in a better or worse state in the next 12 months.

Of those polled, 37% thought it would be in a better state, 36% answered that it would be worse and 28% thought it would be in the same state.

In February’s 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll, respondents were evenly split at 35% each on if the outcome would be better or worse, with 30% saying it would be the same.