National takes lead —Heylen poll

Press, 20 August 1983, Page 8

National takes lead —Heylen poll

PA Wellington National has surged into the lead as the most preferred political party after trailing Labour this year, according to the latest Heylen poll. The poll, conducted on August 6, gave the Government 47 per cent of support to Labour’s 42 per cent. In a Heylen poll in July Labour scored 48 per cent to National’s 43 per cent.

Social Credit on 11 per cent was up one point on the previous poll. The Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, has also had a dramatic rise in popularity, according to the poll, which was commissioned by television’s “Eye Witness News.”

Mr Muldoon was preferred as leader by 41 per cent of those polled (compared with 34 per cent in July), while the leader of the Opposition, Mr Lange, has fallen further behind to 23 per cent (3 per cent less

than in July). It is the Government’s highest Heylen poll rating sin.ce December, 1977, and Labour’s worst since October last year. Mr Muldoon said last evening that the Government was ahead because National had policies and Labour did not, and Mr Lange was now becoming better known. Mr Lange said he had predicted the result because it came at a time of mayhem in the Labour Party. In a “New Zealand Her-ald”-National Research , Bureau poll taken from July 30 and August 3, Labour was credited with 48 per cent support, National 43 per cent, and Social Credit 8 per cent. Mr Muldoon showed clearly in the lead with 27 per cent support, compared with Mr Lange’s 22 per cent and Mr Beetham’s 4 per cent. Mr D. F. Quigley, the former Government Cabinet Minister, held 5 per cent support.