Peters ahead of Bolger

Press, 5 August 1988, Page 9

Peters ahead of Bolger

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Parliament

The high-flying National member of Parliament, Mr Winston Peters, is still running ahead of his party leader, Mr Bolger, as the preferred Prime Minister among National Party supporters.

The July Heylen public opinion poll showed that for the second month running, National supporters preferred Mr Peters to Mr Bolger.

But it also showed that support for both men was down from the June poll, and that there had been a rise in support for the

former National Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon.

Mr Peters was supported by 28 per cent of National supporters, compared with 24 per cent for Mr Bolger and 14 per cent for Sir Robert.

Their combined support of 66 per cent was roughly the same level of support Labour Party supporters gave to the Prime Minister by himself — 64 per cent. Mr Lange and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, both attracted 4 per cent support from National supporters while Mr Peters attracted

6 per cent support and Mr Bolger 1 per cent from Labour supporters. Mr John Banks and Miss Ruth Richardson both attracted about 1 per cent from National supporters while National’s Deputy Leader, Mr Don McKinnon, was not picked by anyone. The Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas, and Minister of Overseas Trade, Mr Moore, both attracted between 1 and 2 per cent support from Labour supporters, as did the maverick member for Sydenham, Mr Jim Anderton.