10:40 am today

Christopher Luxon confident with support for government

10:40 am today
Christopher Luxon

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said people saw the work the government was doing. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

A recent poll showing a hung parliament was not what the government was seeing on the ground, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said.

The Post/Freshwater Strategy poll shows National slipping four points since the October 2023 election

The Freshwater Strategy poll isn't a member of the Research Association New Zealand (RANZ) industry body.

"It's not what we're seeing and I'm very comfortable with the level of support we've got from the New Zealand people," Luxon said.

He said people saw the work being done on the economy, crime and education.

"We're going to continue to work incredibly hard."

Luxon told Morning Report he disagreed his government was to blame for making the economy worse in the past year.

"There's no doubt about it, a year into our government the people and the economy are much better of than they would have been.

"We're doing everything we can to drive growth into the economy."

Unemployment was at 4.8 percent and forecast to peak at 5.2 percent, he said.

But Luxon said the coalition had done a "really good job" getting spending under control.

Inflation was down and interest rates were heading down, the "next challenge" was to grow the economy and create and retain jobs, Luxon said.

"We've got work to do."

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