The National Party's support has fallen in the first opinion poll carried out since the book Dirty Politics was released.
Photo: CORBIS
But it still recorded 50 percent support in the New Zealand Herald-Digi Poll and retains a healthy lead over its rivals.
Support for National fell five points in the poll and its leader John Key dropped 8.5 points as the preferred Prime Minister, although he still recorded 64.8 percent support. Labour Party leader David Cunliffe's support as preferred Prime Minister increased to almost 15 percent.
The poll put the Labour Party on 25.2 percent, slightly down on its previous result, while the Green Party's support rose nearly four points to 13.7 percent.
While the result cuts National's overall lead over the Labour-Green bloc, it is still 11 points ahead.
Little change in Poll of Polls
In Radio New Zealand's average of the polls prepared by Colin James, there is little change to the results.
National still holds a strong lead of 13.6 points over the Labour and the Greens and has 50.8 percent support. Labour is stuck on 25.3, while the Greens have 11.9 percent support.
New Zealand First is tantalising close to 5 percent, recording 4.9 in the poll of polls. Internet Mana is on 2.7 and the Conservative Party 2.4. No other party records any significant support.
Poll of Polls
- National 50.8
- Labour 25.3
- Green Party 11.9
- NZ First 4.9
- Internet Mana 2.7
- Conservative 2.4
- Maori 0.9
- Act 0.5
- United 0.3
Author Nicky Hager. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Investigative writer Nicky Hager's book, which details some senior National Party figures' involvement with right-wing bloggers, has become a best-seller with 10,000 copies sold in the week since its launch.
National's campaign chairman Steven Joyce does not believe the book has had much impact. He told Rdio New Zealand's Morning Report programme the previous Herald-Digi-poll was stratospheric.
"So what we've seen this time is it's gone exactly back to where it was before, both in terms of party vote and in terms of the Prime Minister's ratings, which is what actually we've had all the way along. We didn't have the big kick up an we haven't had it come back."
Senior Labour MP Grant Robertson said there was a large undecided vote of 12.5 percent and Labour was sure it could capture more of that vote.
"I think that large undecided vote is looking closely at the kind of vision each party has. We believe we've got a strong policy platform, and the more I travel around New Zealand, the more people are hearing our policies.
"So we're confident our poll rating will pick up and those undecideds will come across to Labour."
