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National’s leader Christopher Luxon has taken to social media to warn voters against making the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll a "reality," while his deputy and campaign chair earlier dismissed it.
The National Party has dropped below 25% in the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll, released on Thursday, while Opportunity has reached a new high of 7.2% and could decide the next government.
Despite his normal practice not to comment on polls, Luxon has posted on social media saying "if RNZ's poll today becomes reality, there will be dire consequences for Kiwis".
"It would mean Labour winning, in coalition with the Greens with Chlöe Swarbrick as finance minister.
"Higher taxes for hard working people. Prices rising and mortgages skyrocketing.
"There is only one way to stop that from happening: get out now and Party Vote National."
Earlier, campaign chair Simeon Brown had acknowledged to RNZ the November 7 election would be "very close" but cast doubt on the poll's accuracy.
"Ultimately, it's out of step with most of the other polls that we're seeing, including our own.”
National's deputy leader and finance spokesperson Nicola Willis on Thursday also dismissed RNZ’s poll.
"It's very out of whack with other public polling from the same period, including the 1News-Verian poll, which was during almost exactly the same time period."
Reid Research surveyed voters from October 20-26 and Verian from October 21-25. Both canvassed 1000 eligible voters, though Reid Research used online panels, while Verian split its interviews evenly between phone and online.
But Willis, too, acknowledged it would be a "very close election".
Labour's campaign chair Kieran McAnulty said he was not surprised to hear National say that.
"Of course they want to try and discredit it - but we think it stacks up."
He told RNZ the poll was "there or thereabouts" what the party is seeing in its internal polling.
The latest poll had Labour down 0.2 points to 30.6%, but almost five points ahead of National, which was on 24.8 percent.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins remains the preferred prime minister on 23.3%, up 1.4 points, while Luxon was unchanged on 17.1%
Meanwhile, Greens co-leader was asked about comments by Luxon and the focus on her as finance minister.
Swarbrick said it "seems like we are part of every waking minute and every sleeping moment for Christopher Luxon".
"We are sick and tired - as we think most New Zealanders are - of the incessant attack ads, the AI slop, the taking us out of context. We are interested in a good clean fight.”
