Rock bottom: Dire polls show NZ government is set for crushing defeat
But with just four weeks to go, Chris Hipkins remains confident he can turn Labour's fortunes around.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins insists he can win the election despite polls showing his Labour Party is headed for a crushing defeat.
With just four weeks until the election, the party’s vote is stuck on just 26.8 per cent.
If the polls are accurate, Hipkins will lead Labour to its worst ever result after a stint in power in 30 years.
But, amazingly, Hipkins has told journalists he remains upbeat about winning the October 14 election.
He said a lot of Kiwis were still unaware of his policies and this was reflected in the poor polling numbers.
"The party’s flagship policies like free dental care for under 30s or GST-free fruit and vegetables needed to be more widely promoted," he said.
"The policies we’re putting forward are quite different to the last election.
"When we talk about these things, people are concerned about those, so the campaign is going to be important this election."
Hipkins said the election was “tight” and that while “there is a mood for change, we are also offering change”.
"There is no question we need to get some votes back, but this election is not in the bag for anybody yet,” he said.
Hipkins dismissed suggestions that he should step aside in the face of disastrous polling results.
"We have no plan B,” he said. "We’re gonna absolutely go for it between now and polling day to really turn those numbers around."
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