Luxon: Poll results are a reflection of Kiwis wanting change

The recent 1News Kantar Public Poll results are a reflection of Kiwi's wanting change, according to National Party Leader Christopher Luxon.

The poll showed National and ACT on-track to secure a majority in the next election, with a combined 64 seats. Labour leader Jacinda Ardern is still preferred prime minister among those polled, but National leader Christopher Luxon is closing the gap.

In the party results, National was up 1% to 38%, Labour down 1% to 33%, ACT up 2% to 11%, and the Green Party holding steady on 9%.

If the results were replicated in next year's general election, some Labour MPs would be left looking for new jobs.

Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Luxon said the results are encouraging but there's still a long way to go before the election next year.

"New Zealand actually just wants a government who will get things done and actually turn the country around and get it heading in the right direction."

Asked if he would be open to forming a coalition government with Act, Luxon said he hasn't thought that far ahead.

"We're a year out from the election I presume and there's still a long way to go and so frankly I haven't given any thought to electoral calculations or coalition arrangements or any of that.

"It's right that I actually keep continuing to do what we've been doing in the National Party, listen to people, hear their concerns and actually continue to think of how we can actually help them with introducing policy and you'll see a lot more of that as we go into next year."

Luxon also said Kiwis can expect to see some of National's proposed policy changes heading into next year.

"I mean already this year you saw us come out very strongly about our thinking about how to manage the cost of living crisis, you saw us talk about gangs and serious youth offending, how we get young people from welfare into work, and you'll see a lot more of that over the course of next year."

"As we go into next year it's important that people understand what kind of government they're going to get if they do tick blue and if they want a change, that's what's going to happen."

Responding to the results, Ardern said on Monday that the Government's job "is to focus on the challenges that New Zealand is facing right now".

She added "there is no question it is a difficult time to be in government" but stressed that she and Labour have "experience of tough times".

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"You see us as a government coming forward with ideas and proposals to take on those challenges. Contrast that to the alternative - the Opposition has not produced those ideas.

"Our job is to crack on because we have the privilege of governing, and that is what we're doing," she said.