National and new leader Judith Collins have fared much better in a new political poll with support for the party at 32 per cent - 21 points behind Labour.

Labour could govern alone based on the results of tonight's 1 News/Colmar Brunton poll.

While National would want to do better, Collins and the way she's doing the job sees her winning the approval of 50 per cent, far outstripping her two predecessors.

When it comes to preferred Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is steady on 54 per cent while Collins has surged to 20.

Based on these results Labour would have 67 seats in the House, National 41, the Greens six and ACT six.

The big winner is ACT which comes in at five per cent - it's highest polling in 17 years - easily outstripping New Zealand First, which is steady on two.

The Greens have dipped slightly, down by one point to five.

Tonight's poll comes just days after a Newshub/Reid Research poll had National on just 25 per cent while Labour was on 60 per cent support.

The 25 per cent figure – which was National's lowest reading in the poll since it began – prompted an immediate response from National.

TVNZ poll: Party support

Labour Party - 53% (up 3%)
National Party - 32% (down 6%)
Green Party - 5% (down 1%)
ACT - 4.8% (up 1.7%)
New Zealand First - 2% (up 0.2%)
New Conservative - 1.2%
Māori Party - 1%
Don't Know/Refused - 14%

Seats in Parliament based on these results

• Labour Party 67
• National Party 41
• Green Party 6
• ACT Party 6

The party's deputy leader Gerry Brownlee said the poll was "rogue" and pointed out National's internal polls were much higher.

Despite publicly talking about National's internal numbers, Collins refused to provide them when asked by media.

However, the numbers were subsequently leaked to media and show National was on 36 per cent, compared to Labour's 50 per cent.

Tonight's 1News/ Colmar Brunton follows Collins' testy clash with reporters on her way into National's weekly caucus meeting on Tuesday.

In that exchange, she called a reporter's questions "stupid" and then backtracked on comments from the day before by saying she was joking.

"When my eyebrow goes up", it's a joke," she said, before quipping "do you not understand a joke", soon after.

The ongoing war of words between the Greens and New Zealand First was also captured in tonight's poll.

Over the weekend, Greens co-leader James Shaw said having NZ First back in Government after September 19 was a "risk that I don't think is worth taking in the next term".

Shaw and NZ First leader Winston Peters have been loggerheads for the last few weeks over a number of issues.

The Newshub/ Reid Research poll had NZ First on 2 per cent – well below the 5 per cent threshold.

But the Greens were safe – only just – on 5.7 per cent.