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Mike's Minute: If Labour has any hope to turn polls around, they must change their approach

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Tue, 8 Nov 2022, 9:38AM

Mike's Minute: If Labour has any hope to turn polls around, they must change their approach

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Tue, 8 Nov 2022, 9:38AM

Just confirming the Prime Minister has lost her so called communications touch.

Yesterday's response to the Newshub poll shows us a dose of the old panic might have set in.

The Grant Robertson burst over the weekend gave us the first clue.

When you're the Government, when you are in charge, you don't waste your time on the small players or the other guys, they waste their time on you.

The fact he referenced National 19 times and Chris Luxon a whole bunch is a very good sign for National. I'd be flattered.

Back to the Prime Minister, she will take the poll, apparently, with a grain of salt. No, she won't, and we all know she won't. Hence the stupidity of the comment.

If this was the first poll that had the Government behind the others, then maybe. If you're arguing a rogue poll, maybe. But this has been a consistent trend for over a year now. Chart it on a graph and it is clear as day.

Labour leads by a mile, Labour leads by a bit less and a bit less, Labour needs the Greens to govern, Labour needs the Greens and Māori Party to govern, then Labour no matter what combination they use, can't govern.

The gap was minor and now the gap is getting larger and larger. It's all there. Multiple polls from multiple outlets all telling the same story.

No one takes that with a grain of salt.

What might have helped, by the way I think they are terminal, but what would have helped is an acknowledgement that not all is good. An acknowledgement that they get it, they are listening, they are hearing, and maybe it is time to think about some of the things that are upsetting so many people.

They tried the "it's a tough time, "it's a cost-of-living crisis," "it's been a tough winter" lines. They didn't work. Humility might be their next shot.

They know, rightly or wrongly, there is stuff they can do that will at least give them a chance.

The fact they are hopeless at delivery is irreparable. But policy can be changed, but do they want to? Or are they too arrogant to swallow that pride?

Taking it with a grain of salt is more the latter. And if that’s the best she's got, it's her funeral.

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