Interim: Goff leads debate winner poll

Labour leader Phil Goff is 7.4% ahead of National’s John Key in a new nationwide poll asking New Zealanders who won last night’s televised leaders’ debate.

Mr Goff scores 39.1%, Mr Key 31.7% when people are asked who won the October 31 debate on TV One.

The RadioLIVE-HorizonPoll interim result is weighted by age, gender, region, ethnicity, personal income and party vote 2008 to provide a representative population sample.

The maximum margin of error on the sub sample which saw the debate is 6.5%. The survey is still under way.

Each leader scores positive ratings on their personal debating performances:

• 58% think Mr Key’s performance was good to very good (20.8% very good) while 16% though it poor and 22.6% are neutral.

• 56.5% think Mr Goff’s performance was good (20.8% very good), while 16.4% though it poor and 24.4% are neutral.

61.5% of people who voted National in 2008 say Mr Key won the debate, 14.4% thought Mr Goff won.

66.8% of people who voted Labour thought Mr Goff won, 9.8% thought Mr Key did.

Among the 187,000 registered electors who chose not to vote in 2008, an important group in this year’s election of they decide to turn out, 45% thought Mr Goff won, 13.3% Mr Key.

The poll continues among registered members of the HorizonPoll nationwide panel.

Horizon research is scientifically conducted using a weighted random select of members of its nationwide HorizonPoll panel, 95% of whom recruited by e-mail invitation to match the New Zealand population at the 2006 census. Respondent samples are further weighted to ensure a representative population sample.

Results of this survey may be used with accreditation to Horizon Research Limited www.horizonpoll.co.nz