Support for the National Party remains strong in the latest Colmar-Brunton OneNews poll out tonight.
Simon Bridges and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo: RNZ
National is still the party with the most support despite not being in government.
The opposition party is unchanged on 45 percent but Labour has slipped back one point to 42 percent.
Jacinda Ardern remains the preferred prime minister by an enormous margin - on 40 percent.
National leader Simon Bridges is down two on 10 percent, and deputy prime minister Winston Peters is up one to five percent.
Mr Bridges said it was the party vote that mattered, but was not taking his poor result lightly.
"I know that the prime ministership isn't something anyone gets on a platter. I need to go out and in what is relatively early days, five months in to my leadership, earn the trust and support of New Zealanders over time."
Simon Bridges said Labour was not making headway because New Zealanders were concerned about the economic management of the country.
Labour is on 42 percent, but with the support of New Zealand First, which is up one to five percent and the Greens also up one to six percent - the government parties have 53 percent support.