Kim Dotcom's efforts to stay in New Zealand received a boost today - with Labour and the Greens revealing they are prepared to stop his extradition if they take power.
And the 3 News/Reid Research poll has found one in five Kiwis would consider voting for Dotcom's political party, the Internet Party.
There's no doubt Dotcom knows how to party – he even calls himself the "party amplifier".
One party is just getting going - that's Dotcom's political party.
The Internet Party polled zero in the 3 News poll, but when voters were asked specifically about it - one in five were at least open to it.
Twenty-one percent said they would consider voting for it, and 75 percent said 'no'.
"It's one thing for people to say 'yeah I might consider it' - it's a very different issue when they are in the privacy of the ballot box to actually cast their vote in favour," says Prime Minister John Key.
"I suspect the right answer is zero - same as your poll."
The Internet Party's support is strongest among those who haven't decided who they will vote for.
Thirty-three percent of those undecided said they would consider it, and 30 percent of Winston Peter's supporters might too. Twenty-three percent of the Greens and 11 percent of National voters said they'd consider it.
"He's got his own motivations for wanting to set up a political party. I suspect they are not to better New Zealand," says Mr Key.
Mr Key suggested this motivation was Dotcom wanting a change of Government to prevent his extradition to the United States.
The alternative Government was more than open to keeping Dotcom here - but it's the Government of the day that makes the final decision.
3 News
source: newshub archive
