Newshub-Reid Research poll: Half of New Zealand doesn't support Three Waters reforms

The Government could be in hot water over Three Waters, with the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll showing half the country doesn't support the reforms while another quarter are still undecided. 

Farmers' fury spilled onto the streets on Sunday in Groundwell's 'Mother of all Protests', with signs expressing frustration at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Government's Three Waters plan. 

There wasn't a lot of love for the Groundswell protesters from the Government either, with Labour minister Stuart Nash making a sweeping generalisation that may have landed him in deep water with the boss. 

"Based on what I've read on their website, it's a mixture of racism, anti-vaxx, etcetera, etcetera," Nash said in Parliament.

Ardern won't ask Nash to say sorry. 

"I wouldn't use that language. I wouldn't describe, generally, an entire group of people in that way," she said. "But I am not going to ask him to apologise for his comments."

But Groundswell wants Nash to apologise.

"What he said was totally incorrect so we want him to actually apologise to us actually, for saying that," said Bryce McKenzie, organiser of Groundwell. 

National leader Judith Collins described it as "a nasty attack" and "really insulting". 

And perhaps the Government should listen, because it's not just Groundswell opposed to Three Waters.

The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll shows about 48 percent - almost half the country - doesn't support the reforms. Just 27 percent support it, and another 25 percent are undecided. 

Some people just don't get it. Here's a hint - Three Waters is not still, sparkling or tap. It's drinking, waste and stormwater - and the Government wants to take away council control of them.

Three Waters doesn't even float the boat of the majority of Labour voters. The poll found that 40 percent of them agree with it, while a third - 30 percent - don't, and 31 percent are unsure. 

The Prime Minister has no intention of backing down. 

"No, we didn't take these decisions lightly," she said. "They've taken years of consideration."

The Government spent $3.5 million of taxpayer money advertising Three Waters. The fact so few Kiwis understand it and so many are opposed to it is ample ammo for the Opposition to accuse the Government of flushing $3.5 million down the drain.

The Newshub-Reid Research poll was conducted between 10-17 November with a margin of error of 3.1 percent.