Former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett has reacted to a new poll showing more women would vote for her former National Party than incumbent Labour.
Bennett appeared on AM's panel on Thursday morning, where she was asked about the latest Taxpayers' Union Curia Poll. The poll showed 34.1 percent of women polled would vote for Labour, compared with 37.2 percent of women polled who said they'd vote for National.
"Women are going to vote for the best ideas," Bennett said. "We do like to see a party that represents us.
"I'm just excited because I think we're going to have a contest of ideas and that's what this country needs."
Bennett said the poll showed New Zealanders wanted a contest of ideas. Overall, the poll had National on 37.8 percent and Labour at 36.8 - meaning neither could govern alone and would require the support of the Māori Party.
"However you vote, whoever you end up voting - let's actually discuss what sort of society we want [and] what's important," Bennett said.
"Bring it on."
The right-wing ACT Party, meanwhile, dropped 2.8 points to 8.4 percent in the poll. Party leader David Seymour believed the Government would change at the next election, judging by the poll numbers.
"ACT is going to play a very significant part in any new Government," he told AM Early host Bernadine Oliver-Kerby.
"I think the real question people will be looking at is, 'OK, if the Government is going to change, will the change be real?'"
The latest Newshub-Reid Research Poll in February had National on 31.3 percent and Labour comfortably in front on 44.3 percent.
