WELLINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's governing coalition retains a narrow parliamentary majority in the latest Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll released Friday, despite modest gains for minor parties.
The survey, conducted June 4-8 among 1,000 eligible voters, showed the National-ACT-New Zealand First "government bloc" holding 62 seats, just above the 61 required to form a government, unchanged from the previous month.
The "opposition bloc" of Labor-Greens-Te Pati Maori remains on 58 seats, it said.
Labor leads party support at 32.2 percent, up 0.3 points, followed by National at 30.1 percent, up 0.1 points, while the Greens rose 1.8 points to 11.5 percent, and the ACT gained 1.3 points to 7.8 percent. New Zealand First slipped slightly to 11.4 percent, and Te Pati Maori fell to 3.1 percent.
Among smaller parties, the Opportunity Party received 3.2 percent support, with all other minor parties polling below 1 percent, the poll showed.
Preferred prime minister rankings showed the incumbent Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at 18.8 percent and Labor leader Chris Hipkins at 17.1 percent, both declining.
"Five months out from the election, this poll points to a contest that is still neck-and-neck," Taxpayers' Union spokesperson Tory Relf said, adding "Minor-party movement is doing the heavy lifting this month." ■