On the eve of New Zealand’s general election, final polls show the right retaining its lead, but with support continuing to shift towards the left, and the centrist Opportunity Party potentially holding the balance of power.

Right-wing parties (National, ACT and New Zealand First) led left-wing parties (Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori) by 2.3 points in the final 1News-Verian poll.

The right also led by 5.3 points in the Curia poll for the Taxpayers’ Union and by 2.5 points in the Freshwater poll for The Post.

Opportunity polled 6.2% in Verian, 5.8% in Curia and 5.1% in Freshwater. While the party is above the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament (without winning a single-member electorate) in all three, it is only just above the line in the Freshwater poll.

If Opportunity falls below the threshold and fails to enter........

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