NZ First’s Recent Poll Rise

NZ First leader Winston Peters has always marched to the beat of his own drum — seasoned, shrewd, and staunchly steadfast. In the Taxpayers’ Union–Curia Poll for July 2025, his political instincts appear sharper than ever, with New Zealand First rising to 9.8% support, up 3.7 points from June. This result represents the party’s highest polling figure this term and sees it “leapfrog” both the Greens and ACT, becoming the third-most-popular party, behind only National and Labour.

The poll also projects 12 seats for NZ First — up from 8 in the previous month — giving Peters and his caucus increased parliamentary leverage. This would place NZ First at the centre of the current coalition equation: National (42 seats), NZ First (12 seats), and ACT (11 seats) would collectively command 65 seats, a workable majority.

Winston Peters: Enduring Appeal

Peters’s personal appeal is also gaining momentum. He is now ranked as the third-most-preferred Prime Minister, polling at 9.3%, an increase of 1.3 points from June. As others court headlines, Peters is earning votes — with steady gains that suggest a return to real political influence, not just relevance.

Shane Jones: Champion of the Provinces

Working alongside Peters is Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Development. Jones has been crisscrossing the country — from Northland to the Chatham Islands — personally bringing government resources and attention to the hinterlands. He’s openly framed himself as a “champion for the provinces” stressing that even distant communities deserve growth and resilience. At a recent summit on the Chathams, Jones highlighted their “infrastructure deficit” and emphasised that boosting local resilience “is critical”.

Under his watch, the coalition government’s $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is already on track, with over $580 million committed so far. Jones’s hands-on, hometown hustle has reinforced NZ First’s message that it fights for the “forgotten few” in every corner of New Zealand.

Conclusion:

In short, Peters and Jones together have spun a narrative of practical, place-based policy, steadily stirring support among Kiwis craving real-world solutions. New Zealand’s next general election legally must take place no later than Saturday, December 19th, 2026.