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Summarised by Centrist
A new “Mood of the Workforce” survey published by Stuff reports widespread dissatisfaction among respondents with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Many describe him as “out of touch,” “weak,” and an “ineffective leader.”
The survey was commissioned by the Council of Trade Unions and carried out by consultancy firm Piko, drawing responses from 3,758 workers.
Participants were asked to comment on government performance, workplace conditions, and the effectiveness of political leaders as the 2026 election approaches.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins also received lukewarm assessments. Respondents commonly described him as “benign,” “competent but bland,” and insufficiently forceful as Leader of the Opposition.
NZ First’s Winston Peters attracted comparatively fewer negative comments. Peters won praise from several respondents for his performance as foreign affairs minister.
ACT leader David Seymour was one of the most polarising figures, frequently described in negative terms such as “dangerous” and “destructive,” though a minority praised his intelligence and policy focus.
The most favourable assessments were reserved for the Green Party’s co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. She was described as “intelligent, articulate and deeply in touch with younger generations’ concerns.”
However, some detractors said the Greens “lost the plot with their keffiyeh-wearing posturing” and were “delusional extremists”.
Editor’s note: This survey was commissioned by the Council of Trade Unions and reflects the views of a respondent pool that skews toward unionised, public-sector and female workers, demographics that consistently lean left in voting behaviour.
No detailed methodology or full survey report was published alongside the coverage. For these reasons, Centrist treats the data as an unreliable proxy for workforce sentiment as a whole.
