Your Daily Ten@10 - 2026/067

This is edition 2026/067 of the Ten@10 newsletter.

Hi all,

This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.

Enjoy!

• 📊 Polls as a Guide: Political polls give a snapshot of voter preferences but can be unreliable months ahead of an election due to unforeseen events.
• 📉 National's Decline: A recent Roy Morgan poll shows National's support dropping to 26.5%, its lowest since the last election, while ACT and NZ First have gained ground.
• 💥 Electoral Shifts: National could lose significant seats, while ACT and NZ First could gain more. A National-led Coalition may face challenges with a loss of marginal seats.
• 🔺 Maori Party Strategy: The Maori Party aims to create an electoral overhang by splitting votes, supporting Labour/Greens for a left-wing government, while boosting Maori representation.
• 🔮 Future Coalitions: Voters face a choice between a centre-right Coalition (National, ACT, NZ First) or a left-wing Coalition (Labour, Greens, Maori Party).
• 🔴 Labour's Shift Left: Labour has moved further left under Jacinda Ardern's influence, prioritizing identity politics over traditional worker issues.
• 🚨 Winston Peters' Strategy: NZ First, under Winston Peters, targets former Labour voters alienated by Labour's left-wing turn and identity politics, using populist messaging.
• 🌍 International Populism: Peters' approach mirrors successful populist strategies in other countries, such as Farage in the UK and Hanson in Australia.
• 🗳️ Poll Predictions: A second poll shows a slight boost for the Coalition, with National, NZ First, and ACT rising, suggesting they could gain enough seats to form a government.
• ❓ National's Struggles: National's focus on economic recovery has not delivered the expected results, and the legacy of Labour's governance in 2023 continues to impact public perception.
• 🏛️ Bureaucratic Resistance: National faces resistance from entrenched bureaucratic systems, especially in dealing with race-based policies and Labour's identity-driven agenda.
• 🛑 ACT's Position: ACT pushes for the elimination of race-based policies across government, aligning with concerns about the impact of Labour's legacy.
• 🔄 Voter Shift: There's a growing trend of former National voters shifting to NZ First, highlighting dissatisfaction with National's current direction and a desire for change.
• ⚠️ Election Risks: National must address these concerns to secure swing voters, or risk losing support and facing a change in leadership after November 7.