NZ Labour eager to recapture lost ground

New Zealand Labour's old stagers believe a break from politics over summer will give Jacinda Ardern's government the chance to recapture lost ground in an election year.

A TVNZ-Kantar poll released this week confirmed Labour will spend the holidays in an election-losing position.

Labour polled 33 per cent, behind the National party's 38 per cent.

The results put the Nationals on track to govern in coalition with ACT, a right-wing party which polled 11 per cent.

NZ voters are usually generous to incumbents - the last time a government missed out on a third term was in 1990.

However, that fate looks increasingly likely for Ms Ardern, who has been bogged down in controversial reform projects and increasingly blamed for the rising cost of living.

AAP asked a number of senior ministers for their views on what's anchoring Labour.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said "what I absolutely acknowledge is the past couple of weeks have been incredibly tough".

Campaign chair Megan Woods said "we all know it's been a pretty difficult couple of weeks when that poll was in the field".

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson called the past few months "a really, really tough period" and Police Minister Chris Hipkins said "we have to acknowledge it's been a pretty tough year".

The prescription to Labour's woes? A break and a fresh start.

"I think everyone's grumpy out there, looking for someone to blame," Mr O'Connor told AAP.

"That's understandable - it's not new - and I can share some of that pain. 

"Hopefully a good Christmas break will do us all a world of good."

Mr Hipkins, the former COVID-19 minister, said the absence of pandemic restrictions next year would give the government fresh air.

"We won't be dealing with the re-entry issues that we dealt with," he said.

"We will be looking to have a good year next year and I'm optimistic."

Mr Robertson said the government could "easily lift that poll rating" despite economic headwinds that forecast a recession at the same time New Zealanders will go to the polls.

"We have had a challenging few years and we've got New Zealanders through a lot of difficult times - 2023 will be difficult as well," he said.

"The question New Zealanders will be asking themselves is 'do they want an experienced team who've been putting forward ideas for dealing with the situation or do they want an inexperienced team who don't appear to have any ideas for what to do?'."

Ms Ardern retains a six-point lead as preferred prime minister, although at 29 per cent, her personal rating is the lowest since she took office in 2017.

Mr Hipkins denied Labour would target Opposition Leader Christopher Luxon with a personal and negative campaign ahead of the election, due late in 2023.

"We will be focused next year on making sure that we have a positive message to put before the electorate ... it's going to be a good, vigorous election campaign," he said.