Winston Peters has firmed as the likely kingmaker of the New Zealand election, but the veteran will have only one side of politics to choose from to crown a prime minister.
The 78-year-old's party New Zealand First has gained more ground in the latest TVNZ-Verian poll, released on Wednesday, hitting six per cent.
Centre-right opposition National remains in front on 36 per cent, well ahead of Labour's 26 per cent.
Left-wingers the Greens have improved again to 13 per cent while right-wing libertarians ACT are on 12 per cent.
Based on those numbers, both the right bloc and left bloc would be unable to reach a majority in parliament, although National and ACT would come close with 60 of the 120 seats.
Enter Mr Peters, who is set to return to parliament 45 years after he was first elected in 1978.
"It's coming good for us at the time that it matters," he said of the polls.
During campaigning for the October 14 election, Mr Peters has ruled out a deal with the governing Labour Party, which has in turn ruled him out.
This means Mr Peters is set to side with centre-right opposition party National - and potentially make political newcomer Chris Luxon prime minister.
Mr Peters said voters liked what his NZ First party could bring to a possible National-ACT-NZ First coalition.
"They need some experience, they need accountability but above all, they need some common sense and that need is very desperate right now in New Zealand politics," he said.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is arguing the opposite, calling that three-party government a "right-wing circus" that would be dominated by infighting.
"I don't think Christopher Luxon has the political skills to be able to manage that ... I don't think they'd be able to agree on anything," he said.
As support for Labour drops for the seventh straight TVNZ poll, the party is hanging its hopes on an undecided vote of 11 per cent.
"They're going to be looking closely at what we're offering in the next two and a half weeks as we head towards polling day," Mr Hipkins said.
With a 10-point lead in the polls, victory for the right bloc seems assured - but Mr Luxon remains cautious.
"I don't want people thinking it is a foregone conclusion," he said.
"I want people to understand that this is going to be a very close-run election.
"It's clear that the vast majority of the country want change.
"To get that change you've actually got to step up to the plate and vote for that change."
LATEST NZ POLITICAL POLL: TVNZ-VERIAN
National - 36 per cent (down one) - 45 MPs
Labour - 26 (down one) - 33 MPs
Greens - 13 (up one) - 17 MPs
ACT - 12 (steady) - 15 MPs
NZ First - six (up one) - eight MPs
Maori - two (down one) - two MPs
PREFERRED PRIME MINISTER
Chris Hipkins (Labour) - 23 per cent (steady)
Chris Luxon (National) - 23 (steady)
David Seymour (ACT) - five (steady)
Winston Peters (NZ First) - four (steady)
Marama Davidson (Greens) - two (up one)
