Simon Bridges says the Government is going about losing the next election "pretty well", so he's not concerned about his poor personal poll ratings.
Polls by Newshub and TVNZ in February had the National Party leader with 5 and 6 percent support respectively.
Mr Bridges' popularity contrasts with that of his party, which though at a decade-low, is still in the 40s.
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Asked on Newshub Nation what he planned to do to turn around his own poll ratings, Mr Bridges said the election was the Government's to lose.
"Elections are a referendum on the Government," he told host Emma Jolliff. "It's Governments that lose elections. At the moment, I think they're going about that pretty well, from my perspective, with some of the things that they are doing and not doing."
Mr Bridges' support is well behind Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who scored in the low 40s in both polls.
But he told Newshub Nation Winston Peters won the 2017 election "for her".
"I think Winston Peters won the last election. I think there's quite a few that say that as well. He won it for her, and now Michael Cullen's doing a good job to try and win it for her again - or lose it for her, perhaps.
"But I'll hold the Government to account. I'll make sure that National is developing plans so people have got a real choice at the election, and they'll make up their minds when that election comes."
Asked how low National will have to sink before he steps down "for the good of the party", Mr Bridges said he wouldn't.
"I'm here to stay. I believe in what I'm doing, I think I'm the best person for the job, and I lead a terrific team that is putting out policy, that is leading the debates. We're going to continue doing that."
Mr Bridges had a tumultuous first year as National Party leader, much of it related to the exit of former National MP Jami-Lee Ross.
Newshub.
