Christopher Luxon says the latest political poll result shows National has made "tremendous progress" under his tenure even though support for him as Prime Minister has started to dwindle.
The latest TVNZ Kantar poll released on Tuesday evening shows National steady on 37 percent, with Labour up one point on 34 percent.
Luxon's popularity as the next potential Prime Minister has dipped by one percent to 21 points, while Jacinda Ardern still leads the pack at 30.
The numbers would give National 49 seats and ACT 12, enough to form a Government. Te Pāti Māori would get two seats, the Greens 12 and Labour 45.
Luxon told AM on Wednesday even though he is pleased with the poll result, there is still "work to do".
"We've made tremendous progress. If you think about where we were just nine months ago and where we are now. Yes, there's a lot more work to do," Luxon co-host Ryan Bridge.
Luxon's support as preferred Prime Minister has dwindled since earlier this year but he defended Tuesday's result of 21 points, telling AM Kiwis still need to get to know him better as he's still a relative newbie in politics.
"Yes, people need to get to know me more and better as well over time, but we've made great progress and to think that we can form a National-led Government, which this poll and other polls have been saying is just a sign that New Zealanders actually don't think this Government can deliver and they think the country heading in the wrong direction," he said. "I'm up against a career politician who's been there 14 years.
"I'm new to politics, it's a big, long job interview until the next election and I'm going to do my very best for people to get to know me and understand my values and how I would lead."
Luxon said he wouldn't change anything about his style as a result of the latest poll results.
"If you think about conversations you and I would've had nine or ten months ago when I became the leader and we renewed the National Party, we were a long way off from being in this position," Luxon told Bridge.
"The message is New Zealanders actually think the country's going in the wrong direction. It needs to be turned around and put back on track and they need a Government that can deliver for them and they just don't feel that at the moment.
"They've got a rising cost of living. They've got a health care system falling apart and they've got rising levels of crime, so they want a Government to manage the economy, to deliver better public services and ultimately help them get ahead."
It comes after deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson told AM on Tuesday Labour has "absolutely" made life better for New Zealanders.
Robertson and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern were blasted in last week's NZ Herald Mood of the Boardroom survey but despite the criticism, he believed the Government was fixing the core fundamental issues facing New Zealand such as health, education and crime.
"In the health sector, for example, we've done undertaking one of the biggest reforms that New Zealand's seen in two decades - the creation of the Māori Health Authority to really get to the core to some of the issues here - along with Health New Zealand and moving away from the DHBs," Robertson said.
"We're very much focused on those things and making sure that we have the fundamental basics of the New Zealand economy and society right."
He argued the Government had "absolutely" made life better for New Zealanders in terms of education, crime and housing.
But Robertson admitted "this little thing called COVID" had disrupted progress.
Watch the full interview with Christopher Luxon above.
