29 Jun 2014

Conservative deal concerns dismissed

8:04 am on 29 June 2014

The National Party's campaign chairperson has dismissed concerns National voters do not want the party to do an electorate deal with Colin Craig's Conservative Party.

Colin Craig.

Photo: RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

A 3 News Reid Research poll showed more National Party voters opposed the idea than supported it.

But Steven Joyce said not much can be read into the poll results.

"Some people that would who answered that question just don't like MMP and don't want to see deals with anybody."

Mr Joyce said the level of preference was not known and the reality with MMP the coalition partners are necessary.

He said National's support parties would have much less influence on it than left wing parties would have on Labour.

At the annual National Party conference on Saturday John Key said he would announce whether or not the National Party would do a deal with the Conservatives in the next few weeks.

Conservatives leader Colin Craig recently confirmed he will stand in the Auckland seat currently National's Murray McCully.

Under any deal, National would have to tell its supporters to vote for Mr Craig as the electorate MP, to ensure the Conservatives secured a place in Parliament.

Mr Key said it was possible that people who might think Colin Craig and his views were flaky, would still vote for him, if it meant keeping a National government in place.