The Australian reports Newspoll has Labor ahead 63-37 on two-party preferred, with Brendan Nelson’s preferred Prime Minister rating down a further 2 per cent from last fortnight’s headline-grabbing 9 per cent. More to follow.
UPDATE: Two-party records on the Newspoll site only go back to January 1996 (the company goes back to 1985); before tonight the best result was Labor’s 61-39 from 16-18 March 2007, the top six all coming from Rudd’s killer run from March to October last year. The Coalition’s best result was 56.5-43.5 from 5-7 October 2001.
UPDATE 2: Graphic here. Kevin Rudd’s approval rating is at 69 per cent, up 1 per cent to beat the record he set a fortnight ago. John Howard’s best ratings were 67 per cent from 10-12 May 1996, and 65 per cent recorded in the aftermath of the Bali bombing on 1-3 November 2002. Pollsters other than Newspoll had Bob Hawke over 70 per cent in 1983-84. I have derived two-party figures for Newspoll from 1985 to 1995 using preference distributions from the preceding election, and none comes close to 63-37. The Coalition’s best result was 59.9-40.1 from 20-22 August 1993, immediately following John Dawkins’ horror post-election budget. Labor’s was 58.0-42.0 from 12-14 June 1987, at the onset of the campaign for the July 11 election.
UPDATE 3: Rather embarrassingly, this post originally claimed Brendan Nelson’s approval rating was 7 per cent. This figure is in fact his preferred prime minister rating. Nelson’s approval rating is 29 per cent, which is not much to write home about but nowhere near the record-setting level of his preferred PM rating.
The trick the Libs played with pensions ect. is that they added on supplements and one off payments.
Why? Because only the basic pension rate is indexed to MWATE if they increased the pensions they would have had to pay more.
So a supplement here a bribe there and hey presto it costs you less than if you had just increased the pension by the same amount.
Tricky Buggers.
So we had Costello laying a golden egg to the tune of $250 Million all paid on one day. Good way to cause inflation and fudge figures. 🙁
Inner Westie….a bureaucratic enema???
Oh Dear, another former Minister in strife. Should we add his name to potential by elections.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/bribe-claim-rocks-wool-trade-body/2008/03/07/1204780109321.html
Sorry, he got out while the going was good.
Well, there you go, fellow bludgers. Rudd has just been on the news saying we have to go through the budget process, but there’s no way we’re going to leave the most vulnerable in society in the lurch, specifically mentioning carers. Knew it. Let’s see the sham’s spin on this. The sooner the ABC gets a thorough cleaning out the better, in my view. The govt. can do bugger all about the OO and the odious bastards who purport to be journalists, such as the sham, but I’m heartily sick of the ABC parroting what’s reported in the OO.
Ogmios
As well as making me chuckle, you’ve caused me to connect the name Michael Costa with the word enema. So thanks for that … I think I’ll go and get a cup of tea.
Steve, I find it interesting how most of the time you refer to Brisbane Times as a source.
Just an observation on a positive note.
Inner Westie…after the confabulated news we’ve had to endure….a BEX would not be out of the question…..LOL!
Well the other local option is Murdoch’s ‘Curious Snail’ and I don’t like to encourage them.
I suggest that the Howard apologist over that the Australian be referred to as Dennis Shamahan from here on. He knows that he spouts lies and tries to pass it off as truth. He is a sham through and through.
Steve K, do you have a problem with journalists who have conservative views, you don’t seem to have a problem with left wing journalists yet you single out the few journos who are centre-right and claim they have no credibility when one could make similar arguments about some left wing journos.
Deal with it not all jurnos are raving socialists some are conservative but that doesnt make their views any less valid than those coming from left wing journos.
Here’s trouble.
561 [Deal with it not all jurnos are raving socialists some are conservative but that doesnt make their views any less valid than those coming from left wing journos.]
We don’t have to read conservative journalists Glen, you do for us. That is how the issue is dealt with.
Then don’t complain about journos who hold the Government accountable, that’s their job!
No, that’s the opposition’s job. But when they are hopeless I suppose someone has to do it.
Yep, the Opposition Orifice has exposed the mother of all cracks.
Boy, have I been having fun with the moderator today…the truth hurts and the journalist is a fried egg.
Sheesh, when will the bottom be established???
Ah what do you think Nelson has been doing attacking Rudd for gutting the allowances for carers and seniors, that’s holding them accountable…Steve for left wingers who pride themselves on tolerance your side of politics doesn’t seem so tolerant when people criticise what the left is doing when they get into power!
Nelson has been running around talking nonsense and ensuring his ppm heads towards zero. The only one who will be held accountable for Nelson’s performance is Nelson. Bring on Jules or Malcolm.
Jules will never get it she hasn’t got the numbers, and while Malcolm probably does why would he want the most thankless job in the country right now, Malcolm is no idiot he’ll only want the power if he can become PM.
You told us that about Costello. Promises, promises. Time to act. Get rid of the deadwood. Clean out the dross.
But Costello never did have the numbers….
Steve he’s been leader for 100 days, give the bloke a chance!
He’ll have at least a year in the job i believe before they think about removing him.
One hundred days too long. Next…
Shamahan is not holding the Govt. accountable – he’s spreading rumours and passing it off as leaks. Rudd has been forced to make statement:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/08/2184164.htm
where he says “…What I can say to carers and pensioners right across Australia that there is no way on God’s earth that I intend to leave them in the lurch…” He could hardly put it more strongly than that now could he?
It is usual for governments to say that they are ruling nothing in nor out of their budget considerations and Rudd has rightly tried to maintain that line. He now has had to make the pragmatic decision to make an exception to that policy. I don’t really care much about right v left journalists so longs as they don’t pass off lies as fact such as Shamahan has been doing these past two days.
It took 2 years to get rid of Crean and yet we should dump Nelson after 100days………
Glen, oh Glen…I like this left wing piffle that you saddle all and sundry that don’t agree with your ideology.
Most amusing if it twas bereft of abusing.
I would not crow loud until the Budget is delivered…but you are in the know as far as this is concerned…must be on the same astral plane that Denis the Grate occupies.
Nelson has nothing to offer. Time for a change.
You know as well as I what that means, he’s going to cancel the payment of bonuses in favour of a system of incremental increases that will not be as popular, as much or as needed as the lump sum payments!
If things don’t get worse for pensioners/carers then Shannas may have saved them from the wrath of the razor gang by bringing to attention the budget leaks have you thought about that Steve K?
Just like his political contributions changes are not aimed at kicking the Liberal Party when it’s down!
Steve…not fishnets again.
577 [If things don’t get worse for pensioners/carers then Shannas may have saved them from the wrath of the razor gang by bringing to attention the budget leaks have you thought about that Steve K?]
More likely Sham-I-Am just made the story up.
577 Glen, Who are you referring to in your 3rd para? Shamahan or Mr 7%?
So Shamahan has saved pensioners from destitution. Wonderful chap that Shamahan. He’s always supported the vulnerable in our society. How is it that you know what form of payment will be popular with the beneficiaries? Done your own private research? You watch question time this week and see if Nelson’s crocodile tears work.
Steve K…bingo is not his name.
577 Glen – Come off it. The government never intended to make carers or pensioners worse off. Bloody hell, it’s a Labor government. This was a beat up and now it will be said they’ve changed their mind because of the pressure. Another beat up on this story.
Rudd, him trying to change the level at which a donation has to make public the names/companies of those donating…just a political move because he knows the ALP gets millions from Unions and if companies have to declare they give money to the Liberals the ALP will demand money from them too!
What would you rather a lump sum of 500 dollars for seniors, 600 and up to 1600 for carers or a couple of bucks more with centre link its a no brainer as to which one is more preferable.
Steve K, its nice to know that Rudd is a wuss when it comes down to the punch, he couldn’t handle the negative press coming out of him not being present when Parliament sat not to mention that it was unconstitutional.
582 That’s the problem with Glen’s dreamworld. Once the fantasy is exposed it rolls on to the next improbable hallucination.
I bet the government has come up with a series of scenarios and someone has chosen the worst case scenario to pubicise which they never intended to use. Hell, do you really think they are that politically stupid? Rudd’s latest comment shows that he isn’t. “There is no way on god’s green earth that I would leave these people in the lurch,” he said. Does that sound like he is going to commit political suicide, I don’t think so.
Gosh 583 Glen – are you suggesting extortion?!
“…if companies have to declare they give money to the Liberals the ALP will demand money from them too!…”
583 Glen – I can see now why you are considered a prat.
“…its nice to know that Rudd is a wuss when it comes down to the punch, he couldn’t handle the negative press coming out of him not being present when Parliament sat not to mention that it was unconstitutional.”
The negative press was fairly and squarely aimed at the children on the opposition front benches. Do you simply look at the pictures and skip the words?
583 Glen – just explain to me why Howard made it so that donations up to 10,000 dollars could remain secret. While you’re at it tell me how making the disclosure figure $1,000 makes it even better for the Labor Party.
Gary… this was always a beat up and will be detrimental to many.
Being mean and green…how does a man recycle a burnt out quasi-journalist???
The pensioners would actually end up with MORE money under Labor’s plan Glen.
M O R E!!!
Rudd did the Libs a favour by cutting out the Friday sittings. Now they can’t show us what little spoilt brats they are. I would have been very happy for it to continue.
MORE wasn’t mentioned in his talking points Gary. Just wait till he faxes party HQ for some more details of the plan.
Glen
If you care to take the time to look at the coalition policy for the last election you will find that they intended to “annualise” the carers bonuses via the utilities allowance, yet you get all puffed up with hubris when a pathetic no talent political editor condemns the policy espoused by Peter (get me outa here) Costello.
Read the policy mate. It stinks. More mean and tricky weasel words.
Gary…the opposition are the paralax of the Indian test side…in this modern world there is medication to deal with such folly!
593 ruawake – good pick up. Do you think that might get a run in parliament next week?
Isn’t the coalition Party room meeting on Tuesday morning? If they sit regularly till 5.00am or 6.00am. they will be nice and tired and cranky at the meeting each week.
589 Ogmios – I believe you are right. Much egg will be distributed come budget night one feels.
596 steve – to be honest I don’t think they nedd lack of sleep to be dopey and argumentative.
No, it looks like the party room meeting has been on Wednesday.
Much more sensible to distribute the carer’s etc payments on an incremental basis, I know that in the past the pokie palaces used to rub their hands with glee at the thought of that bonus hitting the banks. Figures showed a spike in poker machine turnover every time. Would have made McGauran very happy.