Newspoll: 58-42

The Australian reports Labor’s lead in the latest fortnightly Newspoll is up from 56-44 to 58-42. Kevin Rudd’s preferred prime minister rating is up two points to 67 per cent, and Malcolm Turnbull’s is down two to 18 per cent. More to follow.

UPDATE: Graphic here. Rudd has exchanged five points of disapproval (down to 21 per cent) for five of approval (up to 68 per cent), while Turnbull’s disapproval exceeds his approval for the first time (42 per cent to 39 per cent). Also featured are questions on foreign ownership of Australian mineral companies (it’s bad).

Elsewhere:

• The weekly Essential Research survey has Labor’s lead steady at 63-37. The other questions relate to Australia’s international relations, in particular Kevin Rudd’s handling thereof (67 per cent approve), the state of our relations with China and the United States, and the countries respondents feel “are most like Australians in their attitudes and the way they see the world”.

• Perth’s ABC TV news yesterday reported that litigious Queensland mining billionaire Clive Palmer plans to bankroll a campaign by the WA Nationals to win a Senate seat at the next federal election – something they haven’t succeeded in doing since 1975. No word on who the candidate might be. Former Deputy Premier Hendy Cowan didn’t have any luck in 2001, but he did have Graeme Campbell/One Nation to contend with on that occasion. Their subsequent efforts have been half-hearted.

• The ABC reports the WA Nationals are insisting on a precisely fixed date for the state’s elections, contrary to Premier Colin Barnett’s policy of allowing flexibility in the timing of elections in February or March “in case of natural disasters”.

• In yet more Western Australian news, Antony Green has a page up on the state’s May 16 daylight savings referendum. The Poll Bludger’s page on the concurrent Fremantle by-election is in business here.

• The Victorian Parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee will conduct an inquiry into whether the Electoral Act should be amended to expand the scope of the provision prohibiting misleading electoral material. At present this refers expressly to material “likely to mislead or deceive an elector in relation to the casting of the vote”, and is thus narrowly concerned with matters such as how-to-vote cards that deceive voters into backing the wrong party. The Victorian Electoral Commission rejected a complaint from independent Kororoit by-election candidate Les Twentyman about a Labor pamphlet stating that “a vote for Les Twentyman is a vote for the Liberals”, but its report on the by-election suggested parliament consider addressing “an undesirable trend for candidates to take advantage or build on community misunderstandings of preferential voting with confusing statements”.

• Ben Raue at the Tally Room has started an election wiki.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,460 comments on “Newspoll: 58-42”

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  1. NTDTV has an interesting report that Technlogy shares are rising due to increased demand in Japan and Taiwan but they seem to have missed the most significant announcement in Australia this week.

    [And some of the economic data form the region also provided hope for a recovery. Japanese core machinery orders posted a surprising increase of 1.4 percent.

    But over in Australia, there’s been a slowdown. Data shows that the country shed jobs at the fastest pace in six years, while unemployment jumped by the most since 1991.]

    http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_bus/2009-04-09/632782757228.html

  2. Dr Good

    The “laying on of hands” is exactly what many patients come for but it doesn’t actually fix many illnesses. Many problems that people see GPs about are self-limiting and reassurance and diagnosis give patients the equanimity to wait it out.

    In lots of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol it’s not necessary to see the patient very often in your rooms. The results could be sent through to the doctors rooms with most small changes sorted out over the internet. Of course if things are going downhill or either party is worried, a physical consultation could happen. But “virtual” appointments would cover 3/4 of visits.

    There’s a long way to go before doctors and patients are happy with a big change like that though. If it works for the country patients, it could be trialled with city patients.

  3. These arguments about who might MISS OUT are laughable. THEY DONT HAVE IT NOW. So due to the (quite obvious) logistical and financial cost of rolling something out to 100%, do we just do, as Howard did, NOTHING???

  4. ratsars

    [So for a community to miss out an access to NBN they must not only be small they must also be isolated.]

    I’d be surprised if 10% of the population lived in towns meeting that description. I gather there isn’t a list of who will get NBN and who won’t. The Libs are whipping up hysteria in lots of towns at the moment.

  5. The future is closer than you think. You use your mobile to start and execute a secured commerce transaction. The “credit cards” are embedded in your mobile SIM card and you use your mobile camera to “scan” the product QRcode, you are your own check-out person, no queuing. Payment done and receipt sent to your mobile. One bill, a monthly statement from your Telco.

    If you are buying digital contents, they are delivered to you VIA the FTTH-NBN to your IP enabled gateway box in your home, seamlessly. Brave new world.

    [Singapore – Feb 18, 2009 – Contactless mobile payment

    CONSUMERS are one step closer to being able to pay for products and services via a contactless virtual credit or debit card using mobile phone. By next year, the Government will appoint an agency to oversee the rollout of a nation-wide contactless payment system, including making sure that the system works across all telcos, financial institutions and retailers. It will also consider subsidising retailers that need help with the cost of necessary infrastructure like contactless payment terminals or doors, to ensure the effort succeeds. ]

    http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_339917.html

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