Newspoll: 57-43

As it does from time to time, The Australian has chosen to publish the fortnightly Newspoll on a Monday rather than the anticipated Tuesday. This one has the Labor two-party lead steady on 57-43. Both major parties are down a point on the primary vote, Labor to 45 per cent and the Coalition to 37 per cent. After a mild recovery over the previous month, Malcolm Turnbull’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction are both only one point off their worst ever, at 26 per cent (down seven) and 57 per cent (up seven). Kevin Rudd’s lead as preferred prime minister is 65-17, down fractionally from 66-16 a fortnight ago. His approval rating is down three to 60 per cent and his disapproval is up two to 28 per cent.

A day after state Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan at last confirmed she would take on Liberal member Don Randall in the federal seat of Canning, The West Australian has published a Westpoll survey of 400 respondents showing MacTiernan favoured by 41 per cent as state Labor leader, compared with 15 per cent for Mindarie MP John Quigley, 12 per cent for incumbent Eric Ripper and 3 per cent each for Victoria Park MP Ben Wyatt and Kwinana MP Roger Cook. Premier Colin Barnett remains preferred by 55 per cent (steady) against 16 per cent (up three) for Ripper. No figures on voting intention are provided. MacTiernan says she will remain in her seat of Armadale and on the front bench until preselection is resolved.

UPDATE: Essential Research: 60-40.

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.

3,128 comments on “Newspoll: 57-43”

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  1. Today’s ruling is likely to spark debate on the broader issue of euthanasia.

    Last week, Dr Scott Blackwell from Palliative Care WA Inc warned people not to confuse Mr Rossiter’s case with euthanasia.

    Dr Blackwell says the case is not about murder laws, but about the right of the state’s residents to refuse treatment.

    “All Western Australians with legal decision-making capacity have the right to refuse medical treatment … courts in Australia and overseas have long considered artificial feeding – for example by a PEG tube – a medical treatment,” he said.

    So the whole issue of euthanasia does not apply if the individual in question cannot feed themselves? Or if any ongoing medical treatment is keeping them alive?

    But only if they are willing to put up with whatever cessation of treatment dishes out to them…

  2. [Former Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean fired one of the clearest warning shots at hesitant Democratic lawmakers on Thursday, insisting that if the party was unable to produce a health care bill with a public plan, there would be electoral consequences.

    “I do think there will be primaries as the result of all this, if the bill doesn’t pass with a public option,” Dean said, in a phone interview with the Huffington Post.]
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/13/dean-there-will-be-primar_n_258813.html

  3. Joe Hockey has arisen from the dead, although he made absolutely no sense on PM. If the RBA increases interest rates it will be the Govts fault.

  4. Joe has indeed been a loyal cheerleader.

    It is rather pathetic that when Turnbull & Co made out a list of “alternative issues” (or distractions), this was judged the best they had.

    Oh well. Say it loud, Joe.

  5. Hockey was also playing word games using “Kevinisms” like “when the rubber hits the road” and “putting downward pressure on interest rates”.

  6. Rates will start rising when enough evidence comes in that the wider economy is sustainably growing – that could be as early as December, but it could be as late as the 3rd quarter next year.

    No one really knows yet – these pop-econ muppets on the news are the same silly buggers that were telling all and sundry only 2 months ago that we’ll all be rooned and economic Armageddon is just around the corner. They’re jumping ahead of the data and really don’t know, but can’t admit it because they need to get their heads on the news.

    Stevens basically said today that interest rates will start returning to normal when they need to – no more, no less.

  7. The bloke from WA who got burned as a result of a Taser went to court today and was apparently charged with ‘unlawfully throwing a fluid on a person and possessing a deleterious substance.’

    Possessing a deleterious substance?

    That’s got to be one of the better crimes around.

    I’ve currently got a couple of batteries in a dictaphone in my satchel, they’ve got to have a deleterious substance in them surely?

    Come to think of it, my sinuses are a bit blocked and the phlegm is pretty deleterious.

  8. Greensborough Growler @3112
    [Hockey was also playing word games using “Kevinisms” like “when the rubber hits the road” and “putting downward pressure on interest rates”.]

    Do you think that is a deliberate response to Kevin’s baiting of Malcolm with his own quotes? If so, it is quiet funny. Kevin uses Malcolm’s old policy statements; they use Kevin’s soundbites. It’s like they are trying to emphasis: “We’ve got nufin!”

  9. Kersebleptes,

    http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/ActCompilation1.nsf/0/00B5A0EB6752B2CACA2575FA002172FB/$file/BuildingandConstructIndustImprove2005.pdf

    Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005
    Act No. 113 of 2005 as amended
    This compilation was prepared on 14 July 2009
    taking into account amendments up to Act No. 54 of 2009

    Part 2—Compliance etc. powers
    Division 1—ABC Commissioner’s powers to obtain information etc.
    Section 52 ABC Commissioner’s powers to obtain information etc. (Page 43)

    [Oath or affirmation
    (4) The ABC Commissioner, or an assistant, may require the information or answers to be verified by, or given on, oath or ABC Commissioner, or an assistant, may administer the oath or affirmation.

    (5) The oath or affirmation is an oath or affirmation that theinformation or answers are or will be true.]

  10. Pegasus,

    Thank you very much for that.

    So it is within the Commissioner’s gift to require oath/affirmation, or not.

    Their teeth can be extended/retracted at will.

  11. [If the RBA increases interest rates it will be the Govts fault.]

    Pathetic.

    Look interest rates went up and up under Howard but no one cared because things seemed to be good (if you didn’t look underneath the hood). If interest rates go up then it means things are looking up. So long as they don’t go back to Howard tpye levels, the ALP will be ok.
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/financialcrisis/charts/interestrates2year.htm
    Let’s be honest, if interest rates go down, it’ll mean things are stuffed.

    And so much for the sugar hit:
    [A private survey shows that about 30 per cent of the Federal Government’s stimulus payments have yet to be spent.]

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/13/2654906.htm

  12. It’s a goodun Kerse. It sounds suspiciously like what Treasury said would happen did happen.

    Who would have thought some people would pay off their credit card and then feel like doing some spending later down the track???

  13. Jack the Insider with an excellent explanation of how Fiedling got elected:

    [Now say, you have a carton of stubbies. And I’d like a few of your stubbies. So you give me eight stubbies and I drink four of them right away because I have a thirst you could paint in oil. Then I hand on the four remaining stubbies to another bloke who drinks two and then passes on one each to his two mates.

    That bloke I gave the four stubbies to gives me two schooners by way of thank you. I give you one and drink the other one myself. And if we keep handing round drinks for a few more hours, pretty soon the notion of having a man like Steve Fielding in the Senate is an idea that deeply amuses us, although we do regret it terribly the next day. ]

    http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/jacktheinsider/index.php/theaustralian/comments/ets_failure_a_failure_at_every_level/

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