Newspoll’s latest state results for South Australia have appeared on their website (hat tip to Sykesie). The poll covers a sample of 873 from a time frame listed as “July-August”, so it was presumably conducted entirely after Isobel Redmond assumed the leadership on July 8. Labor’s two-party lead is at 56-44, the same result as the previous January-March survey. Both parties are down a point on the primary vote, Labor to 41 per cent and the Liberals to 33 per cent, with the Greens up one to 11 per cent and others up one to 12 per cent. However, there are some very encouraging results for the Liberals in leadership ratings. Redmond’s approval rating is a healthy 43 per cent, compared with a disapproval rating of just 10 per cent. While Mike Rann retains a handy lead of 46-27 as preferred premier, this is the narrowest it has been during his premiership with two exceptions: the 43-28 he recorded immediately after assuming office, and an aberrant 48-30 in July-September 2008. Rann’s approval rating is steady on 51 per cent, but his disapproval is up three to 40 per cent.
I admit my disdain for Fielding biases me, but I would also think Family First will now struggle next time around. People have a much better idea of who they are now, and that will hurt not help. The only reason I can see their vote increasing beyond the 2% or so suggested is if the State Libs continue to be so pathetic that they pick up some of the far right conservative vote in despair. The only sense I can make of Fielding’s tactics now is that he is deliberately targetting that demographic (right wing nutbars and fundies). But surely they won’t be enough to get them a Senate quota?
THM
I have seen Family First activists drag along their teenage children to help hand out how to vote cards but that is about it as far as young members are concerned. I think you may have been going a bit far wth the disgust comment but otherwise I agree with you. FF bring a degree of religeous evangilism with them that is not the norm in Australian politics and in my experience not appreciated by most people on either side of the mainstream party spectrum.
FF have or did have a youth wing in NSW, or tried to start one (not 100% sure), it was called (really) Youth First.. not sure about SA. After a certain… embarrassing incident with one of its members, it probably vanished.
edward o,
Intriguing. Will you elaborate, or do you think it will be “snipped” by Management for legal reasons?
THM,
For your enlightenment, here’s a local story about hateful misinformation being spread by racist motivated dropkicks. It’s very easy for bigotry, racial prejudice and sexual discrimination to gather this sort of momentum through the casual demonisation of people/groups that are different.
Maybe the cure for your paranoid fears of FF is for you to find out more about these people you don’t understand rather than just resort to cynical and thoughtless denigration. They’re only people after all.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25929038-5005961,00.html
GG I could go on about pots and kettles but it’s lost all meaning.
Bob,
Like all empty vessels, you like to make a considerable din (much like your beloved pots and kettles you like to rattle on about).
However, aggressively critiquing the political stance of various individuals and groups with whom I do not agree is not out of line. In fact, it’s the whole point of PB. I must admit I enjoy pricking the pompous egos of the sanctimonious and hypocritical (Guess who I’m talking about). So, stop whinging and toughen up.
You can accuse me of bad taste, bad jokes and general badness. However, I have not (as far as I’m aware) ever resorted to racism, bigotry, sexuality or sexism to make a point. This might be my only redeeming feature.
[However, aggressively critiquing the political stance of various individuals and groups with whom I do not agree is not out of line. In fact, it’s the whole point of PB. I must admit I enjoy pricking the pompous egos of the sanctimonious and hypocritical (Guess who I’m talking about). So, stop whinging and toughen up.]
But GG, you shlould know by now only those of a Green persuasion are permitted to do that towards us ALP folk 🙂 Have you noticed that bsides an appearance on an ABC TV report in {erth, their poster girl Adele Carles has been strangely quiet on the WA Liberals decision to transport lead via Rail through the suburbs to Fremantle Port.
Here she is onn ABC TV:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2009/08/13/2655498.htm
Frank,
I enjoy how they write hundreds of posts to justify their crazy decisions. They always come back with the , on balance black is white cocnclusion. I presume they are desperately trying to convince themselves of their intelligence.
I’m generally impertinent to their sweet talking.
The Carles women looks like she can really do cross looks. That’s the action Fremantle needs, eh!
Greensborough Growler,
I’m all for upholding freedom from racism, homophobia, sexism and many other prejudices. But then these are all things that people cannot change.
Religion is utterly different from these. There is a choice.
If a ‘ligo has problems because of their irrationality then that’s their choice.
I despise the fact that religions exist, but expansive cult-like zealots such as the Assembly of God (the core of Family First) most of all. I am further very desirous to have the right to publicly ridicule anyone who publicly extols their faith (even if I can’t be bothered).
PS- my families’ religious past is mostly Irish Catholic, partly Low Anglican, with just a whiff of Orangeman. I know all about the crushing hand of ‘ligo intolerance.
William – some of the recent posts on here are completely off point and just seem to be made to stop people having sensible debate. Any suggestions?
Fair enough Wakefield (and William Bowe). My second was far off-topic, and put in unasked. Not entirely unprovoked, but out of line. Sorry.
I’m not even South Australian, either!
My gosh GG!
Look back over my comments in this thread. If you look carefully you’ll see that I never once even state by opinion of FF. Suddenly your also trying to associate me with racism and sexual discrimination! This behavior is getting out of hand and is not productive. What is this? Can others please back me up on this? Can someone point out to GG that rightly or wrongly there is a perseption within much of the community that FF are religious extremists. GG, I have my spiritual side and I don’t buy into the Dawkinsesque negative views of religion but I think it is well within acceptable practice to be a secularist and question those that wish to undermine secularism. If you are a Protestant of Assemblys of God-like theology I meant no offence – not that I even stated my opinions on these matters.
You are just trying to be nasty. Any comment anyone outside of the ALP makes you immediatly through out of all proportions and attack. Stop it-peace and goodwill within the PB community is being undermined.
Goanna (87),
The decrease in the hate campaign against the DLP is a direct result of the almost total disappearance of the DLP from the political scene for 30 years. If the DLP threatens to come back, the hate campaign will re-ignite. You only have to read some of the idiotic comments that appeared in the press and on websites following the DLP’s win in Victoria in 2006. Family First has the same problem. But the hate campaign is not primarily responsible for the low vote of either party; it is the fact that there is a very small natural constituency for either of them.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/17/2657528.htm
Sigh, who would have thought Rann would throw up another law and order wedge in response to the glass-half-full Newspoll? But it seems Redmond won’t take the bait, she supports the idea it seems.
[CALIFORNIA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been invited to South Australia for talks on climate change and says he is keen to make the trip.
He even asked Premier Mike Rann during a 45-minute meeting in Sacramento yesterday when was the best time of the year to visit.]
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25954370-2682,00.html