The Courier-Mail brings a Galaxy poll of Queensland respondents which shows the Coalition with an imposing 59-41 lead on two-party preferred. This points to a 4 per cent swing compared with the state’s result at the election (55.1-44.9), which is entirely in line with the general picture of national polling. On the primary vote the Coalition is almost doubling Labor, with a lead of 53 per cent to 28 per cent. Even more remarkable is the scale of Julia Gillard’s unpopularity in Queensland: she is favoured as Labor leader by just 19 per cent of respondents compared with 59 per cent for Kevin Rudd, compared with 44 per cent and 33 per cent at the previous such poll in February (Wayne Swan has also dropped from 15 per cent to 9 per cent since then). We are variously told “Tony Abbott has pulled in front of Ms Gillard as preferred prime minister by a strong 16 percentage point margin”, and that “Mr Abbott has pulled ahead of Ms Gillard as preferred prime minister by 53 per cent to 47 per cent”. Hopefully the print edition will clear things up.
UPDATE: JWS Research now has full results from its post-budget automated phone poll of the 20 most marginal seats, which collectively showed an 8 per cent swing to the Coalition since the election. It points to an exacerbation of the state-level divide recorded at the election, with Coalition swings of 8.8 per cent swings in the NSW seats covered (Reid, Banks, Lindsay, Robertson, Greenway, Macquarie) and 9.8 per cent in the Queensland seats
(Petrie, Moreton, Brisbane, Forde, Longman), but only 3.6 per cent in the Victorian seats (Deakin, La Trobe, Corangamite, Dunkley, Aston). Much further detailed is offered in the link, from which Spur212 in comments notes Tony Abbott’s astoundingly poor personal ratings among “soft” and anti-Coalition voters: his net approval is minus 35 among all soft voters, minus 74 among supporters of the opposing major party, minus 63 among minor party/independent supporters and minus 42 among the undecided. The respective figures for Julia Gillard are plus 1, minus 64, plus 3 and minus 12.
[I think it’s most unfortunate that the govt has been monstered into getting rid of any budget deficit]
The budget deficit ‘monster’ is entirely of their own making. They never should’ve made the promise in the first place.
So far the Climate Commission report has been very successful at putting the cat amongst the denialist pigeons. The result of it all, after this rearguard reaction from the deniers crumbles, will be an inevitable increase in voter support for strong action.
confessions
[So, the govt has Steffen (an expert) to say direct action is crap, and Tone to say no, no, direct action is all good. Balance achieved.]
You make me laugh, you make me cry. The ABC is a collective fool.
[if we had adopted the madness of the US system of elected judges.]
A few states elect county judges. Often they are civil/administrative judges, rather than criminal ones. For the most part, the judicial system is appointed, like here. Except with the extra point of legislative approval. Yes, it has become partisan, but that’s a fault with the US political culture not because their judges are “elected”
[I think it’s most unfortunate that the govt has been monstered into getting rid of any budget deficit – investment in clean technologies right now would be of benefit.]
Yup. And what’s particularly irksome is that even when they get monstered, they get no credit for it. They just start getting bashed for not doing the opposite, when mysteriously these voices got no exposure during the initial monstering process.
[The budget deficit ‘monster’ is entirely of their own making. They never should’ve made the promise in the first place.]
Had they not the MSM and the opposition would be screaming “deficit”. You know it and I know it.
if they had not said they would be looking at balancing the book, can you imagine
New thread.
[Had they not the MSM and the opposition would be screaming “deficit”. You know it and I know it.]
Has anyone from the Liberal Party ever said that debt can be good in some circumstances?
“Ms. Gillard has not been helped by the general perception of her as a calculating careerist”.
On the other hand ,”Mr Abbott has been helped by the general perception of him as a calculating careerist”.
ltep
[The budget deficit ‘monster’ is entirely of their own making. They never should’ve made the promise in the first place.]
Exactly. Ross Gittens and other respected economic commentators have been scathing about the unnecessary straitjacket the government has put on. They have had plenty of opportunity to get out of the self-imposed timetable without a penalty – especially the floods and cyclones – but haven’t had the strength to do it.
[NEW South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell has not ruled out the full privatisation of the state’s power assets, if that is what is recommended by an inquiry into the former government’s $5.3 billion sell-off.]
I thought he was opposed to electricity privatisation? Is this yet another broken election promise!
rishane
It looks like Matt Siegel is an American born and educated journalist based in Sydney contributing to the NYT and other papers.
Not sure where you get parrotting from?