Newspoll: 56-44 to Coalition

After a string of mediocre post-election ratings from other pollsters, the first Newspoll is more in line with what governments can normally expect in the first blush of their honeymoon.

The first Newspoll in the life of the new government shows the anticipated honeymoon bounce which has not been evident in earlier entries from Essential Research, Morgan and Research. The poll has the Coalition leading 56-44 on two-party preferred, from primary votes of 47% for the Coalition, 31% for Labor and 10% for the Greens. Tony Abbott leads Bill Shorten 47-28 as preferred prime minister, which is a lot closer to Essential Research’s result from last week than Morgan’s. Tony Abbott’s net approval has gone from minus six to plus thirteen, his approval up three to 47% and disapproval down sixteen to 34%, while Bill Shorten’s debut ratings are 32% approval and 24% disapproval.

UPDATE: The weekly Essential Research is unchanged at 53-47, although both sides are up a point on the primary vote – the Coalition to 45% and Labor to 35% – but with the Greens (10%) and others (11%) unchanged owing to the vagaries of rounding. Also featured are questions on leader attributes (Abbott is up five or six points on capable, understanding of the problems facing Australia, good in a crisis and honest, although off a low base in the latter two cases). Debut numbers are also featured for Bill Shorten, and his biggest deficits against Abbott relate to the negative qualities of the latter – narrow-mindedness, arrogance and intolerance. Questions on the New South Wales bushfires are perhaps a little more climate-sceptic than I might have anticipated, with 48% thinking them unlikely to be linked to climate change. Similarly, 46% say the carbon tax should be replaced either with the Liberals’ “direct action ” plan (15%) or nothing at all (31%), against 15% in favour of keeping the carbon tax and 21% opting for an emissions trading scheme. Forty-eight per cent of respondents thought Tony Abbott too soft on politicians’ expenses against 26% for about right and 3% who somehow thought he was too tough.

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.

1,218 comments on “Newspoll: 56-44 to Coalition”

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  1. This could make some of Abbott’s Asian “BEST FRIENDS
    a bit cranky, if true.

    [ Australian embassies are being secretly used to intercept phone calls and data across Asia as part of a US-led global spying network, according to whistleblower Edward Snowden and a former Australian intelligence officer.

    The top secret Defence Signals Directorate operates the clandestine surveillance facilities at embassies without the knowledge of most Australian diplomats.

    The revelations come as the US has been left red-faced by news it has been eavesdropping on foreign leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. ]

    http://www.smh.com.au/national/exposed-australias-asia-spy-network-20131030-2whia.html

  2. Banning Huwae(or however it’s spelt) by the Coalition is a good thing because clearly they have listened to advice by ASIO (who have secret squirrel stuff clearly on them)

    The Abbott Govt have adopted yet another Labor Government policy decision.
    When will they make one of their own?

  3. [Australian embassies are being secretly used to intercept phone calls and data across Asia as part of a US-led global spying network, according to whistleblower Edward Snowden and a former Australian intelligence officer.]

    Well, duh.

  4. Indonesia to start doing more navy patrols south of Java… Coalition winning against the people smugglers and illegals and now with a grown up government in charge getting the Indonesians to do their bit.

    http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-to-send-navy-patrols-to-timor-sea-for-asylum-seekers-20131030-2whb1.html

    [Mr Agus said Indonesia would “maximise our navy patrols in the south sea, because normally we don’t have that many ships there because there has been no threat from the south”.
    “But now we will intensify the sea patrols because these asylum seekers are trying to go south,” he said.
    The promise amounts to an increased militarisation of the Timor Sea under the Indonesian plan and Australia’s military-style “Operation Sovereign Borders”.]

  5. @Sean/1206

    How much money will Indonesia get to do this?

    It’s more likely they kept every single policy done by previous goverment so far and just claimed it theirs.

  6. LOL Feral Lefties protesting in Sydney against the Libs for cuts by LABOR.

    Where were these ferals 3 months ago when it was announced by Labor?

    Nobody does feral like the left

  7. [Where were these ferals 3 months ago when it was announced by Labor?]

    Same thing, I expect. I’ve never particularly noticed a reluctance to criticise Labor to be a failing of the “feral left”.

  8. [Same thing, I expect. I’ve never particularly noticed a reluctance to criticise Labor to be a failing of the “feral left”.]

    Bit different to what happened in Melbourne today William.
    There was certainly no burning Effigy’s of Julia Gillard and the Labor education minister(whoever that was at the time) and throwing shoes at the Labor Party headquarters?

    Seems incredibly stupid that they have decided the Libs should be the target of their attack months after an announcement by Labor.

  9. [ Bit different to what happened in Melbourne today William.
    There was certainly no burning Effigy’s of Julia Gillard and the Labor education minister(whoever that was at the time) and throwing shoes at the Labor Party headquarters? ]

    apparently one of the far left shock jocks at the rally stepped up to the microphone and claimed there would have been thousands more there if the cops hadn’t set up roadblocks to stop them

  10. @Dave 1024

    What a magnificent summary of the Howard years. I hope you don’t mind but I have posted it on Facebook, attributing it to you. I think it deserves the widest possible audience. Many thanks. You forget just how bad it was.

    Bravo!

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