GhostWhoVotes reports Newspoll’s third entry in the life of the new government has Labor hitting a 52-48 lead on two-party preferred, after leads of 56-44 and 52-48 for the Coalition in the first and second polls. This is Labor’s first two-party lead in Newspoll since the poll of March 18-20, 2011, which was itself an aberrant Labor-friendly result that emerged a month after Julia Gillard announced plans to introduce a carbon tax. Primary votes are 38% for Labor, up three on a fortnight ago, with the Coalition down three to 40% and the Greens down one to 9%.
UPDATE: James J in comments relates that Tony Abbott’s approval rating has maintained its downward trend across the three polls, going from 45% to 42% and now to 40%, while his disapproval has progressed upwards from 38% to 42% to 45%. Bill Shorten’s approval has gone from 37% to 39% to 44%, while his disapproval was 24% in the first poll to 27% in the second and third. Tony Abbott’s lead as preferred prime minister is also narrowing, going from 46-30 in the first poll to 44-33 in the second to 41-34 in the third.
UPDATE 2: The Australian’s report is here. Stay tuned for more polling action courtesy of Essential Research at around 2pm EST tomorrow – I believe we’re due for Essential’s monthly leadership ratings, which should be interesting.
UPDATE 3 (Essential Research): The Essential Research fortnightly average reflects the move to Labor in its characteristic slow and steady way, moving one point to Labor on two-party preferred for the second week in a row to reduce the Coalition lead to 51-49. Labor is up a point on the primary vote to 37%, the Coalition and the Greens steady on 44% and 8%, and the Palmer United Party is up one to 5%. Tony Abbott’s approval rating is unchanged on last month at 45%, but his disapproval rating is up six to 46%. Bill Shorten on the other hand finds things going his way as the undecided jump off the fence, his approval up eight to 39% and disapproval up four to 31%. Similarly to Newspoll, Abbott holds a 43-33 lead as preferred prime minister, narrowing from 42-27 last time.
Questions on education provide the government with better results than it might have feared: its handling of education has 35% approval and 50% disapproval, while Labor’s lead as better party to handle the issue is only 36-33, although there’s also a 7% Greens component in the mix. Only 26% believe all schools will be better off under the new government, 26% believe only private schools will and 22% believe no schools will, with 2% signing on to the unlikely proposition that only public schools will. Also canvassed are the importance of unions “for Australian working people today” (57% important, 34% not important), and the importance of politicians keeping their promises.
Sea. @2066 – I assume that the 7% is just double the number someone first thought of. Electricity prices won’t come down if the Carbon Price is rescinded, the benefit wi be pocketed by the power generators. Can you prove otherwise? Show your workings. And how will suppliers and downstream suppliers be forced to pass on the full benefit, given that mendocrat Abbott says he does’t want more regulation or ‘red tape’.
MikeH,
His hide would stink the suburb out. Pity someone didn’t give him a boogey board for his travels.
Boer is smarter than all the Greens + Tisme here 😎
*catch u later
If you select red: 1 (if you see the contents)
If you select blue: 1/2
If you select green: 0
Marshall will be banking on the news simmering down a little by March, so there will be some clear air. Although, he’d also be hoping that it ends up reflecting badly on the state government.
There’s a spring in the step of SA Labor! Abbott is the gift that keeps on giving….
Having worked in two Australian industries and experienced both decimated by global factors I am not at all surprised the Australian vehicle manufacturing industry is suffering a similar fate. It’s simply part of the economic evolution process.
It won’t rub off badly on Weatherill – he’s widely seen as championing Holden.
Hartcher goes the banana!
[If he can seize the moment, the passing of Holden can be Joe Hockey’s equivalent of Paul Keating’s “banana republic” declaration.]
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/holden-departure-can-be-to-joe-hockey-what-banana-republic-was-to-paul-keating-20131211-2z6c3.html#ixzz2n9q9ouBG
jeffemu@2099
Combet hits the spot, OH well only we were listening.
PS: ghastly stuff seeing the puff adder again
Dee
I would like to use a banana on Hartcher!
Aggressively!
[It won’t rub off badly on Weatherill – he’s widely seen as championing Holden.]
No I don’t think so either but there will be a little bit of hope in the Lib camp that it just becomes an “incompetent government” issue.
CTar1
[
mike – I bought a White Torana SS 5.0 in 1975 for $5,500.]
As a young’un the Torana SLR 5000 was the ultimate in cool.
Hartcher’s article is beyond shiiiit.
[Good riddance to the great Australian con – that we needed a local car manufacturing industry.
We as Australians really need to move on. We need to recognise that an unnatural portion of our nation’s conversation has been devoted to the retention of an Australian car manufacturing industry – one in which we carry no natural economic advantage.]
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/holden-good-riddance-to-the-emotional-symbolism-of-car-manufacturing-20131211-2z63t.html#ixzz2n9qsYktk
Abbott, a man who cannot speak two words without involving politics. Who’s every action is based on political advantage. A man who, when Margaret Whitlam died couldn’t help attempting to politicise her death says that now is not the time for politics. I call BS on Abbott.
As time passes the more obvious it becomes that Abbott got to where he is thanks to the efforts of other people. He is a front man for another agenda. A bit like George W. Bush but somewhat less intelligent and lot nastier.
Might have been already linked, but worth reposting
[The federal government has decided to park the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, not at the top.
Whether you believe in subsidising the industry or not, Holden is leaving for one incontrovertible reason: the federal government was no longer prepared to pay the subsidies required.
As the government gives Holden its marching orders, it has become a case of be careful what you wish for.]
http://www.afr.com/p/national/government_treatment_of_holden_was_QwElLu2O3lse6cNIradzzI
@davidwh/2107
Other countries have experienced it, but that was pretty natural, however, forced closure is pretty different.
davidwh@2107
No, It’s not OK. The current position is devolution. You know better than that.
Listened to three separate Weatherill interviews/doorstops after the announcement – in all he went right for Marshall for being soft for SA at a time when we need vision. He used the quote “Stephen Marshall stands idly by while the Abbott Government rips out money from our state” about 8 times
DEE – Elizabeth Knight is such a non-entity as a business reporter. A banal regurgitator of what is public knowledge.
Tony Abbott pre-election on car industry: ‘We will work to support the industry’: http://youtu.be/LWzE4NjSLCk?a via @YouTube
that can be added to the Gonski back flip/back flip and other failures and broken promises
Stop the Boats
Buy the Boats
Turn the Boats
Budget under control
People it’s fashionable here at PB to blame the Abbott government for everything including the flu but the dad fact is that both Ford and GMH are closing because Australians stopped buying Commodores and Falcons.
BK
[I would like to use a banana on Hartcher!
Aggressively!]
Don’t think I’ll recover from that mental image in a hurry! 😯
VICTORIA – That is a truly brutal going-over from the AFR of all organs.
@davidwh/2123
That’s incorrect, someone posts sales earlier.
Amnesty says Australian detention centres in Nauru and PNG are very good living conditions compared to a U.N refugee camp and that the standard of living is better than those living on the other side of the wire.
Amnesty also says that while not as good as what a 1st world Australian citizen might expect from living conditions… for an illegal arrival and the place they came from, the conditions are much better than their departure country.
Nah… just kidding! Early April Fools Everyone!
They just a had f’ing whinge as usual… when Amnesty or the “U.N” actually has something positive to say, hell will freeze over!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-11/manus-island-violates-prohibition-against-torture-amnesty/5150664
The Qld Competition Authority has says that:
[For the first time, the Queensland Competition Authority has released two draft prices for the next financial year.
One which includes the carbon tax.
And one without.
Our electricity prices have gone ballistic because of an inability to control costs and the lack of competitive market forces, says Larry Graham.
The carbon tax, as it stands, is just one reason Queensland power bills are growing.
If the carbon tax is repealed, the average electricity user can expect their bill to increase by 5.4 per cent, or about $76. If it is not, then the increase to consumer’s 2014/15 bill is estimated to be about a 13.6 per cent rise, or $192.]
The LNP considers that this saving of $116 per year (about $2 per week) will save every problem in the world!!!!
When people discover that they have been sold a lie… there will be cricket bats waiting…..
Kevin-one-seven
And Phillip Coorey no less
BK
[I would like to use a banana on Hartcher!
Aggressively!]
Go the full pineapple………… the rough end.
BK
This one?
Smaug@2116
Nail on head there.
@Sean/2127
Back to “illegals”.
Pff
That’ll do!
Up until this decision by the Liberals 19 of the G20 members had a car manufacturing industry…now down to 18/20
david, while it’s true that there are many factors at play, the government has some influence over the result. It’s untrue to say it has none.
However, that doesn’t tell us whether it’s a good or bad decision. A better question is whether the actions it might take – such as subsidies – are worth it.
But we don’t need detention centres because Abbott has stopped the boats.
Nah… just kidding! Early April Fools Everyone!
Its going to be April/Abbott Fools Day, every day for another 3 years
BK
Posted Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 8:42 pm | PERMALINK
Dee
I would like to use a banana on Hartcher!
Aggressively!
Think something not as flexible as a banana? 😀
If the subsidies aren’t worth it we wouldn’t be talking about blame, we would be talking about praise.
For spending the money more productively somewhere else.
Zoidlord the latest figures I have seen show the Commodore a distant fifth and the Falcon still in the starters gate. Certainly much different than when they fought out #1 and #2.
[They just a had f’ing whinge as usual… when Amnesty or the “U.N” actually has something positive to say, hell will freeze over!]
I always wonder about the psychological health of rightists. Why do they ALWAYS hate/reject/lampoon any organisation that tries to help poorer/powerless people and always defend/support nasty corporate/security/war-loving organisations.
Are there studies that explain this?
If so, why have the majority of Australians moved from a loosely social-democratic cynical science welcoming fair-go attitude to a nasty exploitative screw-the-weak war supporting anti-science fanatics?
You know, they should show us one of those cost benefit thingies :P.
[ut the dad fact is that both Ford and GMH are closing because Australians stopped buying Commodores and Falcons.]
Not true, the Commodore is the 4th most popular car in Australia, the second most popular car manufactured in Australia. It will beat Cruze sales by end of year.
If you missed that excess stock of VW, Audi, Skoda, Alfa are being dumped in oz you must be an accountant. 😛
We only have 3 short weeks before Christmas for the Abbott guvmint to shower down more hideousness, according to their game plan all will be healed by Jan 1 2014, somehow I doubt it.
@2193 That should be “are believed not to be worth it”
DN I didn’t say the government had no influence. I’m sure if they were prepared to throw as much taxpayers money at GMH then GMH would continue beyond 2017. I agree the real question is whether the Australian taxpayer should continue to subsidize vehicle manufacturing at the levels the manufacturers demand.
@davidwh/2141
Ruawake posted the figures here:
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2013/12/09/newspoll-52-48-to-labor-6/?comment_page=38/#comment-1867292
Holden is second, and rising.
New car sales in 2012
Top ten brands
1. Toyota – 218,176 (up 20.1 per cent)
2. Holden – 114,665 (down 9.1 per cent)
3. Mazda 103,886 (up 17.6)
4. Hyundai 91,536 (up 5.2)
5. Ford 90,408 (down 0.9)
6. Nissan 79,747 (up 17.4)
7. Mitsubishi 58,868 (down 3.7)
8. Volkswagen 54,835 (up 22.6)
9. Subaru 40,189 (up 18.2)
10. Honda 35,812 (up 18.9)
Top ten vehicles
1. Mazda3 – 44,128
2. Toyota HiLux – 40,646
3. Toyota Corolla – 38,799
4. Holden Commodore – 30,532
5. Holden Cruze – 29,161
6. Hyundai i30 – 28,348
7. Toyota Camry – 27,230
8. Nissan Navara – 26,045
9. Toyota Yaris – 18,808
10. Ford Focus – 18,586
Top ten cars
1. Mazda3 – 44,128
2. Toyota Corolla – 38,799
3. Holden Commodore – 30,532
4. Holden Cruze – 29,161
5. Hyundai i30 – 28,348
6. Toyota Camry – 27,230
7. Toyota Yaris – 18,808
8. Ford Focus – 18,586
9. Mazda2 – 17,574
10. Volkswagen Golf – 17,289
Top ten SUVs
1. Holden Captiva – 18,643
2. Toyota Prado – 17,045
3. Nissan X-Trail – 16,066
4. Mazda CX-5 – 15,861
5. Toyota RAV4 – 14,651
6. Ford Territory – 14,646
7. Toyota Kluger – 13,239
8. Nissan Dualis – 13,141
9. Subaru Forester – 11,533
10. Hyundai ix35 – 11,469
Twitter dumps on Hunt