GhostWhoVotes relates that the latest Newspoll has Labor leading 52-48, up from 51-49 last fortnight. Labor is up a point on the primary vote to 36%, and the Coalition down one to 40%. More to follow. UPDATE: The Australian report relates that Bill Shorten’s approval rating is up three points to 36%, which is the first time a poll has moved in his favour in quite a while. UPDATE 2: Full tables here; to fill in the blanks, Shorten’s disapproval is steady at 43%, Tony Abbott is up two on approval to 40% and steady on disapproval at 50%, and Abbott’s lead as preferred prime minister nudges from 42-36 to 43-36.
Today’s Morgan result, combining its regular face-to-face and SMS polling from the last two weekends, was the Coalition’s worst since the election, recording a 1.5% shift on the primary vote from the Coalition (to 38%) to Labor (38.5%), with the Greens down a point to 11% and Palmer United up half a point to 4.5%. On 2013 election preferences, this gives Labor a 53.5-46.5 lead, up from 52.5-47.5 a fortnight ago, while on respondent-allocated preferences the shift is from 53.5-46.5 to 54.5-45.5. Morgan has also been in the business lately of providing selective state-level two-party results, which are presumably based on respondent-allocated preferences. From this poll we are told Labor had unlikely leads of 56.5-43.5 in Queensland and 52-48 in Western Australia, together with leads of 54.5-45.5 in New South Wales and 55-45 in Victoria, and an unspecified “narrow” lead in South Australia.
UPDATE (Essential Research): Essential Research has Labor back up a point on the primary vote after it fell two last week, now at 37%, with the Coalition up one for a second week. The Greens and Palmer United are at 9% and 4%, with others down a point and the other loose point coming off rounding. Respondents were quizzed about the attributes of the major parties, which provides good news for Labor in that “divided” is down 14% to 58%, and “clear about what they stand for” is up 8% to 42%. Those are also the biggest movers for the Liberals, respectively down 6% and up 7%, although they are still performing better than Labor on each at 50% and 32%. The worst differential for Labor is still “divided”, at 26% in favour of the Liberals, while for the Liberals it’s “too close to the big corporate and financial interests”, which is at 62% for Liberal and 34% for Labor.
A question reading “as far as you know, do you think taxes in Australia are higher or lower than in other developed countries” turns up the fascinating finding that 64% of respondents believed they were higher versus only 8% for lower, while 65% believed taxes to have increased over the last five years versus 9% for decreased. Forty-seven per cent believe the current level of taxation is enough versus 33% who believe they will need to increase. The poll also finds 50% opposed to following New Zealand’s example in holding a referendum on changing the flag versus only 31% supportive.
Darn:
If there was non-stop gushing praise of Abbott here, you beta believe that I would be running riot with anti-Abbott “gushings”.
I guess, I just can’t suffer foolishness, and I find this simple-minded, childish (well undergraduate at the very best) superficial hatred of everything Abbott just silly.
@Mod Lib/858
What happened to you boy Turnbull?
Not going to happen any time soon? Switched to John Howard as Backup?
Making claims that Howard is best PM ever (since ya’ll rejected IMF comments).
William,
I agree with your comment.
This Government seems determined to undermine all the shibboleths that have had broad community consensus over last 40 years whether it be Medicare, Human Rights, Indusrtry Assistance et al.
They are an ideological bunch like we’ve not seen before.
As with the Blues Brothers. They are on a Mission from God!
Australians do tend to prefer pragmatism over ideology. So, when Abbott and co switch to vaudeville to regain favour could be an intersting time. Thhey had better hope their card hasn’t been marked just yet.
[Diogenes
Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 8:06 pm | PERMALINK
That flight in June with Malaysian Airlines just looks worse and worse
China’s state broadcaster CCTV says Malaysia Airlines faces bankruptcy after the loss of MH370. Citing industry insiders it says the assumed crash could be a “dagger in the heart” to the flag carrier as the Malaysia government is reluctant to fund its losses.\
My daughter and family are flying out next Tuesday from Edinburgh for 2 weeks, hopefully will be OK. I am flying BA in May though ESP???
Actually I agree with Mod Lib and his fellow Abbott spruikers here: bring on the knighting of Howard. The ultimate act of cronyism by a government which is showing itself to be highly adept at acts of cronyism and partisan payback.
Let Abbott be judged by his actions and its motivations, which are clearly at odds with the ambitions of the wider Australian community.
Diogenes@860
Dio, you are not short of cash.
I really enjoy your posts.
Seriously, seriously, cancel, and take Qantas or Lufthansa.
Everything
[Quentin Bryce had a farewell reception tonight]
She did but what struck me as uber bizarre was that Madam Kero took time out during QT to inform the MP’s of the do. Why would that be so as surely all the MP’s lackeys would /should have been informed in advance ?
Mick77@884
It will happen because, We, the people, will demand that it be so.
@Mod Lib/901
What has Abbott done to deserve Praise?
[You can’t de-Knight someone, can you?]
Queen Elizabeth II de-Knighted Nicolae Ceaușescu a few days before he was executed.
[Many of his advisers also believed the Liberal Party would be mocked and seen as out of touch with modern Australia.]
Howard read the tea leaves well, this latest brian explosion is all Abbott’s work. He had to announce it today as Bryce was leaving, so without consulting the Cabinet or his Party room he opens the LNP up to the ridicule he so richly deserves.
There is no way back from being laughed at.
William
I didn’t state that Abbott is (deliberately) riling lefties but rather that lefties will be the most opposed, whereas the majority of the public will support/not be upset including quite a few (closet royal loving) lefties, and in the main the decision is of little or no consequence in the big picture. Abbott is a former head of the monarchists so give him some credit for convictions.
[Jimmyhaz
Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 8:25 pm | PERMALINK
Everything @880
Can you stop bringing up the useless most popular PM poll? ]
Can I remind you that I was responding to this?
[Yesiree Bob
Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 8:16 pm | PERMALINK
Mick77@870
Y Bob
Whatever way you cut it, Howard is regarded as the best PM of recent times and very few apart from lefties on PB would begrudge him his knighthood.
ROTFLMFAO dream on Pal.
Whatever people think of Howie, and he is not as regarded as you wish]
If people stop claiming that Howie was some despised PM, then I wouldn’t need to bring up the repeated and consistent polling evidence that he was the best PM we have had in recent memory.
I understand that you don’t like those data, and I understand the problems with the number of options to chose from one both sides…….but Howard stands out, he has the best “good job rating” and the numbers voting for Lib PMs exceeds the numbers for ALP PMs so it is not just a number-of-options-available-on-Lib-side issue.
[I guess, I just can’t suffer foolishness, ]
You must really hate yourself.
Early voting opened here yesterday. I happened to be cruising past one of the voting centres in a neighbouring town today, and was surprised to see HTVers for the ALP, CEC and the Greens. No Liberals and no Nationals.
“Closet royal loving lefties”? Jesus. You don’t work in the PM’s office by any chance?
Abbott has given the republican movement a big boost. Would help if Turnbull would find a spine
It’s funny to see Mod Lib back defending both Abbott and Coalition Party.
Showy
So your Caps button finally exploded ?
Offer Sir Rodent the Knighthood or his pension.
Let him make the choice.
Perhaps Abbott is doing these stunts to get the ALP and Greens into a lather about topics nobody cares about to distract them from the stuff people actually care about.
And it seems to be working a charm.
Everything@913
I never claimed that he was a “despised” PM, I stated that we was not as well regarded as you seem to think.
He did lose his seat, remember.
A “well regarded” PM does not lose his seat.
How many more strawmen to knock down before Mod Lib is knighted?
@WWP/917
Turnbull too busy making excuses to not talk about Broadband Speed.
[He had to announce it today as Bryce was leaving, so without consulting the Cabinet or his Party room]
Seriously? A brain fart no less?
Oh it just gets worse and worse. 😆
Shorter Abbott: Sorry WA voters, I’m too busy dreaming up ways to ingratiate myself as PM to the Canberra-Sydney-Melbourne elite to care about the issues facing you.
William
[You don’t work in the PM’s office by any chance?]
For heaven’s sake don’t out me here!
Sir Bolt of the Glass Jaw
Sir Jones of the Hessian Bag
[FMD how out of touch is this govt. While WA is grappling with increasing unemployment, the reduction in govt spending on public services, and increasing uncertainty about the medium to longer term economic outlook, what is the federal govt focused on? A socially outdated honours system for the powerful and connected.
I mean, FFS!]
Very well put Fess. My thoughts on it exactly.
Frodo Baggins
Politically, when people start to laugh you are lost. Lots of laughter.
The question of the Nights and Dames has nothing to do with who is deserving or not it has to do with (1) a broken election promise – as I understand it – as Abbott has been asked about this and has denied any intention to reinstate such a honour and (2) the pathetic fact that after 30 – 40 years of Oz making up its own mind who should get an OA gong, and the method by which it is done, the Queen has to give her permission for the Nights and Dames to be so consecrated.
As some wit pointed out locally, even with a Night or Dame in their moniker, such individuals, as Australian citizens, will be treated as ‘aliens’ when they arrive through passport check at Heathrow.
What a total and sad joke.
No wonder there is a growing buyer remorse out there in voter land.
It is of course correct to say those most opposed will be lefties. However, the notion that it automatically follows that “middle Australia” will support it is a foolish delusion. Funnily enough, one of the people who suffered from it was Julia Gillard. It caused her to do dumb things like oppose same-sex marriage and see in the Julian Assange matter an opportunity to beat the pro-American drum.
I understand that cosgrove’s escutcheon will be the flying kangaroo to commemorate his hard work saving the airline.
Frodo,
Fair point.
But, don’t you reckon most people want the Government to be Governing rather than indulging in distracting stunts.
It’s like Abbott has been unable to psychologically transit from Opposition.
Knighthoods aren’t a stunt. Abbott want to change the country, economically and culturally. It’s OK to be a bigot. Education should be more about Akfred the Great burning the cakes and founding the British Navy. The environment is a place to plough, dig up or subdivide for profit. Keep boats full of swarthy foreigners out. Reintroduce work choices then reintroduce the Master and Servant Acts. Wind back public education so parents feel obliged to scrimp and save to pay for their kids to learn the values of their betters at ‘private’ schools. And load up young people with debt to pay for further education. People who are crushed by debt are more likely to be obedient.
Abbott’s doing what John Howard dreamed of but didn’t dare try.
Y Bob
[A “well regarded” PM does not lose his seat.]
Strangely Howard was and is very well regarded, even when he lost his seat. OTOH Rudd was considered a complete ratbag even by most of his party colleagues and his “supporters” here on PB but he won his seat. Go figure!
[One doesn’t expect better of partisan blog commenters of course, but the presence of this attitude that riling lefties is an end in itself at the very top levels of the Abbott government is likely to impact on its longevity.]
William,
I really don’t know I’d claim that they are as petty to make riling lefities an end in itself. Instantiating their own twisted view of the world where lefties are irrelevant because they won’t vote Liberal anyhow is probably more like it.
What makes you think this sort of behavior will make any difference to the next election, apart from the indirect effects of wasting media attention and making people wonder if this government is going to do anything constructive?
The Abbott government is basically the Howard government circa 1996/97 all over again.
Fluffing around trying to figure out what it wants to do.
[880
Everything]
Talking popularity, the only currently pertinent poll cited shows Abbott at equal last alongside the mostly unloved Malcolm Fraser. I’ll take that. Abbott’s reputation is already trash. Today he’s reminded us just what a flea circus he is making of government.
[Is there no prospect for any sophistication of thought here?]
Not while you continue to defend the indefensible on broadband Mod Lib.
AussieAchmed
UK public toilets caused the chap some problems so perhaps (real titles) he will become..
[ Sir Alan Groom of the Privy Chamber . Or Sir Alan Groom of the Stool]
I wonder how long before Abbott tells us to move country, like how Malcolm Turnbull told us to move house?
Middle Australia has better things to worry about then whether the semantics of someones name has Sir or Dame in front of it.
The usual suspects will take the bait while the Coalition gets to talk about things people actually care about.
Surprisingly Shorten was smart enough not to take the bait and started talking about jobs and other matters… the ALP appears to be evolving. 🙂
[zoidlord
Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 8:34 pm | PERMALINK
It’s funny to see Mod Lib back defending both Abbott and Coalition Party.]
Where?
Everything @913
Yes, I do have problems with opinion polls suddenly overriding the objective performance of a PM.
SHOWSON – Someone who knows Abbott described him to me as a collection of prejudices masquerading as an ideology. I think that’s about right.
Mick77@935
So why did he lose his seat ?
Quite a remarkable achievement for such a “well regarded” PM.
[confessions
Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 8:29 pm | PERMALINK
Actually I agree with Mod Lib]
Well, it took you a while, but better late than never! 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4YrCFz0Kfc
At least when the Blues Brothers said it, it was funny.
@Mod Lib/943
Don’t play the “Where” tactic with me.
How could anyone with any shred of empathy or compassion in their body, support a man(sic) who sees it as a good thing to take $211 a year from the children and orphans of our troops disabled or killed serving our country.
The man(sic) who parades around as PM is lower than a snake’s belly. (apology to snakes)