Essential Research: 52-48 to Labor

Only minor changes on voting intention in Essential Research this week, but monthly personal ratings add to an impression of solid improvement for Tony Abbott.

No change on two-party preferred this week on Essential Research’s fortnightly rolling average, with Labor remaining 52-48 ahead, but the Coalition has gained a point on the primary vote, to 41%, at the expense of the steady decline of Palmer United, down one to 3%. Labor and the Greens are steady on 39% and 10%. Essential also features its monthly personal ratings, adding to a picture of improvement for Tony Abbott who is up five on approval to 40% and down four on disapproval to 48%, while Bill Shorten is steady on both measures at 35% and 36%. Abbott has also opened up a fairly solid 38-32 lead as preferred prime minister after trailing 35-36 last time.

Other questions find an impressive 72-2 split on the question of whether the gap between the rich and poor has increased over the past decade, and a series of further questions address what respondents feel should be done about it. A question on mining finds no view to the effect that it has become more or less important to Australia since five years ago, but there is a very strong view that mining exports principally benefit company executives and shareholders. In dealing with budgetary problems, there is a 68-22 split in favour of higher corporate tax and 56-31 in favour of abandoning the parental leave scheme, but 67-21 against “cuts to tax concessions in areas like superannuation”, 69-21 against for higher income taxes and 81-12 against for cuts to social services, health and education.

Newspoll has had another week off, presumably so its return can be timed to coincide with the resumption of parliament next Tuesday.

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.

708 comments on “Essential Research: 52-48 to Labor”

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  1. [Apparently ISIS are going to use these to hurl nearly-dead Ebola victims into Western positions:

    ]

    They’ve already started:

    The Americans are already taking countermeasures:

    This guy has a backpack filled with copies of Johnny Cash’s last album. No one has gotten more than three songs into it without slashing their own throat.

  2. BB

    [when he finally upgraded to the Datsun 180B]

    Be careful there!

    Long time Canberra viewers will remember hail damaged 180B’s and 120Y’s that were sold very cheap and went around for years before the bottom of the door-sill frames rusted out.

    I went to the lunch time sale with a friend from work who bought a purple 2 door 120Y.

    I asked him ‘Why the purple one?’

    Answer: ‘If it’s going to be poxy you may as well go all the way’.

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