Essential Research: 53-47 to Labor

The weekly result from Essential Research finds Labor’s lead reaching heights not seen since the last days of Tony Abbott.

The latest weekly reading of the Essential Research fortnightly rolling average records a widening of Labor’s two-party lead, which is out from 52-48 to 53-47. On the primary vote, the Coalition is down a point to 37% and Labor is up one to 37%, with the Greens up one to 11%, One Nation down one to 5% and the Nick Xenophon Team steady on 3%. Quite a few interesting supplementary questions this week:

• Respondents were asked to retrospectively evaluate major government decisions, recording big majorities in favour of Medibank/Medicare and compulsory superannuation, lesser but still favourable results for the GST, floating the dollar and free trade agreements, an even balance on reducing subsidies to car manufacturing, and strong opposition to the privatisations of Qantas, Telstra and the Commonwealth Bank.

• There is an even balance of opinion on the New South Wales government’s backflip on banning greyhound racing, with 41% approving and 38% disapproving.

• Seventy-nine per cent would be “concerned” if Donald Trump became President, with only 14% not concerned.

• With a plebiscite off the table, 55% say a vote should be held in parliament, while 30% say the matter should be left on the table until the election.

• Sixty per cent said they would support a tax cut for small businesses, with 17% opposed; almost the exact reverse say the same for larger companies (20% and 61%); and if small business was taken to apply to companies with upwards of $2 million revenue, 26% would be in favour and 41% opposed.

• Fifty-eight per cent approve of Labor’s 50% renewable energy target by 2030.

• Fifty-eight per cent are “not confident” that the government together with the current Senate will be able to get things done that the nation needs.

• Thirty-five per cent expect the government will run full term compared with 39% who expect an early election.

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.

1,641 comments on “Essential Research: 53-47 to Labor”

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  1. Greetings DTT

    A couple of pages back you referred to me starting up some arguement somehow in relation to something Lizzie said.

    WTF are you on about. The only negative comments I have made here for weeks were posts about ridiculous things you have written, for example that you “have suffered more than anyone” from misogyny.

    Would you be so kind as to provide evidence, or apologise.

    Thanks

  2. Lizzie

    Just do this (to quote) –

    ‘adjust for my inbuilt bias and accept that it is probably not too bad’

    Scrolling is a requirement.

  3. It seems to me that on days when a single poster (not always the same one) dominates the thread, it becomes boring and no longer represents a conversation between equals. This is what is turning posters away, IMO.

    I have to say I agree, lizzie. I think it’s a sad reflection on the individuals concerned that they seem to have nothing better to do with what’s left of their lives than seemingly sit on a blog all day and all night until the wee small hours, except, of course, for a few breaks which get paraded as evidence to the contrary, and they sit there and take pot shots at perceived foes and anyone who tries to challenge their over-inflated opinions, which are laboriously trucked until there is a rut in the blog and most people have given up in despair, or been abused into silence because no matter how many times you challenge you are always challenged back. Fair dinkum, it’s like a verbal version of Trepanning!

    Finally, to add to Mogotrone’s excellent post, I just have to say that because the barrage of abuse has escalated recently (and, yes, I can look in the mirror here if that will make everyone happy), I have noticed that some new posters, such as Nicole (and now I’m asking for trouble from her Praetorian Guard, ie Don), have come onto the blog and have seemed to think it a necessary factor in their palette of contributions here, to also engage in bitchy sniping at other posters, simply for the crime of the other poster pointing out logical fallacies in confidently asserted diatribes!

    So, basically, all I’m asking for is that for the continued rude health of the blog may we all learn a little bit more circumspection, such that these increasingly interminable fal-de-rols of sniping can come to a juddering halt!?! If you want to challenge someone’s opinion, do it once and then move on! We don’t need to explore the ins-and-outs of the political cat’s bum in order to ‘prove’ that we are right and they are wrong!

    I agree with the others that a lot of worthy subjects which we could be discussing here get overwhelmed by the tit-for-tat.

    Honestly, at the end of the day, what will you have achieved for all the time you have spent here?
    * That Rudd was better than Gillard, or vice versa?
    * That the Census was fwarked and/or a giant conspiracy to open our lives up to the world in an even biggerer way than facebook?
    * That Misogyny deserves/does not deserve to be redefined?
    * That Bob Dylan did/did not deserve the Nobel Prize for Literature?
    * That the Umpires, in an ultimately inconsequential game of an indigenous code of football were crook?
    * That a fictitious octopus should/shouldn’t have favoured the Coalition by giving them 21 points in it’s election horse race due to a contemporaneous but ultimately extraneous event in another country?

    Well, congratulations! What a life well-spent!

    Now, to get the ball rolling, I will try and contribute thoughtfully by way of example. Though I will admit, sometimes it is hard to restrain myself when people say some Grade A, Gold-plated malarkey! : )

  4. C@Tmomma

    There was a time when posters would apologise for “three in a row”, so being a newbie I assumed that was manners and have since felt guilty if I transgressed (except when deputizing for BK). But now I feel that every alternate post by the same person for a while is higher on the boredom stakes.

    However, until William lays down the law, no point in pursuing it.

  5. Did Turnbull get some false confidence from the win in the party today?

    Of course I think he has. He has defeated Abbott in the NSW party room. However the trouble for Turnbull has come from the Nationals who he is hostage to.
    We now know of course this is because he accepts that taking Trump like policy positions on issues is a vote winner.

    His reaction to “Mediscare” is a great example of this. Blaming others when the voters have given a crystal clear message.

  6. C@t

    Since you consider yourself so damn superior, what have you achieved?

    Posting at daybreak, and the last word before indulging in a spot of gaming (just to prove how hip you are) Or not.

  7. C@tmomma

    Finally, to add to Mogotrone’s excellent post, I just have to say that because the barrage of abuse has escalated recently (and, yes, I can look in the mirror here if that will make everyone happy), I have noticed that some new posters, such as Nicole (and now I’m asking for trouble from her Praetorian Guard, ie Don), have come onto the blog and have seemed to think it a necessary factor in their palette of contributions here, to also engage in bitchy sniping at other posters, simply for the crime of the other poster pointing out logical fallacies in confidently asserted diatribes!

    I think you need to polish your mirror.

  8. On the whole Grrr, padoing!! Slap, ping pong abuse thing that happen here on occasion. Something i have to keep telling myself is that i really dont HAVE to reply to everything that gets posted here that annoys me. It is possible just let stuff slide and not be fanatical about this “what you walk past is the standard…….” PB is great, but its a blog not real life in the street.

  9. For those complaining about posters commenting too often. Its easy to fix. Comment yourself. Then there will not be a domination by one person of the blog. There are no restrictions on you posting anymore than anyone else.

    We all have our flaws and while I think like most here that bemused cannot see the misgyny he is not alone.

    You all complained when you got hit by the posting too quickly software contribution.
    I have delayed posts precisely because I have come looked up and seen that despite waiting before posting no one else has.
    Its ridiculous in a real time blog though if you have to delay posting more than a few minutes. That just means there are either lots of lurkers or no one on the blog thinks they have anything worth posting.

    Sometimes its not the number of posts by one person but the lack of posts by others. Thats why William looks at the time interval between posts not the amount as far as I can determine. The only fair way to determine this.

    Rant over.

  10. I’m not complaining as I have a small amount of extra savings, but I do feel sorry for those on the basic pension.

    Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie says the $38.38 a day Newstart base rate was falling further behind the pension and community living standards because it is indexed to prices only, unlike pensions, which are indexed to wages.

    The Adequacy of the Aged Pension in Australia, produced by The Benevolent Society, Per Capita and the Longevity Innovation Hub cites some pensioners taking drastic measures to make ends meet. They are turning off hot water in summer, blending food because they can’t afford a dentist, and choosing whether to buy food or get essential medical prescriptions filled.

    It makes no economic sense to not employ older workers. As a recent report by the professional services firm PwC pointed out, an older workforce could deliver gains of up to $78 billion for the Australian economy.

    The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Willing to Work national inquiry in May this year made 56 recommendations to combat employment discrimination against older people. It is still with the attorney-general for consideration.

    But Brandis is too busy preserving his “reputation”.

    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2016/10/22/age-discrimination-the-workforce/14770548003885

  11. CT

    Its not the only criteria of course. I was referring to the posting too much comments.

    Instead of attacking other posters for having something to say and telling them to shut up make some comments yourself.

  12. Kezza2,
    Since you consider yourself so damn superior, what have you achieved?

    Posting at daybreak, and the last word before indulging in a spot of gaming (just to prove how hip you are) Or not.

    And, in between those posts, which are tied to activities outside of the blog, I have a life. Such as tonight I am about to go and dine with 69 other old Fortians for our 40 Year Reunion Dinner.

    And, no, I do not believe I am ‘hipper than thou’ because I game with my children or on my own, just that I find it enjoyable. I must say it does please me to know I don’t feel the need to conform to anyone else’s idea of how I should behave at my age. Yours included.

    Anyway, have a nice night insulting people, unjustifiably, kezza. Which appears to be what gets you off. : )

  13. Not that long ago Sean hannity was hating on Wikileaks. Now he is even okay with Russia using them to influence US politics. Go figure

    Sean Hannity
    Sean Hannity – Verified account ‏@seanhannity

    In 10 yrs @wikileaks has gotten nothing wrong & no one’s been killed bc of the info released. #freejulianassange #freeinternet for all.
    1:45 PM – 21 Oct 2016
    12.5K RETWEETS18.8K LIKES

  14. Guytaur,
    I did wonder why Turnbull was so fulsome in his support of changes to the pre-selection system in the NSW Liberal Party, as proposed by Abbott and Walter Villatora.
    Now I see it must have been because he knew he had the numbers sewn up before the vote and knew it would fail. Sly and sleazy does it! *New Turnbull motto. ; )

  15. Rowan ‏@FightingTories · 26m26 minutes ago

    Turnbull spent his entire NSW liberal conference rant on *winning the next election* We just had one. Seems panic has set in for Baird & Mal

  16. cat

    As long as the war continues I am happy. They seemed to have made sure a vote is going to go against them on the ABCC from the comments I have seen.

    How many Senators need to go with Turnbull to get the ABCC passed in a joint sitting?
    5?

  17. Guytaur,
    On the news this morning I heard the PHONics are supporting the IR Bills with no Amendments. That’s 4. The 3 NXT Senators will probably support it with Amendments, so they look like they didn’t just cave into Turnbull. That’s 3. I think Leyonhjelm will support it. That’s 1. Which equals 8, which is what they need. I think!

  18. cat

    Thanks. Leyonhjelm may not vote for it after his how can I trust them statement.

    Not that it makes a difference if Nxt are voting with the government.

    The only saving grace is its taken them over 4 years to get the commission into existence and it will have a short life as Labor wins the next election. Yes I predict that because they have not improved and now have open warfare in ink in the press not just social media.

  19. victoria @ #1470 Saturday, October 22, 2016 at 3:49 pm

    Not that long ago Sean hannity was hating on Wikileaks. Now he is even okay with Russia using them to influence US politics. Go figure
    Sean Hannity
    Sean Hannity – Verified account ‏@seanhannity
    In 10 yrs @wikileaks has gotten nothing wrong & no one’s been killed bc of the info released. #freejulianassange #freeinternet for all.
    1:45 PM – 21 Oct 2016
    12.5K RETWEETS18.8K LIKES

    You have to wonder if Hannity is a sleeper cell.

  20. lizzie @ #1439 Saturday, October 22, 2016 at 2:23 pm

    It seems to me that on days when a single poster (not always the same one) dominates the thread, it becomes boring and no longer represents a conversation between equals. This is what is turning posters away, IMO.

    Looked at another way, if you get multiple posters disagreeing with one poster, then that one poster will have more to respond to.

  21. C@Tmomma
    Saturday, October 22, 2016 at 4:14 pm
    Guytaur,
    On the news this morning I heard the PHONics are supporting the IR Bills with no Amendments. That’s 4. The 3 NXT Senators will probably support it with Amendments, so they look like they didn’t just cave into Turnbull. That’s 3. I think Leyonhjelm will support it. That’s 1. Which equals 8, which is what they need. I think!

    This type of result is precisely what I said immediately after the election. That this is, in fact, an LNP-friendly senate, without much need for negotiation.

    It doesn’t take much to pander to the lowest common denominator.

    Lowest and common being the operatives.

  22. #WhinyLittleBitch

    Looked at another way, if you get multiple posters disagreeing with one poster, then that one poster will have more to respond to.

    I suggest you look in the mirror before posting.

  23. In the Senate there are 76 votes, although until Don Day is replaced, it is 75. To pass, a bill needs 38/75 or 39/76.

    Against, we have 35 (Labor + Green). Probably also Lambie to give 36.
    In favour we have:
    Coalition: 30
    One Nation: 4. They seem to be in lock step with the Coalition on industrial relations.
    Leyonhjelm (probably): 1
    That’s 35.
    NXT will probably eventually support it. If so there’s 38 and it passes.
    If Don Day has been replaced, add 1 to the Bad Guys to make it certain.

    On that analysis, Hinch’s vote won’t be critical.

    If NXT oppose, the bill fails regardless of what Hinch and Lambie do.

  24. William, the Crikey log-in is very frustrating when a mobile device is involved. Repeated attempts to log-in come to nothing. It’s not so bad using a laptop or desktop. But the mobile gadgets hardly ever work.

  25. EGTheodore
    Thank you. One last question. Does it make sense to think of housing affordability in terms of an average house price being rated in terms of times the average wage in terms of a standard time frame.
    For example, hypothetically, 40 years ago you might have been able to buy a house if the buyer had one average income
    These days it might cost the equivalent of four average incomes in order to be able to buy a house.

  26. Didn’t I read today that Day had delayed his resignation?

    It WOULD be funny to see Bob the Dodgy Builder vote on union corruption in the building industry.

  27. C@tmomma
    Thanks for reminding me. The Weekend Australian Review section has some excellent analyses of specific entries in literary awards. They are for novels, not poetry and not songs, as it turned out.
    I was curious to see whether Dylan rated a mention, even in passing. Not. I guess they were talking about real literature.

  28. It WOULD be funny to see Bob the Dodgy Builder vote on union corruption in the building industry.

    A point that deserves wider visibility.

    I am assuming that Mr Day would be still eligible to sit in the Senate.

  29. I think it’s a sad reflection on the individuals concerned that they seem to have nothing better to do with what’s left of their lives than seemingly sit on a blog all day and all night

    Yes, I’ve often wondered how these people actually achieve anything, whether it’s housework, a social life, a job, chill-out time?

    Their constant posting and reading of every comment infers a serious obsession with people they don’t even know. Truly bizarre behaviour.

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