Essential Research: 54-46 to Labor

Essential Research records support for a postal survey on same-sex marriage dissolving on contact with reality, while voting intention remains unchanged.

The Guardian reports that Essential Research’s fortnight rolling average has Labor’s two-party preferred lead unchanged at 54-46, with the Coalition (37%), Labor (39%), the Greens (9%) and One Nation (8%) all unchanged on the primary vote. The poll also records 39% approval of the postal ballot on same-sex marriage with 47% opposed, just one week after the same question elicited respective results of 43% and 38%.

The survey also found that 33% considered the top marginal tax rate of 47% too high, compared with 12% for too low and 39% for about right. A suite of questions on the Turnbull government’s handling of various policy areas recorded negative results for “the implementation of the national broadband network, schools and universities funding, addressing climate change, funding health and hospitals, implementing a fair tax system and ensuring reliable and affordable energy”, with the only positive result apparently being for “protecting Australians from terrorism”. Only 15% reported satisfaction with the government’s policies and progress in implementing them, with a further 28% reckoning only that it hadn’t made enough progress, and 41% expressing disapproval for its policies and decisions.

Other questions related to respondents’ financial situations, with 53% reporting that their income had fallen behind the rising cost of living, 25% saying it had remained even, and only 15% saying it had improved.

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.

2,292 comments on “Essential Research: 54-46 to Labor”

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  1. CTar1
    I always get concerned about how much higher (but still fairly low) my opinion of Pyne is compared to others here. But hey, PB needs the diversity.

    I didnt mind Jackie Kelly as well.

  2. E

    Getting members in the House is the future.

    Having Senators is great but will not change the reality of where government forms.

    The Greens in Tasmania did best as balance of power in the government house not the upper house.

  3. I don’t think you understand the meaning of Hill to die on.

    The Hill to Die on is the point you refuse to surrender against all else. Since Rhiannon is back in the party room no hill to die on has yet been found by definition.

  4. Guytaur
    Tasmania’s electoral system is also reversed. Lower House is proportional , upper is single member districts.

  5. E

    Di Natale lost the battle. His leadership is now terminal.

    Its just a question of time.

    This is from the outside looking in.

    I have no involvement in the actual leadership battles.

  6. E,

    Janet Rice is hardly a contender either as she is a ‘newbie’. Nick McKim would be the only Greens senator to harbour leadership aspirations.

  7. From the Guardian blog regarding Vanstone’s opinion of Abbott.

    [It is probably no concidence that Abbott’s oped followed a piece by his former ministerial colleague Amanda Vanstone yesterday which tore strips off him, his use of the word honour and his behaviour, particularly since losing the leadership.

    It’s almost unbelievable to hear him speak as though he has some insight into why people are turned off politics at the moment. If he did have that insight, he wouldn’t behave the way he does. If he had a quick look in the mirror he’d see what it is that aggravates people about politics today. He’d see someone who is behaving as though what’s important is his importance.

    The people don’t get a look-in. His first priority is to advance his own position, to make life hard for Malcolm Turnbull. In Abbott’s eyes, Turnbull took his job. The truth is the party room took his job because he wasn’t doing it well.

    He’d see someone who is great on the bif-bif and short on sensible policy. He’d see someone who has real trouble finding common ground with others. He wants the whole ground to himself. Worse, he’d see someone who thinks he’s better than all his colleagues. I’ve met some fairly self-centred people in my life but he truly takes the cake.]

  8. E

    Does not change my point.

    Greens do best in lower houses. Senator McKim is a great example of this being a minister.

    Same in ACT.

    In politics you are not serious if you are not in the government house.

  9. jeffiel: This week we’re adding an explicit prohibition of hate speech in Twilio’s Acceptable Use Policy. Hope other tech co’s do the same.

    Of this catches on Shelton and company will find they actually will have to practise respectful debate.

  10. adrian

    Compare and contrast:

    Pyne:
    http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/am/201708/pam-2017-08-15-pyne.mp3

    Burke:
    http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/am/201708/rnam-2017-08-15-tony-burke.mp3
    ________________________________________

    Pretty clear contrast. Not an interruption for Pyne – she couldn’t wait to interrupt Burke. Even the tone was quite different, with a gentle feed for Pyne and an aggressive doubtful tone all the way through for Burke.

    As Bemused points out, this helps Labor refine and improve its responses to hostile attack, but as a supposedly neutral interviewer working for a ‘balanced’ public media organisation it was a patent disgrace.

  11. It’s just a sign of the parochial Croweater you’ve become

    That is just nonsense as will be evident when the Swans smash the Crows this weekend.

  12. Pegasus

    Of course.

    You may start in the Senate because thats what the system forces you to do. However as a party that wants success thats exactly the point.

    Thus all the praise and emphasis from Bob Brown when Adam Bandt won Melbourne. He well knew this.

  13. Does this help?

    Christopher Pyne is talking to Sam Maiden on Sky. He again, warns Labor that they have citizenship questions to answer on their own side, including:

    Braddon MP Justin Keay
    Longman MP Susan Lamb
    Makin MP Tony Zappia
    Calwell MP Maria Vamvakinou
    He named them in parliament yesterday. Maiden asks him if it is appropriate to include Labor employment shadow Brendan O’Connor, reported in a list this morning as open to challenge. Maiden says, given O’Connor is undergoing chemotherapy this morning, is it appropriate?

    Pyne says the question is unfair because he did not name O’Connor in the house yesterday.

    Pyne says he does not know who will pay Barnaby Joyce’s legal fees but says it would be appropriate given he is “an officer of the government”.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/aug/15/labor-in-talks-with-crossbench-following-barnaby-joyce-high-court-referral-politics-live?CMP=share_btn_tw

  14. [Simon Katich
    It’s just a sign of the parochial Croweater you’ve become

    That is just nonsense as will be evident when the Swans smash the Crows this weekend.]

    I hope so, go the Giants! 🙂

  15. CT

    I think thats the main reason Di Natale has lasted so far. People have to be convinced the change is better than staying the course.

  16. and an aggressive doubtful tone all the way through for Burke.

    It’s that aggressive ‘gotcha!’ style of interviewing that I find so off-putting. Tony Jones and Leigh Sales use it and that’s why I rarely watch their shows.

  17. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-15/politics-live-august-15/8806750

    Leader of the House Christopher Pyne has turned the outrage dial to 10 on Sky News.

    He’s pointing the finger at Labor for the whole Joyce saga:

    “Clearly the [Australian] Labor party are involved in a conspiracy using a foreign government, in this case New Zealand, to bring down the Australian government.

    But I wouldn’t expect anything better of the ALP.”

    Is he accusing Labor of treason here?

  18. Confessons

    Yes. I so agree on interviews.

    To do a classic compare and contrast.

    Jones and Sales do the Carleton Lyneham style no the Andrew Olle Kerry O Brien style.

  19. I thought Turnbulls and Pynes threats to labor raised two legal issues that those more knowledgeable here may shed light on.

    The first was if Turnbull and Pyne had information that labor mps eligibility was in question don’t they have an obligation to refer this to the high court. In effect they are allowing parliament to operate and legislation to pass (where labor votes are required) knowing such votes may not be valid and such legislation invalid?

  20. Now that SHY has been moved to a different portfolio and we rarely see her anymore, I’m warming more to her.

    Me too. And I met her v briefly in a cafe when she was at ease and not in power politics mode which was also warming.

  21. [lizzie

    Pyne says he does not know who will pay Barnaby Joyce’s legal fees but says it would be appropriate given he is “an officer of the government”.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/aug/15/labor-in-talks-with-crossbench-following-barnaby-joyce-high-court-referral-politics-live?CMP=share_btn_tw]

    This is bullsh!t!!

    This is about his eligibility to sit in Parliament.

    Whether he is a back bencher or in the cabinet is irrelevant.

    Costs should be met by him or his Party.

  22. Journo from SMH was on the case of Barnaby. Asked him to respond to the citizenship quey, and Barnably sat on it until yesterday morning, when he knew the journo as about to report on it. Who is doing the conspiring?

  23. lizzie @ #12 Tuesday, August 15th, 2017 – 6:40 am

    ABC TV reporter Ashlynne McGee this morning insisting that Labor is under suspicion on dual citizenship and refusing to provide papers. Very much “they’re both as bad as each other”.

    Channelling Adrian?
    She is merely reporting what the LNP are saying to obfuscate.
    It doesn’t mean she believes any of it or indeed holds any opinion.

  24. Day to be a proud South Australian!!

    ..Jay leading the way on renewables ..not with words, but with deeds..

    ..most modern hospital in the southern hemisphere opening in Adelaide early September..

    ..the weather may be miserable ..but the forecast is bright & sunny.. 🙂 🙂

  25. The second was the threat to labor to keep quite about any matters regarding lnp mps eligibility or they would refer their mps to the high court.

    I thought this was the more serious matter in that it implies the lnp knows its mps and legitimacy of the government is at risk and its is threatening a rival to keep quite otherwise it will take refer their mps to court.

    Are there not matters of conspiracy, blackmail and intimidation here. You keep quite about our mps and our governments possible legitimacy and we will keep quite about what we may know about your mps.

    There is a financial motive involved, given the salaries of mps and ministers.

  26. Pyne’s not afraid of extreme exaggeration, is he!

    Labor party are involved in a conspiracy using a foreign government, in this case New Zealand, to bring down the Australian government.

  27. Don @8:12AM Noted – the only problem is whether I will be around to see it!

    Same here – I’ll be in my late 70s.

    The eclipse path of totality scores a direct hit on Sydney – the centre crosses Randwick Racecourse. It also occurs at the time of year that is most likely to feature clear skies here. But Sydney’s weather is notoriously fickle. The path of totality crosses the continent from the Kimberly to Sydney. If I’m able to, I will head inland that day. Dubbo would be good, or the Stuart Highway South of Tennant Creek.

  28. Guytaur
    Assuming I am extremely generous there is maybe possibly a total of 5 Lower House seats the Greens could potentially win simultaneously in the next decade (and again with the most extreme generosity you could get to maybe 8-10 potentially winnable but highly unlikely simultaneously)

    Going back until 1990 that would have been useful in 3 of 10 elections. The House of Representatives is heavily stacked in favour of major parties and highly concentrated votes (like the Nationals).

    You would need to identify approximately 10 lower house seats the Greens could hold with a fair degree of reliability in the next 2 decades for the prospect of Bandt being leader from the House to be even remotely realistic.

    Frankly if that happens something will have fundamentally shifted in politics already, like maybe the ALP and Coalition fought the Last Great Poll War and the Australian Conservatives are the other major party :P.

  29. On another matter has anyone asked Turnbull if he has caymans islands citizenship given his extensive financial interests there, has he produced any proof re this?

    Some tax havens require you to be a citizen to enjoy the full tax benefits.

  30. She is merely reporting what the LNP are saying to obfuscate.

    Possibly just repeating what it says in The Australian or the Daily Rupert.

  31. latingle: Ah… okay.. twitter.com/CUhlmann/statu…

    CUhlmann: PM to party: The Australian people elected this Govt, Bill Shorten wants to steal Govt by entering into a conspiracy with a foreign power.

  32. This is utterly over the top.

    Chris Uhlmann‏Verified account
    @CUhlmann

    PM to party: The Australian people elected this Govt, Bill Shorten wants to steal Govt by entering into a conspiracy with a foreign power.

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