Essential Research: 53-47 to Labor

Labor maintains its existing lead in the latest Essential poll, despite improving perceptions on the outlook for the economy.

With Newspoll holding its fire ahead of tonight’s budget, the one new federal poll for the week is the regular fortnightly result from Essential Research – which, The Guardian reports, has maintained its recent form in recording Labor’s lead unchanged at 53-47. Primary votes to follow with the publication of the full report later today. The poll also features Essential’s monthly leadership ratings, which have Malcolm Turnbull on 40% approval (up one) and 42% disapproval (steady), Bill Shorten on 37% approval (up two) and 41% disapproval (down two), and Turnbull leading 40-26 as preferred prime minister, little changed from 41-26 last time.

As related in The Guardian’s report, other questions relate to what respondents would like in the budget, of which the most interesting findings would seem to be an 11% increase for “assistance for the unemployed” compared with last year, along with 8% increases for age pensions, affordable housing and assistance for the needy. The most favoured categories overall are health care, age pensions, education and affordable housing; the least favoured are foreign aid, business assistance and the military. Eighteen per cent expect the budget to be good for them personally (up eight on last year) compared with 24% for bad (down six), and 39% now rate the economy good (up six since November) compared with 24% for bad.

Note also the post below this one on the looming Western Australian state by-election in Darling Range.

UPDATE: Full results from Essential Research here. Both major parties are up a point on the primary vote, the Coalition to 38% and Labor to 37%, with the Greens down one to 10% and One Nation down two to 6%.

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.

1,901 comments on “Essential Research: 53-47 to Labor”

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  1. Bushfire Bill @ #1610 Thursday, May 10th, 2018 – 6:56 pm

    Did any PB blogger read Waleed Aly’s article today in SMH?

    It is neither necessar nor fashionable to read Waleed. It is only necessary to claim to have read Waleed, and to have agreed with him.

    For my own part, I see Waleed as a small-timer in an expensive suit, a Liberal urger, a silver-tongued tout: one who pretends to have tapped The Pulse Of The Nation, but is really only just a suburban boy made good. Fashionable, but – Waleed being part of the TEN stable of losers – able to be overlooked without too much embarrassment, or really even a second thought. Has he ever had an original, or even a clever (as opposed to too-clever-by-half) thought?

    A bit like Julian Assange used to be, actually, until he was exposed as just another grubby little right-wing shit: out for his own self-aggrandizement, but ultimately just a bit of belly fluff ready to be dug out of the World’s navel and flicked away.

    I knew he was sus from the moment I found out he was a Richmond supporter. In melbourne speak, a Richmond supporter is a Collingwood supporter without teeth!

  2. “It’s wonderful. Does that make me a masochist ❓”

    If i does, me too! 🙂

    I reckon the Libs, with the willing help of the MSM, will go the dismissive response to this. Which will then fall in a steaming heap of poo if they cant get their “all or nuthing” tax package through.

  3. Not to be a party pooper but its a tactic to stuff the galleries with your supporters in a budget reply speech.

  4. In melbourne speak, a Richmond supporter is a Collingwood supporter without teeth!

    Unless they are female, in which case they are definitely Collingwood supporters!

  5. ‘Ides of March not.logged in says:
    Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 7:57 pm

    Not to be a party pooper but its a tactic to stuff the galleries with your supporters in a budget reply speech.’

    You are a party pooper.

  6. “The $80 billion to the Big End of Town is absolutely deadly.”

    And how well is Shorten weaving this onto the narrative…again, and again, and again…. ?? 🙂

    Its well structured, has some damn good content, and is repeatedly hitting emotional buttons.

    Interesting the TAFE places funding?? Good policy. Also, appeals to the “fwark off we are full” crowd as well.

  7. Well I’ll take that as a budget reply speech. Much better than the smoke and mirrors of the govt, and I loved seeing Turnbull squirming and looking uncomfortable. No Malcolm, the public isn’t listening to you anymore and they haven’t for a while now.

  8. i

    Turnbull:

    “Water, water, everywhere,
    And all the boards did shrink;
    Water, water, everywhere,
    Nor any drop to drink.”

  9. Good to see everyone here is in agreement that that was one hell of a speech. Of course Steve Price has already pronounced it a very poor presentation. Wanker.

  10. Cue Government panic!

    .@billshortenmp: This is our pledge to 10 million working Australians. Under Labor you will pay less income tax because I think that you are more important than multinationals, big banks and big business.

  11. Great speech great policies from Mr Shorten.

    Chris Richardson praising. the speech. Pointing out that Mr Shorten spends little of the election war chest in this speech

  12. I have said a few times here that Shorten doesn’t read a speech well. The emphasis and inflection never seems quite right. Off the cuff works much better.

    But if he can keep mentioning $80 billion dollars he will go OK.

  13. Greensborough Growler @ #1601 Thursday, May 10th, 2018 – 8:04 pm

    KayJay @ #1669 Thursday, May 10th, 2018 – 8:03 pm

    Who is the lady behind Bill ❓

    Wearing glasses looking a little severe.

    It might be Christopher Pyne!

    Stopit. I’m not a well man.

    A couple of weeks ago one of the sorta news programs was showing police folk with trainee police dogs (pups) at a childrens’ hospital.

    A little boy was shown sitting against a wall saying plaintively “I like kisses, but not all the time”).

    So Chrissy Pine it is with a new jacket and hairdo.

    Can anybody else hear the deep hollow voice in the background
    crying out
    DOOMED ——– DOOMED —

  14. Erik Bashaw tweets

    Chris Richardson: “Labor has spent just a fraction of its $350 billion war chest in that speech.” #auspol

  15. If you haven’t seen Shortens speech then you need to get on Facebook or YouTube. Shorten was sublime.

    The battle lines have been drawn for the next election.

  16. I didnt watch Morrison’s budget speech. Shorten’s was okay in terms of presentation and delivery. Personally I liked the policy announcements and do go to Labor territory.

    Long story short, this reply wont move the needle but the selling of the policies may.

  17. guytaur says:
    Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 8:10 pm
    Erik Bashaw tweets

    Chris Richardson: “Labor has spent just a fraction of its $350 billion war chest in that speech.” #auspol

    I didn’t know it was that high. Where did all that come from?

  18. Darn:

    Labor’s policies are vastly superior to those of the coalition, and in the national interest therefore the end result is going to be more sustainable and realistic budget announcements.

  19. Big finish

    “Put it to the test in Caboolture, put it to the test in Burnie, put it to the test in Fremantle and in Perth. I will put my better, fairer, bigger income tax cut against yours. I’ll put my plans to rescue hospitals and fund Medicare against your cuts.

    “I’ll put my plans to properly fund schools against your cuts and I’ll put my plan to boost wages against your plan to cut penalty rates and I’ll put my plans for 100,000 TAFE places against your cuts to apprenticeships and training andI’ll fight for the ABC against your cuts.

    “And house by house, street by street, suburb by suburb, my team and I will make this a referendum on your $80 billion corporate tax giveaway to multinationals, big business and the big banks.”

    If I had written that I would be happy. and the delivery was spot on.

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