Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth

Reuters poll trend: 54.8-45.2

Reuters’ fortnightly labour-saving device, Poll Trend, shows the two-party gap narrowing to 54.8-45.2 from 56.2-43.8 last time out. This is achieved by aggregating results from Newspoll, Morgan and ACNielsen and “smoothing volatility by using a five-term Henderson moving average”. Labor’s primary vote is down from 48.3 per cent to 47.8 per cent, with the Coalition up from 39.5 per cent to 40.8 per cent. A weekly breakdown shows that almost all of this movement came in the week before last.

UPDATE: Surprising news from SportingBet: “punters have flocked to the Coalition since this morning’s rate rise with 96% of money bet with Australia’s biggest bookmaker, Sportingbet Australia, going to the Coalition since the Reserve Bank’s announcement was made”.

658 Comments

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  1. 1
    Shane-o
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:17 pm | Permalink

    First place?

  2. 2
    Shane-o
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:17 pm | Permalink

    woo-hoo!

  3. 3
    Dinsdale Piranha
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:20 pm | Permalink

    Two blog comments shane-o likely to follow the path of the great pamphleteers of 18th century Britain.

  4. 4
    Dinsdale Piranha
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:21 pm | Permalink

    “Go for Growth”??

    Should be “Man the Lifeboats!”

  5. 5
    Chris
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:28 pm | Permalink

    I often read but don’t usually contribute, but does anyone else think that it’s time for Labor to follow through with the big guns? I’m getting nervous!

    Or is the buffer so big not to matter?

    Or are they concentrating their resources in the marginal seats?

    It would be good for the troops to see some sign of coordinated activity.

    On another topic, did Julia flatten Shreck today?

  6. 6
    Mathew Cole
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:31 pm | Permalink

    Chris #5,

    Yes, yes she did. Showed the pres gallery the sh**e that is their IR policy, and then rubbed his face in it, without getting too personal. Pure, solid gold.

  7. 7
    Mathew Cole
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:33 pm | Permalink

    Myself #6,

    By “their” I refer to the Coalition’s IR policy.

  8. 8
    Ricky
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:34 pm | Permalink

    I watched about half the debate, and altho Gillard won, the debate will have no effect on anything. No king hits there.

    Hockey did better than I expected too.

  9. 9
    steve
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:35 pm | Permalink

    The Flute chimes in.

    http://dailyflute.com/?p=1294

  10. 10
    Nick Mallory
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:36 pm | Permalink

    The Australian Government is thinking about setting up a consultation blog/forum to give the public a chance to debate public policy.

    If you want to help shape the form this blog will take then have your say here:

    http://www.openforum.com.au/Survey

    It only takes a couple of minutes and could help lead to something really worthwhile. Thanks.

  11. 11
    Andos the Great
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:36 pm | Permalink

    Well, if this is the “Narrowing” that the Coalition was looking for, a 6 month election campaign might have got them close to winning…

  12. 12
    Kit
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:38 pm | Permalink

    Chris @ #5

    Don’t forget ALP launches campaign on 14th – boof, boof, coordinated punch to the collective coalition noggin.

    Well let’s hope anyway

  13. 13
    Deo
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:39 pm | Permalink

    Interesting little press release from Penny Wong on the WA Libs preferencing One Nation before Labor. Penny has been helping Maxine with campaigning in the Asian community in Bennelong. No doubt this little snippet of news will be provided to Asian community leaders:

    http://www.alp.org.au/media/1107/mscasp060.php

  14. 14
    Dario
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:44 pm | Permalink

    punters have flocked to the Coalition since this morning’s rate rise with 96% of money bet with Australia’s biggest bookmaker, Sportingbet Australia, going to the Coalition since the Reserve Bank’s announcement was made

    Boy there are some dumb punters out there

  15. 15
    Mr Denmore
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:47 pm | Permalink

    Dario at 14, and I get most of that money is coming from the Liberal party

  16. 16
    Rod Hagen
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:49 pm | Permalink

    I reckon the bookies would love to talk up a coalition win right now. All those bets that they won’t have to pay out on!

    Cheers

    Rod

  17. 17
    ruawake
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:49 pm | Permalink

    Of course Labor voters are not betting – they are trying to figure out how to feed the kids for two days on a can of baked beans. :(

  18. 18
    Ashley
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:49 pm | Permalink

    Damn some punters are stupid.

    Interesting to read Peter van Onselen’s take on it, because he is usually fairly pro-Howard. He says “forget the spin, this rate rise really hurts”.

    http://thebulletinelection.ninemsn.com.au/forget_the_spin_this_rate_rise_really_hurts.htm

  19. 19
    Rates Analyst
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:49 pm | Permalink

    Someone else mentioned that there was one guy who made at $10,000 bet. So that would skew the percentages a fair amount I imagine!!

  20. 20
    Julie
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:50 pm | Permalink

    15, Just like their advertising campagin to date; money down the proverbial drain ….. :) :)

  21. 21
    Chris
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:51 pm | Permalink

    It just concerns me that the idea of any differentiation with the Libs is being increasingly obscured ie the me-too thing is now accepted as fact.

    Kitt @12 Do we really expect a lot of big new ideas to come out? That would seem to fly in the face of the Rudd’s equivalent of the small target.

    I live in Canberra and the idea of a razor gang got a big run here (unsurprisingly) this morning. Howard has been a prize hypocrite on the idea of small government, though I’m not sure his supporters acknowledge it

  22. 22
    Aesop
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:51 pm | Permalink

    So more punters are betting on the coalition to win due to the interest rate increase, believing that now the economy is front and centre – which is an issue favoring the Libs. They should stop taking themselves, the Australian and Newspoll so seriously.

    This is the interest rate that broke the camel’s back ( the coalition’s economic credibility), and with it Howard’s house of cards will fall – consigning the Libs to a decade of purgatory in opposition.
    Aesop has spoken…..

  23. 23
    steve
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:52 pm | Permalink

    The Hockey/Gillard debate in shorthand.

    http://ozvotes.blogspot.com/2007/11/gillard-hockey-debate.html

  24. 24
    John
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:53 pm | Permalink

    So it seems that there has been a narrowing, despite Possum’s belief that they generally don’t happen. Mercifully for this ALP supporter the narrowing has not been that significant.

    But with the interest rate rise maybe the last 3 weeks will see the older margin restored, and then 40 seats change hands on election night. Fingers crossed…

  25. 25
    Ashley
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:53 pm | Permalink

    Latest odds have Labor 1.35 (Centrebet), 1.32 (SportingBet), 1.33 (PortlandBet)

  26. 26
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:55 pm | Permalink

    So it seems that there has been a narrowing, despite Possum’s belief that they generally don’t happen. Mercifully for this ALP supporter the narrowing has not been that significant.

    Well, we don’t find out if there was a narrowing until election day when we get the final score.

  27. 27
    cynic
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:55 pm | Permalink

    John

    I think the only narrowing is the arteries of the Rodentcy

  28. 28
    steve
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:56 pm | Permalink

    22 [So more punters are betting on the coalition to win due to the interest rate increase, believing that now the economy is front and centre - which is an issue favoring the Libs.]

    Way too stupid to believe but maybe they took Costello’s:

    rising interest rates = great economic management, seriously. They will be in for a rude shock come election night.

  29. 29
    Boll
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:57 pm | Permalink

    Portlandbet currently 77-71-2.

    Does anyone know if any of the big agencies run margin betting. Just like the footy ie. Coalition +11.5 seats @ $1.95 for example.

  30. 30
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:59 pm | Permalink

    Portlandbet currently 77-71-2.

    That means two seats have moved to Labor since last week.

  31. 31
    Crispy
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 4:59 pm | Permalink

    John, I think Possum contends that a narrowing is not a fait accompli, as some commentators were asserting. Endlessly. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. And Showson is right, we could be back to 55/45 by this time next week and beyond.

  32. 32
    Chris
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:01 pm | Permalink

    Yes, the “rising rates = return the experienced economic manager” formula has too many twists in it to be effective. A plausible enough thought for those close to politics (and therefore already committed), but for those who the coalition hopes are not engaged yet, the formula is “blame the govt for the rate rise becuase they said they were responsible for the falls”.

  33. 33
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:03 pm | Permalink

    Yes, the “rising rates = return the experienced economic manager” formula has too many twists in it to be effective.

    It implies that their entire election campaign now has a new theme – “Go For Growth, and see interest rates rise because of the growth”

    Or how about “Go For Growth (Maybe)”

  34. 34
    Boll
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:03 pm | Permalink

    #30 Yeah, Herbert gone back to Labor and Deakin/Bowman at 50/50.

  35. 35
    Frank Calabrese
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:05 pm | Permalink

    Is this is a dodgy Headline from the ABC re Shrek’s Grandparent leave announcement ?

    Mums, dads to get year's parental leave: Hockey

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/07/2084142.htm?section=justin

  36. 36
    Crispy
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

    How about ‘Forego Growth’

  37. 37
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

    Anybody calling:

    Higgins
    Goldstein
    Kooyong

    For Labor? Thought not.

  38. 38
    Adam
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:15 pm | Permalink

    We are however calling Parramatta, Lindsay, Dobell, Eden-Monaro, Page, La Trobe, Bonner, Moreton, Blair, Herbert, Leichhardt, Kingston, Wakefield, Makin, Bass, Braddon and Solomon (that’s 17), with at least another ten in play. We’ll let you keep Kooyong for now.

  39. 39
    K Jin
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:16 pm | Permalink

    Bookmakers need to balance there book. So that whoever wins they win. So by saying that nearly bet is now for the libs party and by the way you can still get 3.50 for every dollar bet. (fantastic odds in a two horse race as long as one neddie is not already rooted). They, the bookmakers are just wanting people to back the lib party, because even with labour only paying around 1.35 for a dollar bet enough people/money are backing labour at that price that the bookies face a loss unless they can get more people to back and lose money on the libs.

  40. 40
    ruawake
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:16 pm | Permalink

    ESJ

    The polls show a 10%+ swing on primaries. I am definately calling Higgins as a loss for Tip. ;)

  41. 41
    Ashley
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:17 pm | Permalink

    ESJ — I stand by my prediction of 146 seats to Labor.

  42. 42
    Chris
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:18 pm | Permalink

    I see The Age is reporting on the rate rises that:

    “Labor’s treasury spokesman Wayne Swan said the Federal Government had ignored 20 central bank warnings in the past three years that a skilled labour shortage was contributing to the economy overheating.

    “The Government has been inactive and complacent about skills shortages and infrastructure bottlenecks that are putting upwards pressure on inflation,” he said.

    That’s the real story that the ALP should stick to. This points to the LNP’s “management of the economy” looking to the financial markets, but ignoring the real economy.

  43. 43
    Spiros
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:18 pm | Permalink

    Congratulations ESJ, the Liberal Party is going to hold its safest seats.

    Break out the bubbly.

    Too bad about all the others.

  44. 44
    scaper...
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:20 pm | Permalink

    All this betting on the libs is a hangover from yesterday.

    The mug punters don’t know when to stop…..

  45. 45
    Kiwipundit
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:21 pm | Permalink

    “Surprising news from SportingBet: ‘punters have flocked to the Coalition since this morning’s rate rise with 96% of money bet with Australia’s biggest bookmaker, Sportingbet Australia, going to the Coalition since the Reserve Bank’s announcement was made’ “.

    Well how come the odds in Sportingbet are still the same as yesterday (ALP $1.32, Coalition $3.30)? Probably Uncle Rupert putting on a $1m bet for his mate the Rodent.

  46. 46
    Mad Professor
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:21 pm | Permalink

    I’m calling Cook. I didn’t move there for nothing.

    Labor will shorten again once the first Opinion poll is published showing labor’s lead increasing. Punters are simply putting some $$’s on the uncertainty, not the result.

  47. 47
    ruawake
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:21 pm | Permalink

    The Undertaker has said he wants to adopt Englands new anti-terror laws.

    He is alive after all. :-P

  48. 48
    Stephen Tardrew
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:22 pm | Permalink

    Stephen T:
    I think Julia Gillard summary to the Press Club debate annihilated Shrek. He looked like death warmed up. She is extremely competent. Rudd has to use her more. I bet myself the media would run with the intro and sure enough have a look at the GG. ABC radio did the same thing. It is so bloody sexist. The opposition has got to get over pussy footing around and take charge just as Gillard did today. It is so biased it is bloody shitty. Her summary was a king hit and somehow needs to get decent exposure.

  49. 49
    Mad Professor
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:24 pm | Permalink

    I also know well-off labor types who’ve put some reddies on LNP on the basis that if the neo-fascists get back in, they’ll win enough to throw a really good wake

  50. 50
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:24 pm | Permalink

    “I reckon the bookies would love to talk up a coalition win right now”

    Yep.

    Good call Rod.

    Bookies are a little like horse trainers. It’s not what they say, it’s what they do. Hmm bit like the liberal party as well.

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