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

Essential Research: 57-43

The latest Essential Research survey has Labor’s lead down from 58-42 to 57-43, remembering that this is a two-week rolling average which was half conducted before Malcolm Turnbull replaced Brendan Nelson. Also included (just from the last week’s sample) are various questions on leadership and one on industrial relations (45 per cent think the government moving “too slowly”).

762 Comments

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  1. 601
    ruawake
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 7:59 pm | Permalink

    cuppa

    Thanks for the link:

    “If the pollies can’t control their urge to buy the oldies’ votes at every successive election, they’re pouring petrol on a generational powder keg that may one day blow up in all our faces.”

    How prophetic from 2004, not much has changed in rabble politics.

  2. 602
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:01 pm | Permalink

    To be perfectly honest I’d rather Fielding, X & the Greens provide some resistance to the government rather than have them end up the way Howard did with no review whatsoever. As long as it doesn’t get too out of hand of course…

  3. 603
    Cuppa
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:03 pm | Permalink

    Former Howard government minister Mal Brough has quit the presidency of the Queensland Liberal Party.

    ...

    This afternoon, Mr Brough said he had enough of bickering over who will pay the Queensland Liberal Party's outstanding debts.

    "Well, I've just had a gutful, quite frankly. I think this whole thing is a bit of a shambles," he told 4BC radio.

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/brough-quits-liberal-presidency/2008/09/25/1222217423498.html

  4. 604
    Cuppa
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:06 pm | Permalink

    RU, the way the Liberals have amplified this they would have you believe that pensioners only began whingeing on 25 November 2007. But as Gittins points out in the article, they were vociferous under Howard too. “Howard’s Whingers”, as Gittins called them.

  5. 605
    It's Time
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:15 pm | Permalink

    Brough stand aside? Isn’t he just an anomalous leftover pending the formal recognition of the LNP by their feds? Typical dummy spit.

  6. 606
    ShowsOn
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:15 pm | Permalink

    [The Libs plus Fielding have the numbers to defeat the government.] + the Nats remember.

  7. 607
    ruawake
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:18 pm | Permalink

    It’s Time

    There are very deep divisions over the National Party and Santo Santoro faction take over of conservative politics in Qld. My view is that it will spawn a new conservative party.

  8. 608
    onimod
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:21 pm | Permalink

    Hearing about Brough now is no different to Karmichael hunt’s girlfriend hitting the press for the first time.
    Who?
    What?
    Why?
    And in related (and equally relevant) news I saw a rosella on my balcony today.
    There should be 30-40 articles on the Wall Street plan above this in the pile.
    Has anyone seen an article on the drop in the dollar in the last few weeks; less than a month ago we were headed for parity and beyond eh?
    We really do have the attention span of a gnat.

    (Last days of Rome, last days of Rome)

  9. 609
    It's Time
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:27 pm | Permalink

    ruawake

    Brough has been the pinup boy of the dissenters (god knows why). His comments seem more definitive than Costello that he is out of here. So the dissenters may lack someone of any public recognition to rally around.

  10. 610
    ShowsOn
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:30 pm | Permalink

    Mr Brough said he would officially stand aside once the federal Liberal Party's constitution is amended to formally recognise the LNP.

    WTF? The Liberal Party of Queensland will no longer exist once the federal Libs make the LNP the Queensland division of the Liberal Party.

    Looks like more grandstanding from Brough.

  11. 611
    ruawake
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:33 pm | Permalink

    onimod

    Your post at 608 is the largest pile of steaming brown stuff I have read in days. The Conservatives in Qld are deeply divided and this affects Federal Politics.

    The Australian dollar goes up and down, being at parity is not neccesarily a good thing.

    The great US meltdown is the great ho-hum of the year. It is probably a good thing that the world pisses them off as the de-facto reserve currency and switch to the euro.

    Then maybe they will sort out the huge problems they have as a nation.

  12. 612
    ruawake
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:36 pm | Permalink

    The Liberal and National Federal members are both members of the LNP and their respective parties – it is in the LNP constitution.

    It must be the only party where you can be a member of another party.

  13. 613
    Gusface
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 8:59 pm | Permalink

    William
    “The results of the survey will thus provide a fascinating measure of how much collective wisdom there is in this particular crowd. My guess is: not very much.

    Prove me wrong, readers!”

    was your hat on the line?

  14. 614
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:11 pm | Permalink

    On a slightly different tack, where are the refugee hordes?

  15. 615
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:28 pm | Permalink

    Which refugee hordes would they be?

  16. 616
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:36 pm | Permalink

    Which refugee hordes would they be?

    Exactly. I thought there was supposed to be a run on now that the government had relaxed mandatory detention.

  17. 617
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:37 pm | Permalink

    Looks like Q&A has stacked their audience with Liberal voters. It’s going to be an hour of suck-up questions.

  18. 618
    polyquats
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:41 pm | Permalink

    Yep. Two minutes in and I already wanted to chuck. Even the introduction was a suck-up.

  19. 619
    vera
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:41 pm | Permalink

    Dario says “where are the refugee hordes?”
    and what happened to the millions of $s in comphensation saying Sorry was going to cost us?

  20. 620
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:42 pm | Permalink

    AmI paying for this Liberal Party advert on Q&A?

  21. 621
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:44 pm | Permalink

    Oh god what a total suck job this program is…

  22. 622
    Gusface
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:56 pm | Permalink

    Actually it is quite a good insight into turnbull

    payout on costello,dis kerry,admit he smoked pot

    ideal leadership material for the fibs :)

  23. 623
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:57 pm | Permalink

    on to another suck question from a kid

  24. 624
    evan14
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:58 pm | Permalink

    Yes, more ABC pro Liberal Party bias and sucking up to Turnball!
    Tony Jones makes me sick!

  25. 625
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:58 pm | Permalink

    finally a serious question and turnbull makes a joke

  26. 626
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:59 pm | Permalink

    …and he avoids the question

  27. 627
    evan14
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 9:59 pm | Permalink

    And have you noticed the audience is stacked with young Liberal toffs?

  28. 628
    Fiz
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:00 pm | Permalink

    Well, Turnbull has charisma – he really does. In person he is quite enigmatic. On the surface he is bright and shiny and people like to be near him – which includes media personalities. Underneath the surface though, there are some quite murky little unpleasantries lurking around. Malcolm has had his hand in a lot of pies in business – it will be interesting to see if any of the little stories about him ever hit the light of day or if people keep their mouths shut. He really has a dark side as well.

  29. 629
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:01 pm | Permalink

    And have you noticed the audience is stacked with young Liberal toffs?

    hard not to with the questions being dished up, although the homeless question made a nice change

  30. 630
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:02 pm | Permalink

    ‘if we are returned to government’

    The born to rule mentality as strong as ever

  31. 631
    evan14
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:02 pm | Permalink

    What does a man with a personal weath of $160 million know about being homeless?
    Give me a break!

  32. 632
    scorpio
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:06 pm | Permalink

    This has got to be the biggest heap of “waffle” that I have experienced for a lomg, long time.

    Turnbull makes Beasley look good.

    Having to sit through a repeat, word for word, of the guff he sprouted in the press conference just after being elected leader is unbearable.

    Probably trying to make sure that absolutely no one could possibly miss the message he wanted to express last Tuesday.

  33. 633
    scorpio
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:08 pm | Permalink

    Clearly not a Costello fan.

  34. 634
    polyquats
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:08 pm | Permalink

    And did you hear his comments on parliamentary question time? Hypocrite!

  35. 635
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:09 pm | Permalink

    Having to sit through a repeat, word for word, of the guff he sprouted in the press conference just after being elected leader is unbearable.

    It will please the Lib die-hards, nothing more

  36. 636
    Gusface
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:10 pm | Permalink

    taking off the blinkers and looking at talcum’s performance i would say that this is one polished media performer,more and more I thinkabout it, he is going to present himself as rudd lite but with abit more chutzpah.

  37. 637
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:12 pm | Permalink

    God he’s worse than Beazley

  38. 638
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:13 pm | Permalink

    Five minutes crapping on about morgtage loans… he’ll put everyone to sleep

  39. 639
    evan14
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:13 pm | Permalink

    I want Brendan Nelson back LOL

  40. 640
    polyquats
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:14 pm | Permalink

    Maybe, Gusface. But he isn’t really under any pressure is he? It will probably remain a mystery as to how he would function with the type of scrutiny and pressure that Rudd gets.

  41. 641
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:15 pm | Permalink

    But he isn’t really under any pressure is he?

    No. It’s been a snoozefest in comparison to the audience Rudd had for his Q&A.

  42. 642
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:17 pm | Permalink

    another suck question

  43. 643
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:17 pm | Permalink

    Sigh.

  44. 644
    scorpio
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:19 pm | Permalink

    And did you hear his comments on parliamentary question time?

    Unbelievable. Only side of politics is disruptive during QT.

    Yeah, that’s right. Labor. Who would have thunk it.

    Turnbull must be watching a different QT than the rest of us.

  45. 645
    evan14
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:21 pm | Permalink

    Yes, a complete suck up from Aunty tonight!
    Something has to be done about that board, and please fire Tony Jones, he’s an embarrassment to impartial journalism, along with the rest of the press gallery!

  46. 646
    Fiz
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:24 pm | Permalink

    I agree with you Gusface. I guess the question will be if the Libs can tolerate his small ‘L’ liberal social bent. Some will welcome it (yes Mr Pyne, I’m looking at you), but I don’t think Nick Minchin, Tony Abbott and their ilk will be so keen. It would be really interesting to see if the ALP started introducing more progressive social legislation – I can’t see it happening in their first term, but talk about possible wedges! I must admit I’m a little shallow, I’d just love to see Tony Abbott’s head implode!

  47. 647
    Spam Inbox
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:27 pm | Permalink

    Mr T may work out and he may not… but he is no fool and you guys really shouldn’t underestimate him.

    Lot’s of people will like what they see in him

  48. 648
    scorpio
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:27 pm | Permalink

    Question to Tony Jones. Are you an impartial journalist?

    Answer; What’s impartial mean.

    Question to Tony Jones. Aren’t you embarrassed?

    Answer; I don’t know what embarrassed means.

  49. 649
    Dario
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:29 pm | Permalink

    More waffle. Bring back Horatio!

  50. 650
    evan14
    Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:30 pm | Permalink

    Dario: at least Nelson in his ineptness was entertaining!

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