Essential Research: 54-46 to Coalition
This week’s Essential Research poll has Labor recovering the point they lost last week, with the Coalition lead on two-party preferred down from 55-45 to 54-46. However, the primary vote figures suggest there is little in the change: the major parties are steady on 34 per cent for Labor and 48 per cent for the Coalition (although a one-point drop for the Liberals disappears from the Coalition total after rounding), with the Greens up a point to 11 per cent. Other questions find mounting opposition to the contention that the budget should return to surplus at all costs. Seventy-one per cent declared themselves opposed if doing so meant “cutting services and raising taxes”, with only 13 per cent supportive. Fifty-eight per cent said there was no need for the budget to return to surplus so quickly compared with 38 per cent in April, but if the government remains determined, the number who believe it should be paid for by removing tax breaks for high income earners (59 per cent) and increasing taxes for corporations (72 per cent) is up eight and nine points respectively. Only 35 per cent nominated cuts to “middle-class welfare”.
Further evidence of voters’ curiously social democratic bent was furnished by a question in which respondents were asked to indicated whether various parties had benefited from the mining boom: 68 per cent said yes for mining company executives, 48 per cent for shareholders and 42 per cent for foreign companies, against 12 per cent for regional communities and 11 per cent for “all Australians”. There was also an interesting question on the leaders’ performances during Barack Obama’s visit, in light of suggestions that Julia Gillard had been too effusive and Tony Abbott had politicised the occasion. The results suggest much more support for the latter contention than the former: Gillard’s performance was rated good by 38 per cent and poor by 23 per cent, compared with 18 per cent and 30 per cent for Abbott.
Categories: Federal Politics 2010-
Finns
The topic.
by Diogenes on Dec 1, 2011 at 10:59 pm
The way to go is a Bachelor of Marriage degree, for couples only. Marriage 101 is about how to be nice to each other and how to smooch. A seven-year degree, I think.
Oh, and it is independent of the sex of the participants.
by This little black duck on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:00 pm
ducky
i presume the sex is a separate course
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:02 pm
bellwhether isnit?
by Kinkajou on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:02 pm
Any change will be an improvement.
by CTar1 on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:02 pm
Frank,
To quote Roxette: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62RokYZAR5M
by This little black duck on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Andrew:
The key message is that Labor’s conferences are open to the media.
Unlike other parties.
by confessions on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:04 pm
damn u kinkajou
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Bellwether. As in sheep.
by This little black duck on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:04 pm
doh bellwether!
Dejewelled ram that leads the other sheep…..
by Kinkajou on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:04 pm
as in voting sheep?
by Kinkajou on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:05 pm
Diog, my position is like this. I really think this is a non issue and dont understand what the fuss is all about, from both sides.
As long as the couple – hetero or same sex – has equal legal rights – that will do me.
by The Finnigans on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:06 pm
gusface,
I believe there is a choice of optional units.
by This little black duck on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:06 pm
Knackered ram.
by This little black duck on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Gussie, compulsory, pre-requisite
by The Finnigans on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:07 pm
double damn u ducky
:grr:
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Not surprising, Confessions. We have a lot of opinions in common
by Carey Moore on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:08 pm
Ducky, what happen if you develop an itch?
by The Finnigans on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:10 pm
On the weekend I met with a group of friends at a pub and we had a very spirited and respectful discussion about gay marriage.
One side couldn’t understand why “the left” is so besotted with GM as there were far more important issues while the other side argued that it was a human rights issue and therefore fundamental to progressive societal change.
by Pegasus on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:11 pm
finns
thats another course altogether
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:11 pm
melbun has weather, other places merely climate
by Kinkajou on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:12 pm
Hipster!
Actually, I can proudly claim I did too. Wanting it to be ALP policy for eons. I am slightly less pragmatic about it now though because I feel our LGBT et al. brothers and sisters have waited long enough.
by Carey Moore on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:12 pm
…you never know whether…
by Kinkajou on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:12 pm
Now, that’s funny
by Pegasus on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:12 pm
As for Climate Change, I think it important that Labor be on the right side of history re gay marriage. Does anyone think that gay marriage will never happen here. The move is on in the rest of the world, it is inevitable.
For a progressive party, it would be a fine achievement for Labor right now.
by Andrew on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:14 pm
Horsey, if you know me, you know me by no other name.
by The Finnigans on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:14 pm
it needs something
nay anything
to make it ahem livable
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:14 pm
Finns,
This is where you go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJzcF0v1eOE
by This little black duck on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:15 pm
I have to say, gay marriage is of monumental unimportance to me.
If asked to vote, I’d vote Yes, but I don’t see what all the fuss is about. 20 interminable pages here, full of it. Just vote the way you want to and be done with the bloody thing.
by Bushfire Bill on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:15 pm
talcum powered will be provided
by george on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:16 pm
I can hear a possum outside hissing and growling, obviously in heat
by Pegasus on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:16 pm
The non-issue/too much fuss/more important things argument is a smoke screen. So, you dont make policy changes unless its the most important thing to do? or important to the majority?
by Andrew on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:16 pm
I may have been under a misunderstanding earlier. I believed only one LNP member was in the Qld Parliament when the vote was taken on civil unions. Is that incirrect?
by Fulvio Sammut on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:17 pm
Disagree.
As I once read in a column by Keith Dunstan..
“Melbourne doesn’t have a climate, it just has samples of weather.”
by bemused on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Vote : 40 to 47
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-civil-unions-bill-passes-20111201-1o7ma.html#ixzz1fHiqX5Lv
by Pegasus on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Horsey, yes it’s funny. You know, our relationship is similar to my relationship with Diog.
It’s a Love-Hate relationship.
With Diog, he loves me and i hate him
With you, i love you and you hate me
Hmmm, maybe we can do a Venn diagram
by The Finnigans on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Then I owe William an apology. Sorry, I was at cross purposes.
by Fulvio Sammut on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:22 pm
finns
a zen one would be better
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:22 pm
I’ve been at that bar, its around the corner from good intentions
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Goodnight all
by bemused on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Margaret Keech, the government Whip and member for Albert, who voted against civil unions has a gay son. She is a Christian and was reported as saying “that civil unions mirror marriage in all but name and undermines the institution.”
by Pegasus on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:25 pm
the perverse dunstan…how could anyone hate footy?
by Kinkajou on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:26 pm
The Finnigans,
An erroneous assumption on your part; I harbour no feelings for you at all
by Pegasus on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:27 pm
no one,
as for aerial ping pong…….
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:28 pm
And just think…
With a few more degrees of global warming, Melbourne might be habitable
by cud chewer on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:29 pm
u optimist u
by gusface on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:30 pm
gus…u not callin g that game where men put their thumbs up each others bottoms footy?
by Kinkajou on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:34 pm
Apparently, 132,387 Australians have so far signed GetUp’s petition to end marriage discrimination.
http://www.getup.org.au/
by Pegasus on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:36 pm
I mean heads…
by Kinkajou on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:36 pm
Kinkajou,
Although Keith Dunstan co-founded the anti-football league, to the extent that it was more than i. a joke and ii. an opportunity to raise funds for some suitable worthy cause, his grievance was with the obsessive nature of media coverage of the game.
I’m ambivalent, as I love Aussie Rules with a passion, but I do think, the year-round focus on it is a bit over the top. I take very much a passing interest during the off-season. Time enough to worry about my team’s draft picks in February/March when we can see them in action.
by Peter Fuller on Dec 1, 2011 at 11:37 pm