Essential Research: 56-44 to Coalition
The latest weekly Essential Research survey shows no change on last week, bar a one point drop in the Greens vote to 10 per cent: the Coalition is on 49 per cent of the primary vote and Labor on 32 per cent, with the Coalition’s two-party lead at 56-44. Essential also found plenty of interesting questions to ask about the Labor leadership. Respondents were asked to evaluate the performance of various actors during the challenge, with Kevin Rudd coming out least badly (33 per cent good, 35 per cent poor), “Labor Party ministers” the worst (10 per cent and 52 per cent), the media also very poorly (14 per cent and 43 per cent), Julia Gillard not well at all (23 per cent and 49 per cent) and Tony Abbott hardly better even if it might be hard to recall what he did exactly (25 per cent and 40 per cent).
Sixty-two per cent of respondents said the leadership challenge was bad for the government and 47 per cent that it has made them less likely to vote Labor (64 per cent among Coalition supporters, obviously including many who wouldn’t vote Labor in a pink fit), against 13 per cent who said it was a good thing and another 13 per cent (or perhaps the same 13 per cent) who they were more likely to vote Labor. A question on Kevin Rudd’s future produces a miraculously even three-way split with 29 per cent saying he should stay in parliament and again challenge for the leadership, 28 per cent saying he should stay in parliament and not challenge for the leadership and 30 per cent saying he should resign from parliament.
Respondents were asked to indicate whether they supported the Australian system of leaders being elected by MPs (36 per cent), American-style presidential primaries (31 per cent) and British-style election by both MPs and party members (11 per cent). Fifty-six per cent believed MPs should be guided by public opinion in leadership contests against 30 per cent by who they believed was the best person. The poll also points to a slight increase in support for an early election since the end of January, up three to 44 per cent with support for a completed term down two to 46 per cent.
We have also had Newspoll publish results from last week’s polling on the most important political issues and the best party to handle them. Such figures are invariably very closely associated with voting intention, and since this was a 53-47 poll result, it finds Labor improving considerably since the question was last asked as part of the poll of October 7-9, which was a 57-43 result. Labor has recovered big leads on its traditional strong suits of health, education, industrial relations and climate change, and closed the gap on the economy, interest rates and national security. Full tables from GhostWhoVotes.
Categories: Federal Politics 2010-
Diogenes
Yes he would, but no one is that stupid given the fruity arguments being advanced.
By contrast, if you ever watch Bastard Boys look out for the scene just before the MUA go into court for the first time when their barrister (the Melbourne silk who is an impassioned supporter of asylum seekers) asks the head of the MUA what their assests are – the question was what could they undertake to pay Patricks if they stopped their operations but ultimately lost.
Of course if the MUA had lost, they would have been wiped out.
by shellbell on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Lizzie,
Well, that’s a relief. Is he still the leader of the Nationals in the Senate? Decorating a cake as though to depict the female PM being taken by a crocodile is not a good look for such a high-ranking politician.
by Cuppa on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:18 pm
poroti,
swmbo is averse to 6/10+ hot stuff. I have to tone it down.
by This little black duck on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Lizzie, i tweet to Crabby that she aint no Nigella. After that she unfollowinged me and blocked me. Such a sensitive soul is Crabby.
by The Finnigans on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:18 pm
For all the guys who think climate change won’t affect reproduction
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/07/wildlife-animals?CMP=twt_fd
by lizzie on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:19 pm
Because all the IPA stooges had prior engagements?
by Cuppa on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:19 pm
The Finnigans
Sadly the horsey part of horseygate died last year. Meanwhile you can read the horse in question’s diary here.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/05/rebekah-brooks-horse
by poroti on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Oh, and diversity issue can be easily overcome.
In practice, it’s the cost of the semen which limits the use of the stallion – that will continue.
And the industy could easily put restrictions on the number of ‘straws’ (that is, amount of collected semen) which could be sold in one year.
by zoomster on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Abbott’s Daily Stunt didn’t make any of the evening news bulletins I saw, either today or yesterday.
Interesting.
by confessions on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:20 pm
zoom
interesting
AI is used widely in other farm animals as an efficiency measure
by gusface on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:22 pm
For those interested in cheetah conservation
http://wildlifeconservationnetwork.org/wildlife/cheetahnamibia.html
You can sign up for updates.
by This little black duck on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:23 pm
cuppa
I hadn’t really noticed Scullion before. The “interview” was very huntin’ shootin’ talk. Meal of fresh caught fish and shellfish. I think he’s a bit of a lad.
by lizzie on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:24 pm
Lizzie,
He’s sure had a few wilder experiences, let’s put it that way.
by Cuppa on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:27 pm
lizzie
Youse surprised an NT pollie would be any other way ?
It be compulsory up there !! P.S. love the NT.
by poroti on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Alas, gussie, horses aren’t very efficient breeders.
I’ve only had one year – out of twenty five – where every mare produced a foal. And that’s with a stallion in the paddock with them 24/7.
Mares are notorious for interesting little quirks like only really being fertile for a few minutes in their cycle.
Which is what makes AI expensive – it not only involves manual labour, the labour of very expensive men, what’s more, but almost constant monitoring of the mare, which includes the regular use of scans etc.
by zoomster on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Cuppa,
Is that right? Three Libs, then a Labor guest? If that’s right, the ABC must face some serious questioning.
Jeez, Cuppa, Labor people are damn good cooks. One of my favorite recipes is a Greek dish: Young, fatty lamb, quartered, smeared and drenched in strong honey. Some rosemary, some sage, freshly-ground black pepper.
METHOD: Incise pockets in meat with a sharp knife. Insert rosemary, some garlic (if desired), the sage, a sprinkle of good sea salt and the Pyne nuts. Cover with foil and roast for around two hours, basting when appropriate.
by Scringler on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:41 pm
http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/star-of-show.html
Worth reading. Summary of the whole thing, with links to supporting news reports etc.
by Leroy on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Grattan was very keen to get her mits on the Kafer inquiry report. She talked to Fran about it yesterday morning (happened to be in the car when they were on), asked the PM about it yesterday (and got the now-typical cursory dismissal from Gillard), and at Smith’s presser today seemed to be asking almost every question towards the end.
Has Grattan exhibited a special interest in Defence portfolio matters in the past? I don’t know, and can’t say. Did she know that the report would exonerate Kafer of wrongdoing, hence giving her an avenue to attack Labor and the govt? Just sayin’, as they say.
by confessions on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:42 pm
Blair is covering his arse and dropping a subordinate in it. Not someone I would work for.
by This little black duck on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:43 pm
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/actu-boss-quits-amwus-oliver-eyes-job-20120307-1uk57.html
more in the article
by Leroy on Mar 7, 2012 at 10:49 pm
TLBD
Mr Blah is condemned forever for his Menendez effort
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/nov/02/sirianblairmustresign
by poroti on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:02 pm
http://www.economist.com/node/21548946
by Leroy on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:04 pm
GD # 1998 the talk you heard sounds like it was Dr Philip Laird from Wollongong Uni, his academic specialisation is in fact mathematics rather than engineering, but this is all about very math stuff (how many complete circles does a train Syd-Mel turn and how much energy does that throw away etc), he has been doggedly trying to explain this stuff to parliamentary committees etc for years, good on him
Race horses and iron horses and loaned UK police horses, unusual evening on PB indeed
by Marrickville Mauler on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Why is an albino currently hosting ABC news 24? Is it diversity Wednesday?
by ShowsOn on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:05 pm
oh thats classy showson #2073. Not.
by Marrickville Mauler on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:07 pm
Finnigans
I know this is a blog BUT if this were a pub your behaviour towards Pegasus might have you arrested. It is extraordinarily sexist, personal and patronising. You are behaving like a domineering male affronted that she does not jump to your every whim and “what horror” a women who does not like being patronised with a demeaning nick name. How dare she. Doesn’t she know her place woman
by daretotread on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:07 pm
Harry Hutton:
by William Bowe on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:09 pm
The Finns a question about the GDP difference, if the Liberals were taxing at 25% and the current government are taking at 21% what is the difference in dollar terms?
by mexicanbeemer on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Not a great week for Stephen Smith.
by Thornleigh Labor Man on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:10 pm
beemer.. about 50 billion annually.
by cud chewer on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:11 pm
So says the commenter who thinks childless women shouldn’t be representatives in parliament, much less leaders of major political parties.
by confessions on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:11 pm
HOLLY FUCKING SHIT JUST SAW BOB KATTER ON TV SPORTING SOME SERIOUS REFLECTIVE AVIATOR GLASSES.
NEED TO LAY DOWN. AM HYPERVENTILATING.
by ShowsOn on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Legal Beagles:
(a) Katter’s case is ludicrously tenuous
(b) trial judge referred it upward because thus in itself insulates it against one level of appeal, and because there’s no extra delay
(c) no automatic right of appeal to High Court. Case is so weak the High Court would quickly deny leave to appeal.
(d) Katter’s only interest is in the publicity, having journos mention ‘Katter’ and ‘Australian Party’ in the same breath. The Party made an administrative error, more on the campaign material side than the registration side. It wanted initially to be known as the AP for nationalist reasons, only later did it add the Cult of Katter. There’s several shifts of the PHON saga about this.
by Graeme Orr on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:12 pm
The average person would find this issue as intersting as watching grass grow I reckon.
by Gary on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:13 pm
dare tot
1/10
trolling is an art, my child
by gusface on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Are you sure about that, DTT? Granted that I can’t work out what if anything he’s going on about half the time, but the one comment I can see here from The Finnigans which appeared to be directed at Pegasus looked pretty low-wattage to me.
by William Bowe on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:14 pm
For mine, Stephen Smith comes out of the ADFA matter with a lot more respect than if he’d taken any other course. Full credit to him.
The same can’t be said for some of the other players.
by Rod Hagen on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:14 pm
Poroti# 2026 – although I agree with the conclusion the argument “if it was economic someone would have done it by now” sounds a little too much like the efficient markets hypothesis and its various companion arguments against any government action at all don’t you think?
A number of previous comments have however pointed to evidence why you are right at least for the present – smart people did try hard including spending millions to work out ways of making a Syd-Canberra-Mel VFT pay and failed.
Might not be the same conclusion in 50 years of course, hence not just political positioning in Albo supporting undertaking studies again.
by Marrickville Mauler on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:14 pm
shows
i wear the same
but only at the beach
or when i wanna look macho
by gusface on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:17 pm
Strewth. We need our borders protected.
Shit, we’re right for rabbits. I doubt we can cope
with a plague of blairs.
Stop the Blairs, I say.
by Scringler on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:19 pm
cud
it sorta is a % rather than a dollar figure
ie its not a static amount
but currently the figure is about 40-50 bill
by gusface on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Marrickville Mauler
Tis true.I had that thought when I wrote it. Is it like the NBN where if we waited for the sainted bizzos market it would never happen.
by poroti on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:20 pm
mm
its not the initial cost so much
but the ongoing maintenance
i read somewhere it is a factor of 10*1 v ordinary rail
by gusface on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:21 pm
William
Finns has carried on about his “special” relationship with Pegasus and that he alone was allowed to call her horsey. She made it clear to all of us that she dislikes the term but Finns seems to think he has some right to use it still. And frankly his tone is a bit sexist and patronising.
However I agree that Finns has not been really rude to Pegasus..I think in a way I am trying to make a more general point that Finns etc (and quite a few of the Gillardista males) are really deeply sexist types who approach Gillard in just the same way that the rednecks approached Pauline Hansen.
Mind you I also would like to see an end to the Gillardista/Rudd debate so apologise for specifically raising it again
by daretotread on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:26 pm
leveson back. i missed blair.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:28 pm
The MSM decided it was bash Labor on Defence week this week, probably in expectation of the Kafer report, which by my reckoning of the press release only concludes that he stuffed up big time, but not big enough for it to be a sackable offence.
Last night the SMH put tentacles out to see if it could gild the lily with a story about “government embarrassment” over a bribery and corruption issue, but when it was pointed out (or they belatedly realised) that it all happened under Howard’s watch, they quietly withdrew the story.
These clowns are so predictable.
by Fulvio Sammut on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:30 pm
Fulv
the thing is social media stands as a sentinel
guarding the truth, so that the many can see
the MSM still havent twigged
by gusface on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:33 pm
Probably is time you knocked that off, Finns.
And on what basis exactly do you make that claim?
by William Bowe on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Thanks cud chewer so if Swan taxed at the same rate of GDP as the Liberals did then we would have a thumping budget surplus
by mexicanbeemer on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Rod
Stephen Smith has had a terrible week, so much so that from being a rooster he is very close to being a feather duster. Might see him sitting on the back benches next to Kevvie soon.
But seriously he has taken a giant hit over the Foreign Affairs Ministry and now he is copping it over the Defence Inquiry.
At a more serious level it seems as if the uniform top dogs are out to get him. They have a good hit rate (FitzGibbon?). I would not be surprised to see him resign from the Front Bench, since there is not an obvious alternative Ministry to give him – not this soon after a reshuffle. Maybe Gillard could swap him with Conroy.
by daretotread on Mar 7, 2012 at 11:34 pm