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-
Cash – ‘Show me the monneeeey’?
(head going from side-to-side and ‘Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah’ being able to be substituted for actual words)
by CTar1 on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:45 pm
BK
Acting ?
by poroti on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Mr Abbott has today announced a new type of policy.
‘An absolute signature policy.’
I await the first journalist to twig to the implications. Which policies are not ‘absolute signature policies?’ and ‘Why aren’t they ‘absolute signature policies’?
I am sure that the MSM plodders will get around to it, eventually.
by Boerwar on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:46 pm
lizzie @ 2483
The govt needs to put some real teeth into anti-discrimination legislation. I have made suggestions as to how this might be done.
by bemused on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Jonathon Holmes’ column on the Finklestein review highlights the appalling state of our country’s media.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-08/holmes-finkelstein-and-media-watch/3876360
by confessions on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Would this mean that it it goes down so does he?
by BK on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Just listening to Chris Smith interviewing Bill Shorten… does anyone else think Smith sound a bit precious?
He Doesn’t seem to get it… Shorten kept on saying “Fair Work Australia is independent Chris…”
(This is about FWA’s decision to withhold documents re. Thomson from the Victorian police)
Smith kept on at him. The reply was invariably, “I can’t comment, Chris. They’re independent.”
Smith came up with all kinds of wild ideas to get the documents to the Victorian Police. “It’s an independent body, Chris…”
The only time Shorten varied his response was when Smith asked why they were independent, and Shorten said he’d have to ask Tony Abbott that, as it was Abbott who set it up to be so.
by Bushfire Bill on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Phoney Abbott ‘Signature Policies’ equal the same as ‘valuable’ cricket memorabilia pushed by Tony Greig.
by CTar1 on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Was that Cash for comment?
by This little black duck on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:51 pm
If anything can be considered an Abbott signature policy, it’s surely got to be ‘NO!’
by confessions on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:54 pm
BK
Cash was (I think) comparing the Coal program for parental leave “real money” with the Labor policy “welfare”.
It just sounded weird.
by lizzie on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:56 pm
lizzie
SHE is wierd!
by BK on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:56 pm
wierd = weird
by BK on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Is a “signature policy” the one that’s written down? On paper? And perhaps signed?
by lizzie on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Surely some journo must ask Abbott what he precisely means by “signature policy”.
by BK on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:58 pm
In glowing terms, The Power Index endorses the appointment of Jim Spigelman as chair of the ABC and concludes:
http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/power-move/jim-spigelman-will-be-no-government-lackey-on-abc-board/201203081131
He sounds like an exceptional human being.
His appointment bodes well for democracy.
by Pegasus on Mar 8, 2012 at 1:59 pm
bemused
Yes, I agree it’s all connected with anti-discrimination really. Very hard to prove, it’s so subtle.
by lizzie on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Bushfire Bill. after just listening to chris smith precious, is the last adjective i would use to decribe that person. What did you think about alan jones opinion of Wayne Swan and the caller named stephanie that followed the Bill Shorten Interview?.
by retiredleftie on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:01 pm
testing
by Boerwar on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:08 pm
2515 – Pegasus – Having sat through a number of Jim The Gaoler’s speeches at Law Term Opening dinners, I can assure you he agrees with you whole heartedly.
by Burgey on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Who is Abbott’s Shadow Defence Minister? Does he agree with Abbott’s attitude?
by lizzie on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Articles relating to vested interests, lobbying and the failure of the both Labor and the Coalition to make reforms to improve accountability and transparency…..
1. Greens Senator, Lee Rhiannon: http://newmatilda.com/2012/03/08/canberra-revolving-door
2.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/swan-stuck-on-a-solution-to-activism-20120307-1ukln.html
Another instance when theLabor Parliamentary Party is at odds with the Labor political party.
by Pegasus on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Boerwar
Can’t see what an absolute signature policy is .Maybe he actually said an Absolut Signature Policy. Try an Absolut Signature cocktail here.
http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2012/01/good-wedding-cocktail-ideas-absolut-miami.html
by poroti on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:15 pm
David Johnston.
I’ve previously written to him after the Skype thing first came out stating my disappointment that he seemed to be excusing the abuses and bullying at ADFA. A staffer wrote back clarifying his position.
Pretty weak though.
by confessions on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Thanks Fess.
That must have been the voice I heard this morning demanding that Smith back down, apologise, whatever, whatever…
by lizzie on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:18 pm
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/03/daily-chart-4?fsrc=scn/tw/te/dc/talkingabouttheweather
Just as climate scientists have been predicting….
by zoomster on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:18 pm
According to Malcolm Farr Defence has chosen an issue they think they can win, rather than the one on amphibious craft :
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/opposition-wants-defence-minister-stephen-smith-to-apologise-for-skype-sex-comments-against-adfa-chief-bruce-kafer/story-e6frfkvr-1226293397310#ixzz1oUZ4PmP7
by lizzie on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:23 pm
As predicted by yrs truly before Christmas, Mr Abbott has changed his spin strategy for 2012.
(1) He is announcing a string of very minor but symbolically significant policies. These include, lately, (a) changes to the public broadcasting laws to allow comments of the sort Mr Bolt was found guilty of making under the current laws and (b), moving 1000 women at risk of abuse to the head of the asylum seeker queue. The latter is so important that it has been raised to the status of ‘absolute signature policy’.
(2) His subordinates are doing more of his attack dog activities, in and out of parliament.
(3) Just picked another little signal – for his media op call for Mr Smith to resign, Mr Abbott was flanked by Ms O’Dwyer and one other woman, whom I didn’t recognise. I believe that we can expect more and more of the new, woman-friendly, sensitive, caring and policy-rich Mr Abbott.
I recall members of the MSM slavering over the notion of the ‘real’ Julia. We were daily regaled with thousands of column inches on the topic. Clothes, ear lobes, speech etc etc, were analysed to ridiculous levels of extraneous detail.
Well, we now have the ‘real’ Julia.
She is the one who has triumphed over the MSM in the leadership struggle with Mr Rudd. She was the one who was rated highly on management by people who really care about that sort of stuff. She is the one who received an outstanding endorsement from her colleagues in the ultimate test – a Caucus leadership ballot. She is the one who has managed a humungous reform and legislative program through the medium of an extraordinarily difficult minority government context. She is the one who is leading Australia through extraordinarily difficult global economic times.
That is the real Julia. While most of the MSM has yet to get this balance right, we are at least being spared these days thousands of column inches of journalistic crap about hair and clothes.
Now that Mr Abbott is changing his spots so obviously and so consistently, is it time for the MSM to have a bit of a pack attack on the topic of, ‘Who is the real Mr Abbott?’ and ‘What, really, are the Coalition’s policies?’ and ‘Do the policies add up in any way, shape or form in terms of budget management?’
In all that policy, budgetary and political Coalition mess, will the real Mr Abbott stand up? Will the MSM seek him here, seek him there, seek him everywhere?
by Boerwar on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:23 pm
As opposed to the forgeries of policies and audits the Coalition has been engaging in?
by Son of foro on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:24 pm
Michaelia Cash means that welfare is for poor women who take PPL and ‘real money’ is for those on huge incomes who also take PPL. Poor women will have to be happy with a tiny payment because that’s all they are used to anyway. Rich women will get ‘real money’ courtesy of the taxpayers of Australia who, it seems, will be delighted to provide them with a hundred thousand dollars or so (via a Great Big New Tax) while they loll around at home for 6 months. The money should pay for a whole stack of nannies and cooks and tennis coaches and hairdressers. So thoughtful of Margie and the girls to come up with this idea.
by leone on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:28 pm
An excellent article pointing out just how the brazillionaires are fully “self made” and so why they should give more.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/hey-rich-list-its-payback-time-20120307-1ukeq.html#ixzz1oUZzdZEB
by poroti on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Bugger !!
by poroti on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Ta, poroti. Love informative documentaries.
by Scringler on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Boerwar:
An excellent summary.
by confessions on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:34 pm
c
thank you
by Boerwar on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:37 pm
‘It’s an independent body’ – says Shorten.
What the hell has that got to do with whether FWA cooperates with the police over Thomson??? If they are restricted, (which I think is crap) in what they can tell third parties then clearly the law must change ASAP.
Would any government agency get away with refusing to cooperate with the police over say, a pedophilia investigation?
Why is the government going to such lengths to pervert the course of justice over Thomson?
by Desert Fox on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:38 pm
An obsevation: by someone else!. includes us Federally
Phillip Tullio
It really amazes me, NO dumfounds me, that people have just forgotten that , not only did we survive and prosper, through the worst economic disaster the world has seen in a 2 generations, our state, Queensland , has endured MAJOR flooding and total destruction of communities state wide, for 3 consecutive years, with 2 majors in one year and we are whinging that we can’t get ahead? Sometimes I wish that perhaps we did get run over by the GFC and then maybe the blind morons might see what a great job these governments have done.
by 1934pc on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Desert Fox
Feel free to investigate the law and get back to us.
by CTar1 on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:43 pm
On Steve Smith, I’ve been involved in a few cases of someone being suspended who is eventually exonerated by an independent review.
I can’t recall any time when the person who did the suspending was sacked or apologised. They certainly get beaten up a bit and there is quite a bit of payback though (sometimes monetary) .
by Diogenes on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:46 pm
DF
It means the GOVERNMENT is NOT going to interfere.
Because YOU want them to for your own political purposes!.
by 1934pc on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:46 pm
lizzie @ 2516
I believe the answer lies in transparency and possibly reversal of the burden of proof. Make the employer show that there was no discrimination involved.
It would also be useful to do age profiling of large employers and ask questions if they deviate from industry norms and the profile of the workforce.
by bemused on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:46 pm
I have ABC24 on, muted, during the day, just in case aliens land. I’d never heard of the above woman. It was a NPC broadcast. Who is that? I pondered.
I turned the sound on. It was an unpleasant experience. Quite unnerving. I hit the mute.
Why are Liberal ladies such harridans?
But, in the interest of balance, Ms J. Macklin has a voice that could cut concrete. A degree of modulation might be in order.
by Scringler on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:56 pm
That’s the whole point – it has NOTHING to do with the government.
by jenauthor on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Um …
by Son of foro on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:57 pm
SkyNews have been running hard all day so far with the ‘Smith must apologise’ line, endlessly showing Abbott’s smarmy door stop flanked by his two newest female ornamental MPs designed to portray him as a caring and sensitive New Age fascist, followed closely by a veritable phalanx of old defence fogeys harrumphing and spluttering whilst wrapping themselves in the flag …. where’s the dearly departed Bruce Ruxton when you need him?
Shanahan frothing and gibbering about the Defence Minister being unfit to serve and worthy of getting the sack is not remotely surprising, as he has to produce something today to justify his bloated paycheck, and if no real story exists, just make one up, then cobble together a few fatuous and fallacious sentences and submit this farrago of fiction before the deadline.
It’s only a matter of time today before some media clown starts waffling about ‘KaferGate,’ as the Murdoch Circus revs into high gear to try to create something from nothing for the commencement of Newspoll fieldwork this evening.
by The Big Ship on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Desert Fox FWA is probably restricted by privacy law however I find it hard to believe the police are unable to source the information from other means.
by DavidWH on Mar 8, 2012 at 2:59 pm
DavidWH @ 2545
I am pretty sure if the police wanted anything from FWA then they would make a request get it.
But that is up to the police and FWA, not the government.
by bemused on Mar 8, 2012 at 3:02 pm
The police can probably get a court order for FWA to hand over its documentation. Often statutory bodies won’t cough up without one, as the info provided to them is provided under premise that it won’t be disclosed without an order.
by Diogenes on Mar 8, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Nor the opposition, Nor G Brandis (whatever C he is supposed to be). It is quite ridiculous how the opps continually call for interference with independent bodies,
by jenauthor on Mar 8, 2012 at 3:07 pm
The Big Ship
Doing a Ghadaffi ? http://21stcenturywire.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/gaddafi-female-bodyguard-05.jpg
by poroti on Mar 8, 2012 at 3:10 pm