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-
We notice, Phill, the clown. Even if you and the rest of the media circus prefer not to.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/liberals-can-walk-policy-tightrope-while-labor-circus-is-in-town-20120304-1ub03.html
by joe2 on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:33 am
O dear and when i left here in tear mr bowe said nothing
by my say on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:36 am
victoria, I confess that the meaning of the term ‘wedgie’ had escaped me until this episode.
William
That ought to cause a few feathers to fly up there. People won’t be sure which premier they’ll get if they vote LNP. If it would just tip a little further Labor’s way Newman has huge problems ahead for the rest of the campaign. The press might demand that the alternative LNP premier be more prominent, or Newman might have to admit that he’ll get someone to resign a safe seat after all.
by triton on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:37 am
smithe
In DTT world, I a politician cannot formulate any policy unless they have personally experienced it.
Having a disability
Being a parent of a child with a disability
Suffering a disease
Being a carer
Being a sportsperson
If you a male, cannot understand the female situation and vice versa
Being a tradesperson
Living in the country
Living in the city
Train driver
Pilot
Truck driver
Nurse
Doctor
And on it goes. DTT argument is that unless you experience something, you are unable to understand it and formulate good policy. This has got to be one of the stupiest things I have heard
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:38 am
Listen peoples
If you have the ability to follow an analytical argument – which I doubt, MY comments said man or woman and apply just as much to a male as a women- eg Bob Carr
My Say – why not actually READ what I wrote. It applied solely to politicians so unless your daughter is a politician it is irrelevant.
Zoom was it you on the previous page re the wiggly things etc. Off topic response which shows you missed the point of the comments. If scientist who looked down microscopes were 10% of the population I would agree with you. Till then it is a bit off the topic.
by daretotread on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:39 am
Does the name Michelle Grattan spring to mind with her “recalibrating” comments when TA does a backflip?
by mari on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:39 am
Morning All
My first thought on reading DTT’s comment was how stupid, especially as another of the backbench has just popped out a child, like many before her. Julia Gillard isn’t the government – I’m sure she gets plenty of advice from various angles about how policy effects families.
My second was to recall a conversation at work last week where one of the guys said pretty well the same thing – “Julia doesn’t understand because she isn’t married and doesn’t have kids” – I was shocked, this guy is a mate of mine and his heart is generally in the right place. My guess is that he heard it from his parents or other friends.
So although I personally find it irrelevant, it could be quite a commonly held opinion that most likely needs confronting rather than avoiding.
Bring on the debate I say
Can I just add, I also find the continual “jokes” about Hockey’s weight offensive. Play the ball, not the man would be my call. It’s not as if he doesn’t leave himself open to attack on so many other fronts – e.g. the stupidity about his taxes will be lower under the Liberals line yesterday
by womble on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:39 am
oops stupidest (not even sure if it is a proper word). LOL!!!
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:39 am
the daretotread “analytical argument” = dumb prejudice
by joe2 on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:43 am
You need to look in the mirror at yourself a bit more.
Now show me the posts where you say I am abusive *frequently*.
The words I have quoted are your own.
Your comment are just fantasy about Gillard being rolled. The theme just goes round and round.
Your comments are reposted to remind you of your sanctimoniousness. Your abuse as listed above would have and have gotten others banned over the years.
The *blog rage* comes from you alone. Your are a truly nasty piece of work. Lets not forget the last few days you have been demanding apologies from others for their posts.
Just get off your high horse.
by dave on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:45 am
triton
The Qld situation is very interesting indeed. It would be hilarious if Campbell did not win Ashgrove. Absolutely hilarious!!!
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:45 am
Oh oh. It’s Kelly O’Dwyer on Agenda. Time to cut the lawns.
Catch y’all later.
by BK on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:45 am
Some interesting Sophie snippets:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/for-both-sides-its-no-guts-no-glory/story-fnahw9xv-1226289832112
That’s the Savva article referenced above.
Note:
…which sparked the Alzheimer’s barb from Mirabella.
I haven’t seen his advice to her re her personal life referenced in any other article on the issue.
Wonder what that’s about?
And…Sophie has this piece on ‘The Punch’ today….
http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politically-correct-jeopardise-our-freedom-of-speech/
Which is supposedly about ‘the Orwellian Finkelstein media review’ but really seems to be about this:
by zoomster on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:45 am
Dave
Some more good material for your files in post #699
Some people just keep on giving
by Tom Hawkins on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:46 am
dave
Hear hear!!!
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:46 am
Yes, it should be “most stupid” – “stupid” has two syllables, not one.
by sohar on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:47 am
Yes joe. Our Phil just loves the sideshow.
It’s the fairy-floss and the gaudy lights, I guess.
Still, he’s probably not as happy as he was. The Ref at the ALP ‘bare knuckle leadership fights’ tent kicked him in the nuts early last week and he lost a filling or two biting-down hard on that Carr candy-apple at the end of it.
Still, it’s the lights, the action, the frenetic activity. He loves it. Who wants to the boring policy tent and take part in judging the meat on offer?
Sore balls, broken teeth and fairly floss will do.
by smithe on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:50 am
sohar
I knew it wasnt a proper word, but I wanted to use it anyway.
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:50 am
Dave you have a great library of quotes, good on you as long as you don’t find one on me??? Enjoy reading your comments.
by mari on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:55 am
victoria, Baillieu is on Faine discussing nurses with callers if you can bear it.
by triton on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:55 am
Victoria, Why not.
by sohar on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:58 am
More “revolts” from The Australian:
It doesn’t say who is revolting, or what the aims of the “revolt” are. Are the Victorians going to march on Canberra? The Australians “EXCLUSIVE” story is silent on these matters.
Usually “revolts” run out of Holt St. take a week or so to mature and then fizzle out within another week. Personally I can’t see where there’s a dividend in angry state governments whingeing about having to employ extra cleaners, with an accompanying surge in purchases of Pine-O-Cleen and the inevitable boosts to the mop and plastic bucket industries.
But then I’ve under-estimated Oz “revolts” before.
Perhaps we’ll see columns of angry Sadies marching down Collins St. complaining they no longer have any quality of life as they’re too busy slopping out the acres and acres of new school halls (or should that be “tin sheds”?) that a heartless Gillard government (it’s always the Gillard government) has foisted upon them.
Will there be an outbreak of tummy upsets among kiddies who touch bacteria ridden surfaces? God knows, when The Australian gets its hands on a band wagon.
This is a “glass half empty” revolt. Instead of celebrating the extra room and facilities available, the Australian is attempting to run a dummy spit over having to keep the new school assets clean and tidy (with inevitable photo of exasperated school principal, looking pissed off despite the incredibly beautiful looking library filled with studious youngsters in the background behind her). Why not teach the tots to drive a vacuum cleaner? I’m serious! Let ‘em clean up after themselves! They might learn a vital skill for their adult lives.
It’s not even a national dummy spit, actually, but you have to read the fine print to find that out.
Notice that SA and WA aren’t complaining. It’s not a political thing, because the WA government is about as rabid a Tory lot as you’re likely to see. You’d think, if this was political, they’d be first in line to have a smack against the Hated One’s mob of clowns etc. in Canberra.
No, what the Australian has never told youse (but I can tell youse, because I actually read the report) is that it’s all got to do with whether the particular state governments have public works departments. SA and WA do. Victoria and NSW don’t.
The absence of public works departments is also why Victorian and NSW BER projects were more expensive than those of other states: the two senior state had to hire project managers and construction companies at commercial contract rates. WA and SA had them on tap.
Whatever the reasons for them dispensing with the services and expense of having in-house public works wallahs ready-to-go (and both side of politics shared the policy over 20 years), the sad reality was that when time came to stimulate the economy they had to pay more for the rescue package.
According to Orgill this extra expense accounts for nearly ALL of the extra expense incurred in these states for the BER. States like WA ans SA, states that had workers on tap to take most of the load, sailed through at lower than average costs; in the case of WA, lower costs than even the famously tight Catholics were able to achieve in their schools.
But who reads reports? Who bothered to download Orgill and go through the fine print? Well, I did, and so did the Australian, but we might as well have been reading different reports for all the good it did in keeping the debate on the Stimulus accurate and de-politicised.
The bottom line is that some states had to pay more for the BER because they’d let their public works infrastructure wind down over a couple of decades on a bi-partisan basis, for reasons best known to themselves, probably something as simple as they saved a lot of money in doing so (which of course is never taken into account when totting up the cost of the BER, in the long haul).
Now they have to pay more for cleaners and garbage disposal, and yes, there are parking problems outside some schools as brand spanking new buildings are there educating the moppets, right in the way of where Mummy wants to park the 4WD at 3pm.
More buildings doing good things means more costs to maintain them. There is no revolt. If you open the window you won’t find the people in the cleaning companies complaining, nor will you find their employees having a whinge about the extra work and jobs created.
There is no “revolt” and the was no Benny Cemoli. But that doesn’t stop the Australian from inventing them.
by Bushfire Bill on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:58 am
Victoria
No – of course not – but it sure helps if you DO have diversity in your background. One of the best politicians (Labor) I know had been:
A bank teller, WWII officer, farmer, public servant before becoming a politician. , president of Chamber of Commerce, president of the local swimming club etc, etc. Yes he was very well connected.
Ideally a politician (ANY POLITICIAN< male female or BLTI would experience a range of different settings and environments. Not ALL your list above but more than one of them – especially those things shared by a lot of people -say 10% or more.
Going to university –
Living in the country – yes ideally for some time
Living in the city – good for country polllies to spend some time in the city if they can
Running a small business
Backpacking overseas or slumming it in London – a common Aussie experience
Being a public servant – - More than 10% of the work force or close
Serving coffee – a very common experience for the young especially students
Serving behind a counter in a shop- again common for many even if only in the uni holidays
Playing a common sport
Going surfing/ picnics/bushwalking/golfing
Gardening
Selling toffee apples at the school fete
Fundraising for a club or society
Volunteering
Going to church
Riding a bike
And yes – managing a household full of kids.
These are activities shared by many in the community and it helps connect if you do as many as possible of them, making friends and connections along the way.
by daretotread on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:59 am
Thanks triton
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 8:59 am
Nice dog whistle from Sophie.
Instructed? I see she’s taking the Bolt defence: accuracy and truth equals an attack on free speech. Pathetic.
by Son of foro on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:00 am
If Rudd did make the infamous comment about Gillard, he’s right in theory:
She’s umarried, she’s an atheist, she used to belong to the Victorian Socialist Left.
All that is fact.
by Thornleigh Labor Man on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:01 am
Victoria
There is a very real chance Newman will lose in Ashgrove, – I was part of the poll = Kate is very popular
by daretotread on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:02 am
http://www.theage.com.au/national/call-to-lift-apprentice-pay-20120305-1ue8r.html
more in the article
by Leroy on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:02 am
I am livid over the Vic state govt’s treatment of nurses after what they did for the cops.
by triton on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:02 am
DTT
Why in dog’s name would anyone need to go to church or do anything else you mention in order to formulate effective policy. You really do talk out of your proverbial
Btw you are so concerned about the ME. Have you lived there, and more particularly, are you middle eastern. Otherwise, how else do you pretend to understand anything about it
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:03 am
triton
Remember the cops raise revenue. The nurses are a cost
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:04 am
Son of foro
I would also have thought Sophie’s complaint – against the Press Council’s ruling – is an admission that self regulation of the media is not working and that Finkelstein is correct.
She’s railing against the system as it is now, not with anything F. proposes.
by zoomster on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:06 am
Front pages of today’s papers, as collected by James Massola
http://twitpic.com/8sfvip The Australian
http://twitpic.com/8sfvla The SMH
http://twitpic.com/8sfvo8 West Australian
http://twitpic.com/8sfvrb Hobart Mercury
http://twitpic.com/8sfvtk Courier Mail
http://twitpic.com/8sfvvi Advertiser
http://twitpic.com/8sfvy9 Herald Sun
http://twitpic.com/8sfw0k NT News
http://twitpic.com/8sfw2l The Age
http://twitpic.com/8sfw54 Daily Telegraph
http://twitpic.com/8sg2pv The Canberra Times
by Leroy on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:08 am
The Libs have always had an ideological affinity with police (and doctors to some extent), but are generally contemptuous of nurses and teachers.
by sohar on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:08 am
crikey whitey,
I just read your previous post. Tears are the only response. Hugs.
We will have lunch on the 17th, not-withstanding if anyone else manages to get-together for it.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:09 am
Why does Latika call Robb’s dummy spit over Abbott’s PPL scheme “confusion” and not a “split”?
by Bushfire Bill on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:09 am
It also betrays a quaint ignorance of what MPs and Ministers actually do, and the role and function of the public service. Put simply, one does not need to reflect the ‘mainstream’ in order to be an effective Member of Parliament.
This is 2GB thinking.
by confessions on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:10 am
I am beging to think DTT is the Ruddster.
Queenslander
Hates JG
Abusive posts
Claimed belif in Church and family
Strong views on ME
by Oakeshott Country on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:11 am
Remember how the cops received their pay increase just before they removed the occupy protesters in Melbourne?..coincidence?
Maybe stifling dissent could be added to the revenue raising function. Nice to have them on side when you have plans to pull away at the social contract and hand over the benefits to Liberal mates.
by joe2 on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:13 am
One report I read last night said Robb was “off script”.
The choice of language in relation to the opposition (compared with that used with the govt) is interesting.
by confessions on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:14 am
Sophie equates freedom of speech with the right to lie.
So do the tea party Liberals, generally.
by joe2 on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:17 am
At the very least he will need to spend more time on the ground in Ashgrove, as Howard was forced to do in 2007 in Bennelong.
I noticed the other day that Can-Do framed his policy speech to the assembled LNP as what he was going to achieve “for Ashgrove”… a stark reminder that he is not even in the parliament, and a hint that he believes it’s possible he may never be.
Can you be a Premier without being a member of parliament?
(facetious question).
Newman seems to be becoming a cult figure, but in a bad way. The campaign had to be about him because of his unique position outside of the corridors of parliament. It’s becoming unhealthy, in my opinion. Shows the sensible reasons why being an MP is usually a prerequisite for being Opposition leader.
by Bushfire Bill on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:17 am
The cops got a pay rise immediately after ousting Occupy Melbourne.
The nurses should try the same tactic: get rid of the political headache of hospital waiting lists by forcibly removing the Occupy Bedsters!
by kezza2 on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:18 am
Looks like Abbott is finally about to face some accusations of lying himself
A nice bit of karma if it proceeds.
by Gorgeous Dunny on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:20 am
kezza2
Good one!!
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:23 am
GD
One thing about the CFMEU. They are not scared of a fight
by victoria on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:24 am
The look on Kim Carr’s face said it all – he must have felt very lonely in that pit of Gillard supporters and hangers-on.
by Thornleigh Labor Man on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:25 am
Can anyone tell me more on the Kangaroo …. Blog that is mentioned on media watch?
by dogma on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:26 am
I think Latika is going for accuracy here – based on previous Mr Robb efforts ‘confused’ is a good choice.
by CTar1 on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:26 am
TLM
in which case, he must be pleased he’s not in Cabinet.
by zoomster on Mar 6, 2012 at 9:28 am