Essential Research: 56-44 to Coalition
This week’s Essential Research shows no real change in voting intention on last week, with the Coalition up a point on the primary vote to 49 per cent, Labor and the Greens steady on 31 per cent and 11 per cent, and two-party preferred steady at 56-44. The poll also measures Bob Brown’s approval rating at 42 per cent and disapproval at 34 per cent (including very favourable figures among Labor voters of 60 per cent and 15 per cent); has 31 per cent favouring Kevin Rudd as Labor leader over 16 per cent for Julia Gillard (Gillard leads 40 per cent to 33 per cent among Labor voters); and 30 per cent favouring Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal leader with 23 per cent for Tony Abbott (Abbott leads 39 per cent to 26 per cent among Coalition voters). Further questions on the mining boom have 66 per cent believing it has benefited them “not at all”, 51 per cent supporting the mining tax (down one on mid-March) and 29 per cent opposing it (down five).
Federal preselection happenings in New South Wales:
• The NSW Liberal Party state executive has voted to dump Garry Whitaker as its candidate for Craig Thomson’s seat of Dobell. He has been replaced by Karen McNamara, a WorkCover public servant who reportedly has backing from the party’s right, who was defeated by Whitaker in the original preselection vote in December. Whitaker has since been struggling with allegations he had lived for several years without council permission in an “ensuite shed” on his Wyong Creek property while awaiting approval to build a house there.
• More proactivity from the NSW Liberal state executive in neighbouring Robertson, a seat the party was disappointed not to have won in 2010. Local branches have had imposed upon them Lucy Wicks, who herself holds a position on the executive by virtue of her status as president of the party’s Women’s Council. Wicks was identified by the Sydney Morning Herald last year as a member of the “centre right” faction associated with federal Mitchell MP Alex Hawke, which in alliance with the moderates had secured control of the state executive. Like the Dobell intervention, the imposition of Wicks occurred at the insistence of Tony Abbott – local branches in both seats have called emergency meetings to express their displeasure.
• Michelle Hoctor of the Illawarra Mercury reports Ann Sudmalis, the candidate backed by retiring member Joanna Gash, won Liberal preselection on Saturday in Gilmore with 16 votes against 10 for her main rival Andrew Guile. Rounding out the field were Alby Schultz’s son Grant, who scored four votes, and Meroo Meadow marketing consultant Catherine Shields on one. For those wondering about the small number of votes, the NSW Liberals’ preselection procedure involves branches being allocated a number of selection committee delegates in proportion to their membership, rather than a massed rank-and-file ballot.
• Imre Salusinszky of The Australian reports the Nationals are in the “‘initial stages’ of discussions with popular independent state MP Richard Torbay about endorsing him for a tilt at independent federal MP Tony Windsor in New England”. Torbay has been the independent member for Northern Tablelands since 1999, and served as Legislative Assembly Speaker during Labor’s last term in office.
Categories: Federal Politics 2010-
‘sHonour is being very quiet. Must be doing internal head shakes.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:18 pm
So how many “nanna naps” have been allocated for popz tomorrow night?
by Last name red wombat on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Puff,
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:19 pm
I doubt that 24 will be not covering this tomorrow night – news will be fitted into LJ’s need for health breaks.
by CTar1 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:20 pm
In short “I monstered the prick”
by Last name red wombat on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:20 pm
red,
Roo will be accorded the courtesy appropriate.
I understand plastic bags are not in short supply in London.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:21 pm
The nasty shakedown….
by joe2 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:21 pm
ABC24 ratings should rocket. However, …
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:22 pm
James thinks again. “Recall” is aspirational.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:23 pm
The bus is reversing over Bek.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:23 pm
So is “Kung Fu Wendy” bodyguarding popz tomorrow night?
by Last name red wombat on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Just dobbed in dad.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Last name red wombat
The Inquiry is being gentle – Murdochs not used to this.
Ms Brooks now the subject – not comfortable at all!
by CTar1 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:24 pm
“Bridgestone Brooks”
by Last name red wombat on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:25 pm
red,
popz will be under oath and alone.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Pity the AWB Inquiry didn’t follow the template people are describing here.
A great pity.
by smithe on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Bring on the pie man…
by joe2 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Came in late to this Leveson business, so I doubt this will be popular here. I have been watching for about 30 minutes and JM looks to be holding his own to me, as much as I want the opposite to be the case. Then again, I haven’t seen the entire thing in context. But it doesn’t look like he has been caught out on anything major. Yet.
by Roy Orbison on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Got him. Admitting politics influence.
by guytaur on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:26 pm
If this tchosser can’t remember anything, never did anything or discussed anything specifically, wasn’t told anything, was constantly surprised by everything, and never know anything, what was he being paid for?
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:27 pm
I bet Dave is enthused about this (and George just got pissed on in passing).
by CTar1 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:27 pm
the thing I like most about this letter from George Brandis SC to Nicola Roxon is his signature
http://www.scribd.com/doc/90941684/24-April-2012-Letter-to-AG
i can just imagine Roxon’s response
by sprocket_ on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:27 pm
James Murdoch has, what the professionals call, “selective memory” #Leveson
by The Finnigans on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:28 pm
(his little black duck Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 9:22 pm | Permalink
ABC24 ratings should rocket. However, …)
Hope the people that need to be educated in the country are watching
Now thats the important question.
For example we could ask rummell and mod lib if they watch it
by my say on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Because he’s Daddy’s boy?
by smithe on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Hasn’t worked out well for Solly Lew’s kid.
by smithe on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:28 pm
sp, i can too – “Fuck-off George”
by The Finnigans on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:29 pm
smithe – won’t your tablet thing do it? (fingers X for you)
by CTar1 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:29 pm
joe2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfu0gyfHXQk
by poroti on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:29 pm
And why does this joker keep referring to Newscore? Is this a class thing?
by Roy Orbison on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Roy,
“holding his own”?
No he blusters.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Why can’t we leave this stuff till orange time?
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:30 pm
http://www.scribd.com/doc/90941684/24-April-2012-Letter-to-AG
Yep. Now there’s a man with tickets on himself.
by smithe on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Just realised it was on ABC9to5 when someone posted something about its ratings going up….I thought you were all watching it on Foxtel!
So what was the bombshell evidence that he gave?
by Mod Lib on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Big O
he would bring the house down if he referred to it as #newscorpse
by sprocket_ on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:31 pm
I beg to disagree with Mr Matthews. James was not being smart at all.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:31 pm
roy,
Coz ‘corps’ is pronounced ‘corr’.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:32 pm
tlbd
I switched to http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/hearings/ for the abc break.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:33 pm
As in esprit de corps or, in News’s case, cor blimey.
by smithe on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Looks like the ABC will be getting in “experts” with Murdoch-coloured glasses.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Puff,
Ta. Am there. BBC-Leveson and Leveson both book-marked.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:34 pm
ModLib – He’s either said or left open so much stuff.
Try the transcript – not even able to start.
by CTar1 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Yeah, James is holding his own…sphincter clenched tightly.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:35 pm
CTar1
Solly! Don’t know how to do the tongue in cheek smilie.
poroti
Thanks for that info
Now I know who to hurl the rolled up socks at!
by kezza2 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Mr Matthews thinks “I don’t recall” is a master stroke.
This is not the AWB non-inquiry, sunshine.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:36 pm
kezza,
Click the “Show Help” below the comment box.
by This little black duck on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Victoria
I tweeted Slipper in reply to:
imo, Slipper is saying I was there for you in your time of need when there was no-one else. Me thinks, Rabbott may have confided in Slipper or possibly more.
Problem for Slipper being an ordained minister is he will probably hold it in confidence.
Though, Rabbott can’t bank on it.
He is toying with Rabbott.
by Dee on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:37 pm
neat poroti..
by joe2 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Beware when LJ chips in helpfully – he is the one with the prosecutor experience (Settling a point for later use).
by CTar1 on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:40 pm
ABC can get all the tame talking heads it likes. However it cannot change what the UK press and the US takes out of this.
by guytaur on Apr 24, 2012 at 9:42 pm