Newspoll: 59-41 to Coalition
Word on Twitter is that Newspoll has the Coalition’s two-party lead out from 56-44 to 59-41, from primary votes of 27% for Labor (down two) and 51% for the Coalition (up three). But for a 26% result in the September 16-18 poll, this would be the lowest primary vote Labor had ever recorded since Newspoll commenced in 1985. The two-party figure ranks as the Gillard government’s equal worst result, along with the poll of September 2-4. Newspoll hasn’t always reported two-party preferred results, but my own calculations tell me there remain unbroken records from the respective honeymoon periods of Rudd (63-37 in February/March 2008) and Howard (60.5-39.5 in April 1996). Julia Gillard is up a point on disapproval to 63% and steady on approval at 28%, while Tony Abbott is down two on approval to 33% and up one on disapproval to 55%. Tony Abbott has widened the preferred prime minister lead he gained in the previous poll, from 41-39 to 41-36. As always, the sample for the poll was around 1150, with a margin of error of 3%.
Categories: Federal Politics 2010-
Thank goodness the government has been able to find some clear air this week to get out their policy message. Like now.
Essentially, all I hope for is that the government of Julia Gillard gets the chance to go full term and put it’s obviously extensive and capable policy plans into action such that, come the election it will be a most obvious choice between a heavyweight political party of substance and gravitas, and a bunch of arrogant, rude,dismissive of laws and conventions, hubristic, antediluvian lightweights.
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:14 am
Smith previewing some budget provisions.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:15 am
Go to a dictionary and look up dysfunctional.
The parliament is functioning. 300+ pieces of legislation passed.
The world’s best economic metrics both now and predicted for the future.
The Budget is about to come back into surplus – the first economy in the world to do this.
World-leading legislation is about to come on line.
The PM has the overwhelming support of her party room.
Prime Ministers and Presidents the world over would kill for such dysfunction.
by Danny Lewis on May 3, 2012 at 9:15 am
Thanks guytaur.
by confessions on May 3, 2012 at 9:15 am
catmomma
Releasing a Defence White Paper is good. Greg Sheridan is like a cat with the cream over these. Will be too busy to have dinners with Abbott.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:16 am
DL
Commonsense is not a trait by some who post on this blog.
by victoria on May 3, 2012 at 9:16 am
MTBW
That’s a force-fed electorate regurgitating negative headlines, not dysfunctional government.
by kezza2 on May 3, 2012 at 9:17 am
Oh yeah!
LOL! Sad but true. Chances of the MSM actually running this story in any big way are minimal. Bishop will stay Shadow FM since competence is not a requirement for a Shadow cabinet position.
However, can you imagine the wailing from our foreign policy pundits and calls for a political beheading if this story had referred to comments from an ALP politician?? It would be huge news about how the PM is weak on foreign policy an endangering our most important regional relationships with her every utterance.
Would love to see Bobb Car run with this in QT next week. He should be given the job of destroying Bishops credibility (ha! I’ve said credibility and Bishop in the same sentence) over her many and varied FAIL’s in her portfolio. To start putting pressure on
to dump his idiot deputy or at least demote her would be a good thread to run with.
by imacca on May 3, 2012 at 9:17 am
Hell! A blast of realism from Defence.
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:17 am
Apparently those who think Julia Gillard is clinging to the PMship for the sake of power think we should dump her and modify the government’s policy…for the sake of power.
Sorry, but if we’ve got power, I’d like to see us using it, rather than sitting on our hands doing nothing because otherwise we might offend someone.
by zoomster on May 3, 2012 at 9:18 am
Delaying acquisition of Strike Fighter.
In my view sensible it will give the Americans time to sort out their problems with said fighters
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:18 am
zoomster
Agreed. No use having high opinion polls and doing absolutely nothing. I am over hearing the same spiel from the same people. It is frankly pathetic
by victoria on May 3, 2012 at 9:19 am
Be careful what you wish for, especially if the Federal Liberal Party is desperate to use your claims to roll a government.
Sa-weeeet
by OzPol Tragic on May 3, 2012 at 9:20 am
BK
The result of a good Minister of Defence.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:20 am
Regarding women leaders it was pretty well accepted in the Land of the Red Necks up until the last month of the election that Bligh was a respected leader. It was considered that Bligh was Labor’s best asset. It was Labor policies and problems with Bligh’s team that put Labor in trouble. It was only the events of the last month that destroyed Bligh’s standing.
The situation in NSW seemed to be similar for KK so I’m not sure it was anti-women leader sentiment that has resulted in Labor electoral problems.
by davidwh on May 3, 2012 at 9:22 am
Jason Clare now pushing the benefits for South Australia.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:23 am
And a good Minister for Defence Materiel (Jason Clare).
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:23 am
Diogenes@4199,
This is a government taking action on behalf of the nation which is not as popular as stuffing the electorates pockets with cash, to be sure. However, they have taken the decision that, contrary to the inclination of Kevin Rudd, government for them will not be a series of gaming the polls for good numbers, nor a perpetual series of inane ‘Announceables’, essentially reducing government to a Beauty Contest.
They have decided to leave that to Tony Abbott and the Coalition, and the more superficial and misguided members of the Labor Party, such as Kristina Kenneally and the mindless acolytes of the Sunrise King, Kevin Rudd, both in the Caucus and here.
Julia Gillard and her government have a serious job to do, and they are getting on with it, not to be distracted by carping from the sidelines.
As John Howard always used to say whenever a poll came out that was less than favourable, “There is only one poll that counts, and that is the one I am focused on.”
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:23 am
Neither both are pushing the same barrow re get rid of Julia
by mari on May 3, 2012 at 9:23 am
Lyndal Curtis gets first question. Asks question on policy announcement. Not distractions.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:25 am
How will Abbott conflate the Toxic Carbon Tax with this Defence announcement?
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:26 am
Will Grattan get smacked down at this presser?
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:27 am
guytaur@4204,
TKB,mate. She’s just Taking Care of Business.
Whilst Abbott runs around the country spruiking Nannies & featherbedding of Maternity Leave for the Too Posh to Push Set.
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:27 am
Cannot hear second question but it was about Submarine design. From answer from Gillard of getting it right is in the National Interest.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:27 am
lol BK @ 4221
by Meguire Bob on May 3, 2012 at 9:28 am
guytaur@4219,
And Lyndall Curtis gets a Prime Ministerial pat on the head for her attempt at substance.
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:28 am
Good Presser
Not one question on HSU, Slipper et al.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:29 am
Julia is right on top of this. Very impressive.
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:29 am
Julia is obviously across the breadth and depth of her Defence Brief. No wonder she was made a Partner at her Law Firm before the age of 30.
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:30 am
Seriously, you have to hand it to the Prime minister.
While all this fairy floss media driven crap swirls around her what does she do?
Runs the country.
by rosemour on May 3, 2012 at 9:30 am
rosemour@4229,
You’re taking the piss, aren’t you?
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:32 am
yeah & keep breeding them magnificent BISONs
by The Finnigans on May 3, 2012 at 9:32 am
I loved the way JGPM colloquially referred to Stephen Smith as “Smithy”. She should express more of this softer, human side to the public.
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:33 am
Gillard opens up to General Questions. Gets a defence question..
Good on ya Laura Tingle.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:34 am
Sorry must still be defence only questions.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:35 am
Smith appears to be confirming that Cocos Island is going to happen wrt American co-operative base there, just ‘long term’, not short. Well, at least he didn’t say that it wasn’t happening.
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:35 am
Comedian Riley tries hard for a “gotcha” but Smith bats him away easily.
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:36 am
Workers locked out of a Melbourne transport company
Owed up to 8 weeks pay.
Who is there to help them?
Yep, the unions.
by kezza2 on May 3, 2012 at 9:36 am
http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/minister-breaks-ranks-20120502-1xzkx.html
A few problems in the ranks of Victorian Government
Zoomster How are you going, is anything helping you, hope not as bad as you mentioned re on a walking stick. You think you might be standing for the seat wish I wasn’t about a thousand plus kms away or would be trying to help you, surely people are waking up to SM by now
by mari on May 3, 2012 at 9:37 am
Question not of Defence. Is about the budget. One of the right wing usual suspects. Not know his name just recognise voice.
Gillard on attack Abbott Black Hole.
by guytaur on May 3, 2012 at 9:38 am
Wow! Matthew Franklin serves up a Dorothy Dixer to Julia to thrash Abbott.
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:38 am
[This is appalling.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/minister-breaks-ranks-20120502-1xzkx.html
Good link BK.
FailYou giving Victoria a small taste of what an Abbott Govrnment would do Federally.
Hope the good people of Victoria learn the lesson.
by smithe on May 3, 2012 at 9:39 am
Interesting what Smith is saying about a capability gap.
Probably code for another squadron of F18 E/F’s. Boeing will be happy.
Also, he seems to be flagging a few less than 100 in total buy.
All in all a good decision on JSF i think.
by imacca on May 3, 2012 at 9:39 am
kezza2@4237,
Amazing, isn’t it, that the Bozos who run these large companies into the ground and the political party that represents them, the Liberal Party, are the ones that the electorate place their economic faith in?
by C@tmomma on May 3, 2012 at 9:39 am
Their ABC leaves presser – it’s on Sky still.
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:40 am
@4228
No.
You mean you haven’t noticed the PMs almost daily policy announcements?
I’ll let you know when I’m ‘taking the piss’
Here’s an example ‘Gee, that Tony Abbott sure impresses me with his breadth of policy nouse’
Spot the difference?
No more silly questions please.
by rosemour on May 3, 2012 at 9:40 am
Hah, have you noticed that Julia Gillard has nothing better to do than hang around after Press conferences for ages and answer questions?
Obviously no where near as busy and important as the Oooposition leader??
by imacca on May 3, 2012 at 9:41 am
Julia is in great form today.
Still no stupid questions on HSU, Slipper, polls, Ruddstoration, etc. Is there a bit of peer pressure in place here at last?
by BK on May 3, 2012 at 9:43 am
C@tmomma
Two other amazing things, C@t.
Baillieu govt has nothing to say about the amount of job losses in Victoria – and the budget cut even more PS (600) while the cuts to TAFE is going to result in many more lost jobs, let alone skills training.
The loonies in the ALP who keep insisting severing ties with Unions. Fkn suicide.
Not that I think for a moment JG would countenance such a move.
by kezza2 on May 3, 2012 at 9:44 am
Bad though it might be, Australia elects its government on preferential voting systems. If some disgruntled voters are “parking” their votes somewhere else or deciding to 2nd perference the party they consider disfunctional [sic], then the only “real” figure is the 2PP.
BTW: English (and Oz) spelling uses the correct Latin prefix dis meaning aside, asunder – there is no Y in Latin.
As prefixes and their meaning were taught well into my career as a teacher – most of us continued to teach them, since they are such handy knowledge for vocabulary building, and one doesn’t write dyscuss, dysagree, dysrespect, dysobedient, dysorganised etc so why use dysfunctional? Some Psych teachers might use it, but UK, Oz, NZ & old UK colonies’ etc editors usually -in some cases always -correct it.
Disfunctional’s Y is unique USA/ N American usage (usually in Psych). We are not part of the USA. Yet.
by OzPol Tragic on May 3, 2012 at 9:44 am