Essential Research: 58-42 to Coalition
This week’s Essential Research poll gives Labor its worst result since the company opened for business in 2008: a primary vote of 29%, down two points on last week, and a two-party preferred deficit of 58-42. The former is particularly alarming for Labor, as Essential typically has Labor’s primary vote a few points higher than the phone pollsters. The Coalition and the Greens are steady on 50% and 11%.
With respect to the economy, 66% allowed that it had performed better than other countries’ over the past few years (although this was down from 70% in August last year), with 15% believing it to be worse (up from 10%). In the event of another global financial crisis, 42% would better trust the Liberal Party to deal with it than Labor, on 25%. Forty-six per cent anticipate the economy will get worse over the next 12 months against 23% who think it will get better (the figures when the question was asked a year ago were 37% worse and 27% better).
Sixty-two per cent believe a politician accused of an offence should stand down from their positions, against 27% who believe they should be allowed to continue. Questions on banking suggest the public to be well to the left of the elites on these matters: 55% would support the establishment of a government-owned bank, 74% forcing banks to charge rates in line with the Reserve Bank, 81% capping chief executive’s salaries, 92% limiting bank fees to the costs of the service and 59% a super profits tax on banks (the numbers opposed were respectively 23%, 16%, 12%, 5% and 21%). Fifty-nine per cent would support a levy on large transactions of currencies, bonds and shares, with 16% opposed.
Categories: Federal Politics 2010-
guytaur
might be wrong ,but think only transport could do that ,murdoch has been devious that way for years,and think transport is sown up with murdoch rich transport barons.
by Schnappi on May 7, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Confessions: the fact that he supported someone who’s taking Labor to a record electoral wipeout is unfortunate.
by Thornleigh Labor Man on May 7, 2012 at 11:53 pm
Sleeptime for me.
Looking forward to QT tomorrow.
by guytaur on May 7, 2012 at 11:53 pm
Schnappi,
Judgiing purely by your moniker, are you of Balkan origin?
Second guess is Italian.
by This little black duck on May 7, 2012 at 11:53 pm
Mick 77. that is a battle for them. i’m not sure the downward trend is ever going to reversed. there has been such a shift to subbing etc. serfchoices II would help them.
by middle man on May 7, 2012 at 11:53 pm
duckie
I will swap you the a princess who is trying to claim her inheritence, in an overseas bank, left to her by her relatives who all went down in a plane crash. Poor little dear could use a friend.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on May 7, 2012 at 11:54 pm
Sorry, one final, final thought before it disappears never to return.
People are going on now about what a louche lot the HSU Office Holders were back in the day. However, a little context if I may. As I remember it all this was occurring at the height of the relatively new Workchoices legislation rolling out from parliament and washing through the nation.
If I have remembered the atmospherics correctly, all those lowly-paid members of Unions such as the HSU were more than willing to contribute their hard-earned to officials to fight the good fight against WorkChoices on their behalf because it was wiping them and the dignity of work for them off the edge of the earth and into a kind of oblivion and living hell. I can still vividly remember stories in the media about the rise of Labour Hire firms in Hospitals and other places which instituted soul-destroying expectations upon these lowly-paid people.
So, anyone who would and could represent them against the rapacious bastards who ran the companies who employed them, and also Howard’s mates who ran hospitals for profit, was seen as being worth every cent they were paid in their salary packages. So very many of them worked tirelessly at that time for the cause of overthrowing WorkChoices.
It was also said that Craig Thomson was a successful advocate for them against the bosses. Hence his choice for a seat in parliament, standing for the Labor Party.
It’s all so very different now though, and since WorkChoices has gone(and only temporarily if Abetz gets his way); the corruption has flourished and the rot has set in.
Which is why I think Craig Thomson does believe that he essentially did nothing wrong back then when he was with the HSU. Though it doesn’t look so great now, looking back.
by C@tmomma on May 7, 2012 at 11:55 pm
If ‘cleaned up Keating’s mess’ is a kind of cute euphemism for spiraling the budget into structural deficit, then your point is moot.
by confessions on May 7, 2012 at 11:55 pm
mm
Did unions in fact get a boost in members in final Howard term under workchoices?
by Mick77 on May 7, 2012 at 11:56 pm
duckie
She mentioned more than a few mill. Pehaps Tony Abbott is the man to help her out. He is good with finance.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on May 7, 2012 at 11:56 pm
Puff,
Swap with whom?
We could decide this off-line if you wish. Is your in box full?
by This little black duck on May 7, 2012 at 11:57 pm
cant recall exactly…
anyway. its late. off to bed.
by middle man on May 7, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Mod Lib wrote:
You lie. The next sentence, quoting Megalogenis reads: The Howard government had the black hole closed in just two years
Readers can check if for themselves.
Sentence 1: The Hawke government inherited a whopping deficit yet was in surplus after four years.
Sentence 2: The Howard government had the black hole closed in just two years.
The link: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/carrying-howards-legacy-into-a-downturn/story-e6frg6nf-1111118172393
by Cuppa on May 7, 2012 at 11:57 pm
C@tmomma @ 922
Dead right. From many discussions in recent years it is my belief that a considerable proportion of the senior public service are now tories. With the greatly enhanced pay for very senior officers and the extreme politicisation instituted by the rodent many in the top echelons have been ideologically screened and furthermore see themselves as well above the mass of the service and the general public.
by CO on May 7, 2012 at 11:59 pm
Is she? You sound so confident.
by confessions on May 7, 2012 at 11:59 pm
Catmomma @ 1056
Not sure about the accuracy of the timeline in your description on the Thomson issue but what happened in HSU is so far removed from what unions stand for and from their grass roots image, there is no moral or ethical excuse for the (alleged) goings on.
by Mick77 on May 8, 2012 at 12:00 am
Mother of cat,
Don’t believe what your head says that your are a forget-wit.
Check ya!
by This little black duck on May 8, 2012 at 12:00 am
Yes, exactly the two sentences in my post. Your post seemed to have cut out the second sentence about Howard closing the Keating Black Hole in half the time (just 2 years). In other words a better performance than the Keating performance you were touting!
by Mod Lib on May 8, 2012 at 12:02 am
Budgets I recall
___________
In a lifetime of hearing Budgets presented and talked about there are several things that stick in my mind
Despite all the Hype I can’t remember one that really altered for good or bad the public view of a given Govt
After the hype they fade away…voters take or lose something and the forget about it all very soon. They have little sense of gratitude.the buggers!
No big deal really
I don’t believe it will much alter or improve the Govt standing at all
Effects are a different thing…In 1951 Fadden introduced Menzies first “Horror” budget
It set off the first post-war recession ..within a year the Libs lost power in Victoria and Labor Govts were returned with enlarged majorities in QLand and NSW
Again in 1961 another Menzies Budget almost led to his defeat in the Fed. Elections
I can’t recall a Budget being “posiitive ” for a Govt despire all their hopes,,so don’t expect to see those dire polls improve anytime time soon from my memories of such
Yes I am as old as that !!
by deblonay on May 8, 2012 at 12:03 am
You’re incapable of telling the truth. Must go with being a Liberal.
by Cuppa on May 8, 2012 at 12:04 am
TLBD
Nah Mate,just liked that little crocadile song when it came out,scnappie scnappie scnappie on youtube,so adopted it.
As to ancestry,one grandfather came from USA of french descent,the rest british,irish, think flemish(Belgium)
by Schnappi on May 8, 2012 at 12:05 am
Duckie
Yeah, full of Nigerian spam.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on May 8, 2012 at 12:09 am
Like Abbott, evan/Thornleigh walks away from difficult questions.
by confessions on May 8, 2012 at 12:11 am
I find the statistics for opinions on the economy rather interesting.
You can select whatever date and year you want using this website to view economic growth in Australia http://www.tradingeconomics.com/australia/gdp-growth
In my opinion, I’d say the economy has been relatively stable over the last few years. According to the data, there technically wasn’t a “recession” in Australia in 2009, because there wasn’t 2 quarters of negative economic growth. Although, I cringed a bit when I saw the economic growth in year 2011. I think it helps to remind these people that reserve bank is independent and that the government intervenes if necessary.
by Apple Blossom on May 8, 2012 at 12:12 am
Is this good or bad for PM?
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/get-off-gillards-back-urges-westpac-chief-20120507-1y96k.html
by Schnappi on May 8, 2012 at 12:13 am
#1073, I cringed at the first quarter or so before it picked up again.
by Apple Blossom on May 8, 2012 at 12:14 am
mod lib @ 1045
You left out the fact that if government revenue under Howard was the same as the current level he would not have delivered a single surplus NOT ONE!!!!.
Furthermore the GST delivered no additional revenue to NSW for many years and now all states are suffering due to the structural shift in spending which adversely impacts on GST growth.
by CO on May 8, 2012 at 12:15 am
co
A politicised senior class of the public service is a danger to this country. It should be neither Tory nor Left. It figures. Tories are like fungus, spread everywhere they can and blight all they touch.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on May 8, 2012 at 12:16 am
How’s this for a rude response from Tony Abbott auto response email?
“Mr Abbott receives a very large volume of emails per day and unlike the Government, we do not have additional resources or departmental officials to assist with correspondence. In our case, all emails are handled personally by this office.”
by zoidlord on May 8, 2012 at 12:18 am
Hi Apple,
Nice to see you back. That is an interesting site.
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on May 8, 2012 at 12:18 am
CO
The reason howard and costello had budget suplusses,was due to six levies and the sale of telstra,and the biggest bungle of all,the sale of gold reserves at a pisspoor price.
by Schnappi on May 8, 2012 at 12:19 am
zoidlord
seems they admitted abbott does not know what is going on,only what he is told.
by Schnappi on May 8, 2012 at 12:20 am
And if my aunt was a man she would be my uncle.
The fact is he cleaned up Keating’s mess and delivered surplusses from that point forward for the most part.
On the other hand, the ALP last delivered a surplus more than 2 decades ago and it is highly debatable whether they will deliver one next year if Ghostwhovotes is right and the projection is just a tiny $1.5 billion surplus.
Given this year has been a $30 billion deficit bigger than projection I suspect a $1.5 billion projected surplus aint gonna engender confidence!
by Mod Lib on May 8, 2012 at 12:20 am
LABOR’S ONLY CHANCE IS TO MAKE AMANDA SHALALALLALALALAL LEADER FORTHWITH!
by ShowsOn on May 8, 2012 at 12:21 am
Hi Puffy,
I have been busy over the last few months with uni. Trying to keep up with economics study can be tiring, so I need a break.
by Apple Blossom on May 8, 2012 at 12:21 am
Z @ 1078
Wow his people skills are amazing. Write back telling him what you think of his automated insult. btw why were you writing to him?
by Mick77 on May 8, 2012 at 12:22 am
Well, its an endorsement of her method.
by rishane on May 8, 2012 at 12:24 am
Mod Lib and others
When you talk about budgets, surplus or deficit, are you talking about the announced “budget” or the actual outcome which is never the same and may have a different sign in front.
by Mick77 on May 8, 2012 at 12:25 am
Even fairfax wants to take away thompsons vote,parliament by the media only,to hell with the constituents vote.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/thomson-lied-misused-credit-card-20120507-1y964.html
by Schnappi on May 8, 2012 at 12:25 am
WTF are you going on about now? If the Coalition made NO cuts in the 1996 budget, the budget would’ve returned to surplus just 18 months later.
Most of the debt was simply caused by the automatic stabilsers, lower tax receipts and higher transfer payments, caused by the recession. There as also some stimulus payments on top of that which were temporary measures.
This is just rhetorical bullshit. Labor wasn’t in government for nearly 12 of those years, so how could it deliver a surplus in those years?
Nice debating trick, but we see through your bullshit.
Of course the deficit was bigger in this financial year, because the world economy basically stalled in the second half of last year.
But we wouldn’t expect you to let any facts get in the way of your bullshit.
Of course we know what the Coalition will do, they’ll propose balancing the budget by cutting taxes for people that don’t need their taxes cut. That is their solution to every problem.
by ShowsOn on May 8, 2012 at 12:25 am
Have they announced the budget already? I’m supposed to be watching that next week.
by Apple Blossom on May 8, 2012 at 12:26 am
Schnappi @ 1088
Technically you’re right but ethically Thomson really should suspend himself from the Parliament, and in any other political equation, that would happen.
by Mick77 on May 8, 2012 at 12:27 am
@Schnappi/1081
Well I was complaining about my $600 dollar bill for faults on telstra Network so they must be using Telstra as well!….
@Mick77/1085
Will be making a official complaint.
by zoidlord on May 8, 2012 at 12:27 am
It is interesting to compare the deficits during the final terms (three years) in office of the Fraser/Howard and Hawke/Keating governments.
Under the Liberals you see the deficit growing year after year. Under Labor you see it being whittled away year after year.
Christian Kerr, Crikey.com.au, 27 June 2007:
http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20070627-Why-John-Howard-never-made-the-cover-of-Euromoney.html
by Cuppa on May 8, 2012 at 12:29 am
I think I’m on the wrong page, I must be thinking of the monthly reserve bank’s release on interest rates. In that case, that was a about a week ago then.
by Apple Blossom on May 8, 2012 at 12:29 am
Bonita! It’s tomorrow night! Swan will deliver the budget speech at 7:30 PM EST. It will be live on ABC News 24.
by ShowsOn on May 8, 2012 at 12:30 am
mod lib
And what mess would that be apart from his ‘Finance Minister of the Year ‘ award?
by CO on May 8, 2012 at 12:30 am
Ah! So I wasn’t on the wrong page, okay then!
by Apple Blossom on May 8, 2012 at 12:30 am
Schnappi,
Ahh, yes, the Liberal levies…
Liberal Levies
1996- Gun Levy
1997- Gun Levy
1998- No Levies
1999- Stevedoring Levy
2000- Stevedoring Levy-Milk Levy
2001- Stevedoring Levy-Milk Levy-Ansett Levy
2002- Stevedoring Levy-Milk Levy-Ansett Levy
2003- Stevedoring Levy-Milk Levy-Ansett Levy-Sugar Levy
2004 -Stevedoring Levy-Milk Levy-Sugar Levy
2005- Stevedoring Levy-Milk Levy-Sugar Levy
2006- Stevedoring Levy-Milk Levy-Sugar Levy
2007- Milk Levy
by Cuppa on May 8, 2012 at 12:31 am
I’m pretty sure there was a recession in 1982, whereas the final years of the Keating government had the deficit going down because the economy was starting to grow. In fact by the first quarter of 1996, I believe growth was 3% over the previous 12 months.
by ShowsOn on May 8, 2012 at 12:32 am