(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The governing Coalition of Liberals and Nationals trails Australia’s main opposition party despite gaining some support this month, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 49.5 per cent of respondents would back the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in this year’s election to the House of Representatives, practically unchanged since early September.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The governing Coalition of Liberals and Nationals trails Australia’s main opposition party despite gaining some support this month, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 49.5 per cent of respondents would back the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in this year’s election to the House of Representatives, practically unchanged since early September.
The Coalition is second with 39.5 per cent—up five points in two weeks—followed by the Australian Greens with six per cent, Family First with 1.5 per cent, One Nation with one per cent, and the Australian Democrats with 0.5 per cent. Australia’s preferential voting system—where electors indicate an order of predilection for each contender, and the ballots from smaller parties are re-distributed—gives the ALP a 13-point lead over the Coalition.
In the October 2004 election, Australian prime minister John Howard was rewarded with a fourth term in office, as the Coalition secured 87 seats in the House of Representatives. The ALP—led by Mark Latham—elected 60 lawmakers. In December 2006, foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd became the new leader of the ALP, defeating Kim Beazley in an internal caucus ballot.
On Sept. 25, Rudd blamed Howard for neglecting Australia’s solar energy production, saying the country’s proportion of the world solar energy industry had dropped from about 10 per cent to two per cent, and adding, "One of the reasons for that is that we haven’t had a defined, decent, renewable energy target for the nation. (…) Mr. Howard, on the eve of an election, says ‘I’m suddenly serious about climate change. I’m suddenly serious about a clean energy target.’ I mean, give us a break."
Australia is expected to hold a legislative election in October or November 2007.
Polling Data
What party would you vote for in the next election to the House of Representatives?
|
Sept. 16 |
Sept. 2 |
Aug. 26 |
|
|
Australian Labor Party |
49.5% |
49% |
46% |
|
Coalition (Liberal / National) |
39.5% |
34.5% |
41% |
|
Australian Greens |
6% |
9% |
6.5% |
|
Family First |
1.5% |
2% |
1.5% |
|
One Nation |
1% |
0.5% |
1% |
|
Australian Democrats |
0.5% |
2% |
1% |
Two-Party Preferred Vote
|
Sept. 16 |
Sept. 2 |
Aug. 26 |
|
|
Australian Labor Party |
56.5% |
60.5% |
54% |
|
Coalition (Liberal / National) |
43.5% |
39.5% |
46% |
Source: Roy Morgan International
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 844 Australian voters, conducted on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16, 2007. No margin of error was provided.
