(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Australian Labor Party (ALP) remains the frontrunner as the parliamentary election in the country draws near, according to a Newspoll published in The Australian. 48 per cent of respondents would vote for the ALP in the ballot, up one point since mid-September.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Australian Labor Party (ALP) remains the frontrunner as the parliamentary election in the country draws near, according to a Newspoll published in The Australian. 48 per cent of respondents would vote for the ALP in the ballot, up one point since mid-September.
The Coalition of Liberals and Nationals is second with 39 per cent, followed by the Australian Greens with five 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 12-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 Oct. 1, Australian treasurer Peter Costello criticized the ALP’s record on fiscal affairs, saying, "It is clear that the public does not trust Labor to manage the economy and there is a good reason for that—they haven’t produced a tax policy. (…) I think if we can keep the Australian economy growing strongly that we ought to aim to keep taxes low."
Australia is expected to hold a legislative election in October or November 2007.
Polling Data
If a federal election to the House of Representatives were held today, which one of the following would you vote for? If "Uncommitted", to which one of these do you have a leaning?
|
Sept. 30 |
Sept. 16 |
Sept. 2 |
|
|
Australian Labor Party |
48% |
47% |
51% |
|
Coalition (Liberal / National) |
39% |
41% |
37% |
|
Australian Greens |
5% |
4% |
3% |
|
Others |
8% |
8% |
9% |
Two-Party Preferred Vote
|
Sept. 30 |
Sept. 16 |
Sept. 2 |
|
|
Australian Labor Party |
56% |
55% |
59% |
|
Coalition (Liberal / National) |
44% |
45% |
41% |
Source: Newspoll / The Australian
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,132 Australian voters, conducted from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
