(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Australian Labor Party is holding on to its lead over the Coalition of Liberals and Nationals, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 46 per cent of respondents would vote for the ALP, down half a point since early October.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Australian Labor Party is holding on to its lead over the Coalition of Liberals and Nationals, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 46 per cent of respondents would vote for the ALP, down half a point since early October.
Support for the Coalition parties remains unchanged at 36 per cent. The Australian Greens are third with 9.5 per cent, followed by Family First with 2.5 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 16-point lead over the Coalition.
Australia held a federal election in November 2007. Final results gave the ALP 85 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives. ALP leader Kevin Rudd was officially sworn in as prime minister in December, bringing an end to the 11-year tenure of Liberal leader John Howard as head of Australia’s government.
Howard failed to retain his seat in the Bennelong constituency and stepped down as Liberal leader. Brendan Nelson—a former defence minister—defeated former environment minister Malcolm Turnbull in an internal leadership ballot by just three votes. On Sept. 16, Turnbull won a new internal leadership race, edging Nelson by four votes.
On Oct. 22, Australian treasurer Wayne Swan approved the merger of two rival banks as a way of combating the global financial crisis. Speaking about the merger of the Westpac and St. George’s financial institutions, Swan declared: "This is a decision that is about enhancing the competitiveness and the strength of our banking system. This decision follows a thorough assessment of its impact on the national interest, including factors such as competition, economic efficiency, prudential requirements (and) financial system stability."
On Oct. 23, the government imposed tougher banking rules as a measure against the effects of the worldwide crisis. Under the new changes, people will have to begin paying an "insurance premium" to guarantee local-bank deposits worth more than $1 million Australian dollars.
Polling Data
If a federal election for the House of Representatives were being held today, which party would receive your first preference?
|
|
Oct. 12 |
Oct. 9 |
Sept. 28 |
|
Australian Labor Party |
46% |
46.5% |
46.5% |
|
Coalition (Liberal / National) |
36% |
36% |
36.5% |
|
Australian Greens |
9.5% |
9.5% |
10% |
|
Family First |
2.5% |
3% |
1.5% |
|
Others |
6% |
5% |
5.5% |
Two-Party Preferred Vote
|
Oct. 12 |
Oct. 9 |
Sept. 28 |
|
|
Australian Labor Party |
58% |
56.5% |
58.5% |
|
Coalition (Liberal / National) |
42% |
43.5% |
41.5% |
Source: Roy Morgan International
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,692 Australian voters, conducted on Oct. 4, Oct. 5, Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, 2008. No margin of error was provided.
