(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Satisfaction with Australia’s prime minister increased significantly last month, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 65 per cent of respondents are content with the way Australian Labor Party (ALP) leader Kevin Rudd has handled his duties, up nine points since mid October.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Satisfaction with Australia’s prime minister increased significantly last month, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 65 per cent of respondents are content with the way Australian Labor Party (ALP) leader Kevin Rudd has handled his duties, up nine points since mid October.
Australia held a federal election in November 2007. Final results gave the ALP 85 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives. ALP leader 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. The Liberals have an alliance with the National party.
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 right after the ballot. On Sept. 16, Turnbull won a new internal leadership race, edging Nelson by four votes. 51 per cent of respondents are satisfied with Turnbull’s performance as leader of the opposition.
In the preferred prime minister category, Rudd holds a 34-point advantage over Turnbull.
On Oct. 16, Rudd announced that Australia’s economy will continue to grow—by 2.75 per cent in the May budget and 3.0 per cent in subsequent years—despite fears of a global economic recession. The prime minister added: "For the economy, our growth forecast is still with a plus 2 in front of it."
Rudd also said his government will stay true to plans to curb the nation’s greenhouse emissions, adding, "The economic cost of inaction and delay is greater than the economic cost of action."
Polling Data
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Kevin Rudd is doing his job as prime minister?
|
Oct. 26 |
Oct. 12 |
Sept. 21 |
|
|
Satisfied |
65% |
56% |
50% |
|
Dissatisfied |
26% |
32% |
37% |
|
Uncommitted |
9% |
12% |
13% |
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Malcolm Turnbull is doing his job as leader of the opposition?
|
Oct. 26 |
Oct. 12 |
Sept. 21 |
|
|
Satisfied |
51% |
50% |
35% |
|
Dissatisfied |
27% |
25% |
42% |
|
Uncommitted |
22% |
25% |
23% |
Who do you think would make the better prime minister? (*)
|
Oct. 26 |
Oct. 12 |
Sept. 21 |
|
|
Kevin Rudd (ALP) |
59% |
54% |
54% |
|
Malcolm Turnbull (Lib.) |
25% |
36% |
24% |
|
Uncommitted |
16% |
20% |
22% |
Source: Newspoll / The Australian
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,144 Australian voters, conducted from Oct. 24 to Oct. 26, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
