(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The governing Australian Labor Party (ALP) remains ahead of its rivals in the country, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 47 per cent of respondents would support the ALP in the next legislative election.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The governing Australian Labor Party (ALP) remains ahead of its rivals in the country, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 47 per cent of respondents would support the ALP in the next legislative election.
The Coalition of Liberals and Nationals is second with 36 per cent, followed by the Australian Greens with nine 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. In September 2008, Turnbull won a new internal leadership race, edging Nelson by four votes.
On Feb. 25, Rudd criticized the opposition, saying, "At least with Mr. Howard you knew where Mr. Howard stood, I don’t know where the Liberal Party actually stands. We have, as a government, hope, optimism and confidence for the future of the Australian economy, but based on an economic strategy to see us through the crisis. The alternative is clear the Liberal Party and the National Party have a political strategy to take political advantage of the crisis."
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?
|
Feb. 22 |
Feb. 8 |
Jan. 18 |
|
|
Australian Labor Party |
47% |
48% |
43% |
|
Coalition (Liberal / National) |
36% |
36% |
39% |
|
Australian Greens |
9% |
8% |
10% |
|
Others |
8% |
8% |
8% |
Two-Party Preferred Vote
|
Feb. 22 |
Feb. 8 |
Jan. 18 |
|
|
Australian Labor Party |
58% |
58% |
54% |
|
Coalition (Liberal / National) |
42% |
42% |
46% |
Source: Newspoll / The Australian
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,136 Australian voters, conducted from Feb. 20 to Feb. 22, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
