(12/14/06) -

Howard Stable, Rudd Does Well in Australia

- Public support for John Howard is stagnant in Australia, according to a Newspoll published in The Australian. 46 per cent of respondents are satisfied with their prime minister’s performance, unchanged since late November.

- Public support for John Howard is stagnant in Australia, according to a Newspoll published in The Australian. 46 per cent of respondents are satisfied with their prime minister’s performance, unchanged since late November.

In the October 2004 election, prime minister John Howard was rewarded with a fourth term in office, as the Coalition secured 87 seats in the House of Representatives. The Australian Labor Party (ALP)—led by Mark Latham—elected 60 lawmakers.

On Dec. 4, foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd became the new leader of the ALP, defeating Kim Beazley in an internal caucus ballot. 41 per cent of respondents are satisfied with Rudd’s performance so far.

On Dec. 11, Howard discussed the country’s immigration procedures, saying, “I think it is eminently reasonable to say to people four years on: ‘You want to become an Australian citizen, we ask you have a working knowledge of English and you answer a couple of questions about the nature of the country that you are embracing.’ We need to emphasize the uniting things, the things that bind us together, the common values we have, whether we are of an Anglo-Celtic background or of a Chinese background or an Italian background.”

Support for Howard as the preferred prime minister is at 39 per cent, a three-point advantage over Rudd.

Polling Data

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way John Howard is doing his job as prime minister?

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Kevin Rudd (*) is doing his job as leader of the opposition?

Who do you think would make the better prime minister? (*)