(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The Australian Labour Party (ALP) is preferred by most people in the country, according to a poll by AC Nielsen published in The Sydney Morning Herald. 48 per cent of respondents would vote for the main opposition party in the next legislative election.

The governing Coalition of Liberals and Nationals is second with 39 per cent, followed by the Australian Greens with eight 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 14-point lead over the Coalition.

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 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 Jun. 18, the Australian government unveiled a $1.68 billion U.S. plan to provide fast and affordable Internet access across the country. Howard declared: "What we have announced today is a plan that will deliver to 99 per cent of the Australian population very fast and affordable broadband in just two years' time."

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