August 29, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Australia's main opposition party has gained public support this month, according to a poll by Galaxy released by News Ltd. 47 per cent of respondents would back the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the next election to the House of Representatives, up three points since late July.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Australia's main opposition party has gained public support this month, according to a poll by Galaxy released by News Ltd. 47 per cent of respondents would back the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the next election to the House of Representatives, up three points since late July.

The governing Coalition of Liberals and Nationals is second with 39 per cent—down two points in a month—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 14-point lead over the Coalition.

In the October 2004 election, Australian 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 Aug. 27, Howard announced that aspiring new citizens will have to take a "values" test in order to be admitted as such. Immigrants who have lived in Australia as legal residents for four years and want to become citizens will have to get at least a 60 per cent score in a 20-question exam, taken randomly from a pool of 200 questions. The evaluation includes topics such as "Australian values", history, sports and political institutions, and will also test an applicant's English skills. The prime minister defended the rationale, arguing that Australia has been built on "Judeo-Christian ethics."

Immigration minister Kevin Andrews discussed the strategy in a statement, which read: "Before becoming a citizen it is reasonable to expect that a person will understand the core values that have helped to create a society that is stable yet dynamic, cohesive yet diverse."

The next legislative election is tentatively scheduled for late 2007.

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in the next election to the House of Representatives?

	Aug. 26	Jul. 29	Jul. 1
Australian Labor Party	47%	44%	46%
Coalition (Liberal / National)	39%	41%	41%
Australian Greens	9%	10%	9%
Other parties	5%	5%	4%

Two-Party Preferred Vote

	Aug. 26	Jul. 29	Jul. 1
Australian Labor Party	57%	54%	55%
Coalition (Liberal / National)	43%	46%	45%

Source: Galaxy / News Ltd.
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,004 Australian voters, conducted on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26, 2007. No margin of error was provided.