June 08, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Australia’s governing party is still the most popular political organization in the country, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 46 per cent of respondents would vote for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the next election to the House of Representatives, down one point since mid-May.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Australia’s governing party is still the most popular political organization in the country, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 46 per cent of respondents would vote for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the next election to the House of Representatives, down one point since mid-May.

The Coalition of Liberals and Nationals is second with 37 per cent, followed by the Australian Greens with 10 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.

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.

On Jun. 5, Rudd talked about the need to overhaul the car manufacturing industry in Australia, saying, "Two decades ago, the industry needed a plan to consolidate, increase its efficiency and lift its international competitiveness. Today it needs a new plan to drive the development of next generation fuel efficient vehicles to help motorists’ budgets and to help the environment."

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?

	Jun. 1	May 18	May 4
Australian Labor Party	46%	47%	47%
Coalition (Liberal / National)	37%	37%	37%
Australian Greens	10%	9%	9%
Others	7%	7%	7%

Two-Party Preferred Vote

	Jun. 1	May 18	May 4
Australian Labor Party	57%	57%	57%
Coalition (Liberal / National)	43%	43%	43%

Source: Newspoll / The Australian
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,140 Australian voters, conducted from May 30 to Jun. 1, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.