Labor Surges Ahead as Coalition Backflips on Health Education Election Promises
The Australian Labor Party has surged ahead and opened up its largest two-party preferred lead over the Coalition in the latest Newspoll.
As widely published in News Limited earlier today, hahaha, not no really – the latest Newspoll finds Labor with 54 per cent of voter support on a two-party preferred basis, compared with the Coalition’s 46 per cent, a three-point improvement for Labor since the last Newspoll two weeks ago.
This is the Abbott government’s worst poll result since it came to power.
However, the finding, which represents a 7.5 per cent swing to Labor since the September 7 election when the Coalition won with 53.5 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, is at odds with two other recent polls.
Last week, an Australian Financial Review/Nielsen poll showed the government at 52 per cent to Labor’s 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, while a Roy Morgan poll released on Monday had Labor at 50.5 per cent to the Coalition’s 49.5 per cent.
Tuesday’s Newspoll was completed after the government came under fire over its asylum-seeker policy, which has seen one person killed and 77 injured at an Australian immigration detention centre on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island.
It also comes after the government flagged a range of tough options to rein in spending, including a possible $6 Medicare co-payment, cuts to welfare and education, and the prospect of a higher retirement age.
The satisfaction ratings of both leaders have hit post-election lows, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s dissatisfaction rating up seven points to 52 per cent, while dissatisfaction with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten increased by four points to 39 per cent.
The polling paints a mixed picture of the potential outcome of a new Western Australian Senate vote, which is due to be rerun following the loss of critical voting ballots during counting for last year’s federal election.
theguttertrash.com 
These numbers will look very appealing to the government after the mother of all budgets is unleashed in May!
Indeed splatter.
Speaking of health, it’s easy [courtesy of choice] to see why the new [and very simple star ratings] healthy eating website got pulled
…A spokeswoman for Mondelez International said the system would mislead consumers and make labels more confusing…
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/choice-lifts-veil-on-snack-food-star-ratings-20140224-33d4r.html#ixzz2uItioTiU
yeah, right mondelez,, I bet you’ll be wanting to increase the confusion, and add complication, seeing your products are easily seen by the concerned consumer to be the less healthy ones. Lobbyists with clear conflicts of interest in charge of public policy, might as well cut out the middle man [the politician] and put them up for election, oh wait…clive palmer 😉
They should just scrap Labor and the Coalition and replace them with a multinational duopoly like Coles and Woolies.
Great!
This should cement Shorten in as leader. There is no doubt that Abbott would be quite nervous about Albanese.
Shorten uses words and sentences in much the same way as Simon Crean- lengthy and circuitous, but Crean had some basic decency about him, which Shorten is lacking.
Who is really running the country?
‘TONY Abbott has warned his colleagues to prepare for a voter backlash from tough spending cuts in the May budget amid a clear warning yesterday that the age pension is a priority target for change.
‘The government singled out the rapid rise in pension costs as a cause for alarm hours after the Prime Minister admitted to Coalition MPs that voters were anxious about the looming cuts.’
Crowe / Oz
“The large and increasing number of people on unemployment benefits is a concern and it is one of the reasons why the government is reviewing our welfare system.
“This review is not about kicking people off welfare.
“It is about ensuring Australia has a sustainable welfare system into the future and that we do not fall into the same welfare trap many European nations have.”
Kevin Andrews
Stephen Conroy-
• Factional warlord
• Opposed allowing the membership a limited say in party leadership, ridiculed the idea of such democracy
• In charge of the failed NBN program
• Helped knife Rudd
• Continues to demonstrate his statesman like behaviour with his recent outburst.
Conroy needs to F**K OFF
The military commander in charge of the Government’s asylum seeker boats mission has been accused of a “political cover-up” by Labor’s defence spokesman.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-25/conroy-accuses-campbell-of-border-protection-cover-up/5283442
“‘The government singled out the rapid rise in pension costs as a cause for alarm ……..”
Read severe tightening of Assets Test and the various limits where all “Non-Cash” benefits are provided (i.e. discounted fares,discounted health care, rates & taxes etc)
I’m no expert on the Pension but I think from memory all benefits currently cut out at around $1.2M which is ridiculously low IMHO. Then again some would say thats about right since I’m not risk aversive.
Conroy represents the Ugly Face of the Rudd/Gillard era.
I’m quite happy for him to stick around
BBC News – Former Australian PM Julia Gillard on sexism in politics http://bbc.in/1fpxBNP
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/under-tony-abbott-political-principlesreach-an-alltime-low-20140225-33ffk.html
‘…from memory all benefits currently cut out at around $1.2M which is ridiculously low IMHO.’
If that includes a home in Sydney then we can expect a flood of old Australians going bush, a modern day version of economic refugees on a big island.
Egg, I understand it excludes the Home
They are not receiving a pension just the ancillaries to it
“Conroy represents the Ugly Face of the Rudd/Gillard era.”
He has very stiff competition. Conroy is the typical factional warlord who climbed out of the union sewer onto the dungheap that is caucus. He is right at home there – most Labor senators are union scum. That is what you would expect since the ALP is a controlled entity of the unions. What he so obviously lacks in intelligence, wit and grace he makes up for in factional bovver boy skills that have given him a station well above his ideas.
From my own point of view and being relatively OK with a bit of risk you can earn 7% on bank shares/dividends which could give you $84K p.a. or around $1,615 per week tax free.
That is not “struggle street”
“the ALP is a controlled entity of the unions
That’s an interesting expression SB.
Several years ago I suggested that unions controlled the ALP, and consequently was relentlessly attacked for several days.
Apparently, there was no evidence for this type of comment.
These days everyone agrees that unions dominate the party, providing the parachute for hacks when one of them needs to be moved on. Even those that used to go on a relentless attack about this now discuss whether union affiliation remains in the interests of the party, and the unions.
But unions will never give up control, they don’t care about government or policy, they just want the political sinecure.
Thanx Walrus on home exclusion info.
Check with Centrelink for exact figures Egg as not many of my clients even know where an office is
“Apparently, there was no evidence for this type of comment.”
The term “controlled entity” is used in accounting and corporations law. Perhaps Walrus knows the technicalities.
As I understand it where an entity and its associates can exercise a majority of votes or otherwise have the power to control and entity, it is a controlled entity. Thus there is a respectable argument that the ALP is a controlled entity of the unions.
That’s right Splatter.
An entity or a group of like minded interests can also exercise effective control with less than 50% of the shares at an AGM (for example) because some shareholders either don’t show up or don’t vote by proxy.
i.e. If you own 25% and only 45% show(or vote by proxy) at the AGM then your vote will carry the day
Yes, in any other organisation 50% would be regarded as a controlling interest.
It isn’t benevolent control either, it is hard edged, personal self interest.
Those that use to argue to the contrary have self banned themselves.
””””””””””’The satisfaction ratings of both leaders have hit post-election lows, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s dissatisfaction rating up seven points to 52 per cent,”””””””””
okay, with `only` 2.89 years to next vote, but then,
.
”””””””””’while dissatisfaction with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten increased by four points to 39 per cent.”””””””””
how could that happen, shortman hasn`t said anything to be `dissatisfied` with, and has disappeared like a fart in the wind since the leadership ponzi ballot
‘how could that happen, shortman hasn`t said anything’
The monk has taken the axe out of the bag and threatens to use it without fear or favour, so he is not popular in some circles. He has told his colleagues its going to be hard going.
‘AUSTRALIA is facing its biggest investment slump in more than 20 years, threatening more job losses and lower economic growth as miners scale back their spending plans faster than expected and manufacturers give up hope.’
Creighton / Oz
Business investment collapse after Coalition election victory to cost jobs
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/business-investment-collapse-after-coalition-election-victory-to-cost-jobs-20140227-33mgm.html#ixzz2uWi2rX2D
Australia is open for business.
Abbott and Costello appearing on the Bolt Report. **chuckle**
TRAITOR!
“I think the Maritime Union WA branch is a rogue union,” Martin Ferguson said.
“I think they are not only potentially going to kill jobs for their own members, children and grandchildren in the future in the way they’ve conducted themselves, I think it’s about time the rest of the union movement fronted up to the fact that they are now killing jobs in manufacturing.”
I think all ex ministers should be killed off from taking any jobs that have any relation to their previous ministry when they leave office, this includes political lobbying.
That would be a huge waste of talent and in a democracy it wouldn’t be fair. Julia had the right idea by going offshore.
the good news is, our devotees previously in love with mr-rabbit,
still are in love with mr-rabbit
‘Barry O’Farrell told by his own party to support a second airport or risk election defeat in a year.’
SMH