Voter support for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has slumped, according to a poll published just hours after he named a date for the federal election.
Mr Rudd claimed underdog status over the weekend as he announced Australians would go to the polls on September 7 - a claim validated by the latest Newspoll.
The poll of 1147 voters, conducted this weekend for The Australian newspaper, shows that although Mr Rudd is still more popular than Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, his support as preferred prime minister is at its lowest point.
Voter satisfaction with Mr Rudd dropped four percentage points in the past two weeks.
It went from 42 per cent to 38 per cent, while his dissatisfaction jumped six points from 41 per cent to 47 per cent.
Mr Abbott's satisfaction rating continued at 34 per cent, down a point from two weeks ago.
His dissatisfaction was unchanged on 56 per cent.
The survey found voter support for Labor had fallen one percentage point in the last fortnight to 37 per cent, compared to the coalition's 44 per cent.
On a two-party preferred basis, the coalition has kept its lead of 52 per cent to Labor's 48 per cent.
Support for the Greens is down one point to nine per cent, compared to 11.8 per cent at the last election.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/new ... s-newspoll
Some of you may be interested in the comments to this article also.
Comment highlight...
Graham Plowman raises a good point, as did Peter Hansen...Graham Plowman, Mon, 2013-08-05 09:07
What amazes me is that less than 3 months ago, Swan released a budget with an $18bn deficit.
Now presumably, that was an accumulation of all of Labor's previous budget deficits including the effects of the GFC.
On Friday, Bowen released an economic statement which indicated that the deficit was now $30bn.
In the space of less than three months, the deficit has gone up by 66%, yet over the GFC period, which we are told was the toughest time ever, the entire deficit was $18Bn.
For the deficit to go up by 66% something very fundamental has gone wrong.
This proves beyond all reasonable doubt that Labor has comprehensively lost control of the finances.
The shear magnitude of the figures isn't stupidity. This is way beyond incompetence. This is negligence and should be treated as such with a few Labor ministers put behind bars, just that same as would happen if private industry executives made this magnitude of stuff-up.
I think when it comes to questions like these, we really need to put aside our political differences and start asking ourselves why, and how this government has seemingly escaped not only our media’s scrutiny but that of our Governor Generals, and her failure to have issued a Commission of inquiry into this deficit that’s increased by 66% in less than 3 months.Peter Hansen, Mon, 2013-08-05 15:47
So maybe the media should be asking questions of Labor as to who is paying for the Obama 457 visa re-election team which Rudd has reportedly flown in ? Has that come out of Labor's coffers, or have we the taxpayers been dudded on this ?
Our media have let us down terribly, have effectively made a rod for theirs and our own backs for many years to come long after the election.
