'; ?> December Quants | What The People Want
December Quants
Friday, 17 February 2012 16:00 | Written by Graham Young

This shows that sentiment about the direction in which the country is heading is negative, but less negative than last year.

Direction_December_2011

The Prime Minister's approval rating has also improved with an increase in approval to 34% - two better than the vote of her party which in this sample is 32%. She is a very mild positive.

Gillard_Approve_December_2011

By contrast Abbott is less popular than his party, but only just. He has a positive approval of 39% while the party primary is on 40%. It's hard to get past the fact that neither of the leaders is popular and that the public are voting as much as anything else for the parties they represent. Abbott's figures have improved since June when he was scoring -17% net.

Abbott_Approve_December_2011

According to our sample Tony Abbott is the preferred PM, although there is no statistically significant difference between the two figures. This is a change from last year when Julia Gillard was ahead, if only by 3 percentage points.

Preferred_PM_December_2011

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Comments   

 
0 #1 Things have deteriorated because the med — gretchen gamble 2012-02-24 17:59
Things have deteriorated because the media has been focussing on the leadership " pre-challenge" being put inplace by Rudd and his few supporters, instead of reporting the many fantastic changes/ bills the govt. has been able to pass. Many millions have been spent by groups with vested interests---and no real morals on the issues involved---on adverts in the media which have been sensationalisti c and fear mongering in content. Over the months that follow the significant changes that come into being on 1 july this year--carbon tax/mining "tax"/ changes to medicare rebate/parental leave etc++---Austral ians will see how false the claims by Abbott(Dr No) and his team have been, as the benefits for everyone will become evident. At that point, Julia Gillard's "popularity" in these polls will begin to rise. I seem to recall that there were periods in Howard"s govt. that also had him polling very low. Govt. is not a pop. contest. The hard decisions will inevitably not please everyone.
I'd like journalists to actually do what they use to do---their own "research/inves tigations" rather than just accepting bits from press releases and what I can only refer to as the "he said/she said/some-one told me/her/ him --- that---" --with no names and no credability! Too easy to pass on lies, distortions of the facts that, when repeated by others, are presented to the readers/viewers as truths!!
The P M, Julia Gillard is great, as are her ministers---sma rt, competent, articulate, know their portfolios and can explain issues-No way do we need a return to the "I/me-ism" of Kevin Rudd
 
 
0 #2 I agree with Gretchen. When the Gillard — Carolyn Cordon 2012-02-24 19:38
I agree with Gretchen. When the Gillard Government finally has a chance to show us what there plan will do, I think voters will realise how canny she's actually been.
 
 
0 #3 I think the polls tell us that neither J — Lorikeet 2012-02-25 07:00
I think the polls tell us that neither Julia Gillard nor Tony Abbott are very well respected by the Australian community. Ditto for Kevin-O-Lemon, and Malcolm Turnbull who supports an economically damaging Carbon Trading Scheme.

Both Labor and Liberals have recently been quick to talk up their interest in Australian manufacturing and the creation of jobs.

This seems to be a reaction to the excellent work being done by Senator John Madigan (Democratic Labor Party, Victoria), Bob Katter MP (Independent, Qld), and Senator Nick Xenophon (Independent, SA) as they attempt to drag Australia out of the economic hell hole that we have been increasingly driven into by Labor/Libs over the last 35+ years.
 
 
0 #4 The comments of Gretchen are mostly drea — Clive 2012-02-25 18:35
The comments of Gretchen are mostly dreams. The opposition have helped to pass over 80% of bills. Labour's so called big items are mostly yet to made into actual law and are the items they lied about before the election, as in we will never do it. Simple fact!! no one likes liars or someone who takes you for a mug
 
 
0 #5 (gretchen is right. The polls will turn — Maggie Croft 2012-02-27 08:40
(gretchen is right. The polls will turn come July 1 as money is put directly into peoples' pockets. The carbon tax and the mining tax and the flood levy and means testing of private health and all the other taxes will pale into insignificance. That is what Labor is all about, i.e. "wealth redistribution" , and their major reforms are just based on "higher taxes". What people don't realize is that you can't help the poor by pulling down the rich or taking money out of the pockets of hard working people. As for the Gillard/Rudd/Ab bott argument about the best person to be leader of our wonderful country, I don't believe any of them has what it takes to turn voters' opinions around. A government must run the country as we would run our household, i.e. less debt and more hard work or productivity to do the best for ourselves as individuals and our country rather than relying on the government to do everything for us. Katter is the only one talking any sense at the moment. We need more like him, calling things the way they are, and less of the political gamesmanship imo. Wake up Australians; we need a peoples' revolt and/or an election to change where this country is currently headed or as JFK said "look at what you can do for your country instead of yourselves" !!
 
 
0 #6 RE: December Quants — Heather 2012-06-12 13:34
Indeed @ Gretchen.
I think you already said it all right.
Thanks for you intelligent commentary, it helps readers as well.

Heather from mini four encastrable