Federal Labor takes poll lead
Labor has pulled ahead of the Coalition just three months after the federal election, a new poll shows.
The Fairfax Nielsen poll shows the Coalition has lost the strong support it enjoyed leading up to the September 7 poll, while Bill Shorten’s party has bolted out of the gates.
On a two-party preferred basis, Labor has made ground and now leads the Coalition 52-48 per cent – the first time it’s been ahead of the coalition for three years.
That’s a turnaround of 5.5 per cent, and the quickest lead by any federal opposition since losing an election, Fairfax says.
Labor’s primary support has tracked back to 37 per cent, up four percentage points since September, while the Coalition’s has slipped five points to 41 per cent.
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The Greens’ primary support comes in at 11 per cent, up two percentage points.
Tony Abbott leads Shorten as preferred prime minister, 49-41 per cent (with 10 per cent uncommitted).
The poll also shows that 47 per cent of the 1400 people polled from Thursday to Saturday approve of the prime minister’s performance, while 46 per cent disapprove.
Shorten enjoys a 51 per cent approval rating, with just 30 per cent disapproving.
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Meanwhile, the Fairfax Neilsen poll shows that a majority of voters back the repeal of Labor’s carbon tax, while most remain unconvinced about the Coalition’s “direct action” environmental policy.
The poll of 1400 voters shows 57 per cent of people back the repeal of the carbon tax.
However, just 12 per cent of voters believe Abbott’s “direct action” policy of buying emissions reductions from polluters with tax payer money, while planting trees, is the answer.
The results show 16 per cent of voters want the carbon tax kept.
Abbott is demanding the Senate vote on his carbon tax repeal bills before Christmas.
The repeal package cleared its first hurdle in the lower house last week, but the real battle to axe the tax begins in the Senate in early December.
Labor and the Australian Greens have vowed to block the laws in the Senate, and they collectively hold the balance of power until the upper house changeover in July.
