Voters’ remorse: Tony Abbott gets a shock as his leadership is found wanting

In case its bumbling progress was not humiliation enough for this L-plate government, the Fairfax Media/Nielsen poll, the first since the September 7 election, shows that voters have bucked convention and had a change of heart about their choice of government.

Voters usually stick with their choice well into a new government’s first term. After Kevin Rudd beat John Howard in 2007, it took the Coalition two-and-a-half years to get in front. It’s a different story this time.

Federal Labor, under the leadership of Bill Shorten, leads the Coalition in the two-party preferred vote: 52 per cent to 48 per cent. It’s the first time Labor has been ahead of the Coalition since October 2010.

Abbott will no doubt follow the time-honoured ruse of not commenting on (unfavourable) opinion polls – do opinion polls constitute an “operational matter”? – but he doesn’t have to utter a word: the numbers say it all.

http://www.brw.com.au/p/leadership/voters_remorse_tony_abbott_gets_BtbHnhGo3eqlHEpWlBb9nM


Good to know that all but rusted-on Coalition voters find this ugy, divisive, lying, and clumsy government unpalatable. We knew they'd be bad, but I don't think any of us guessed just how dreadful the Abbott government would be. Even the Murdoch press can't keep the truth hidden forever – that Abbott is a bumbling fool; a confection of media spin. There is nothing under his botoxed surface but hot air.

Labor needs to keep up the pressure now - got to get on top with the preferred PM vote as well.