An Own Goal, But They Can Recover

[icyfroth]

The poll shows that the budget was a landmark moment in political unpopularity.

''There have only been less popular prime ministers on a handful of occasions''  in the 40-year history of the survey, pollster John Stirton said. Those include when the Whitlam government was embroiled in the notorious  Khemlani loans affair, when Paul Keating broke his ''L-A-W'' promise to deliver tax cuts, and when Julia  Gillard announced the carbon tax"

''The politics of the Australian budget,'' Mills says, ''seem so bad that you  can only conclude that Abbott and Hockey must genuinely believe they are doing  the right thing and will receive the electoral rewards of a booming economy in  2016.''

And it is that timing which explains why Abbott and Hockey are not  panicking. Governments have hit these lows before and recovered to be  re-elected. This poll puts the government behind by 56 per cent to 44 on the  election- deciding measure, the two-party preferred vote.

The Howard government hit this low point in 1998, 2001 and 2004 yet recovered  to win. As Stirton remarks: ''Recovery is always an option, especially when it's  this early in the term.''

This is Abbott's and Hockey's first budget, not their third.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/an-own-goal-but-the-game-is-far-from-over-2...

So don't count your chickens before they hatch, ppl.

[purplecarrot-top]

It's not popularity contest though, is it, freaks?


I don't know about that. Seems to be a lot of preening going on from both sides at times.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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It's not popularity contest though, is it, freaks? 🙂

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Actually yes it is. Gillard being the perfect example of a loss based on lack of popularity.

[freakiness]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@freakiness wrote:

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@icyfroth wrote:

For all their ire at the budget at the moment I don't think the Aus voters are ready to topple the elected PM. There's just no-one else even remotely suitable to step into the breach.

Even come closer to election time in another 3.5 years, I can't see the Labor party presenting Mr Shorten as their Prime Ministerial candidate.

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The election is in 2 and half years.

The PM isn't remotely suitable to be leader. Maybe that's why the polls are killing him at the moment.

Shorten might not be the best choice but he's doing better in the interm polls than abbott did.  While Gillard was polling low so was abbott.

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It's not popularity contest though, is it, freaks? 🙂

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In some ways unfortunately it has been turned into one more than it should have.  The current PM is the main instigator of the bad behaviour and the "popularity" factor.  He spent 3 years talking down and making threats to the government. He refused to address the PM correctly. He accused the government of causing gender wars and class wars and in making those constant attacks caused somewhat of a gender and class debate/divide.  He is a nasty little boy man who was prepared to fight for the prize but had no comprehension of what the prize required of him or of how to honour the prize.

I don't think we've ever had a PM whose sole purpose on gaining office was to erase all trace of the previous government's policies, regardless of whether they be good or not so good.  He is operating on blind ideology and that's good for nobody really.

[icyfroth]

How many times have we been reminded here that we are in the here and now not living in last year and that comparisons to Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd are no longer relevant?

[boris1gary]

another  budget point (pffft) 

The Budget states: 

‘The Government will achieve savings of $52.5 million over four years by limiting the number of times that volunteer job seekers can access Jobs Services Australia (JSA) to one occasion…’

In other words, young people who do not receive a Centrelink payment – which is most young people because of the level of their parents’ income – will be entitled to only one visit to a job service provider. 

This is combined with the scrapping of important interactive online resources for young people like the My Future & Jobs Guide websites. Achieving “savings” perhaps, but at what cost?

[freakiness]

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@icyfroth wrote:

How many times have we been reminded here that we are in the here and now not living in last year and that comparisons to Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd are no longer relevant?

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And yet every single day, at least 25 times, abbott and his cronies bring up Labor every time they're asked a question they don't wish to answer.

[lane-ends]

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@icyfroth wrote:

How many times have we been reminded here that we are in the here and now not living in last year and that comparisons to Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd are no longer relevant?

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Tell that to the Pollies whos standard response is to blame the previous goverment. Maybe we have poor role models.

[izabsmiling]

It so shouldn't be a popularity contest.I wish some would take this seriously and take a good look at what this means to us and our Country...instead of the sickening love hearts and blind comments which show a lack of consideration to what should matter...us and our Country.Time to drop the stars from the eyes