Australian Government Slumps In Polls

The new Australian Government has been on the receiving end of large amounts of criticism lately, with their performance resulting in a large reversal of fortune in the opinion polls. The SMH reports - Labor storms ahead. Is it time for the double dissolution over the carbon tax that the PM has threatened ?

The first Fairfax Nielsen poll since the September 7 election has charted a rapid recovery for the ALP, with the opposition shooting to a 52-48 per cent lead over the government on the preferences of respondents - the quickest poll lead achieved by any federal opposition after losing an election. It is also the first time Labor has led on the two-party-preferred vote in more than three years.

The result will be seen as a wake-up call to the Abbott government as it struggles to maintain public confidence in its tough stop-the-boats policy while refusing to reveal the most basic details on the grounds of operational security.

Labor's primary vote has recovered to 37 per cent, up 4 percentage points since the election, while the Coalition's primary support has fallen by 5 points to 41 per cent. The Greens also picked up support, rising from 9 per cent to 11 per cent. ... Respondents also expressed overwhelming belief in the reality of climate change, with nearly 87 per cent judging the 2020 target of a 5 per cent emissions reduction as either about right (46 per cent) or too low (41 per cent).