TITLE

Room at the top

AUTHOR(S)

Oakes, Laurie

PUB. DATE

November 2003

SOURCE

Bulletin with Newsweek;11/4/2003, Vol. 121 Issue 6397, p23

SOURCE TYPE

Periodical

DOC. TYPE

Article

ABSTRACT

Australia-based organization Newspoll has rattled quite a few members of the federal Coalition. It was not so much the figure showing Labor ahead on the two-party preferred vote that disturbed them. They were more concerned about the findings on how voters rate issues and how they judge the government's handling of those issues. Health and education came in at numbers one and two in order of importance to voters. On the question of who would handle the health issue best, 42% said Labor while only 27% nominated the Coalition. On education, the figures were 41% to 28% Labor's way. However, at a meeting of Liberal and National Party members of parliament, attended by Australian prime minister during a lull in his duties as host to U.S. President George W. Bush and Australian President Hu Jintao, it was argued that this was not the worst aspect of the poll. Bronwyn Bishop has pointed out that health and education were Labor issues. Matters regarded as Coalition issues were not rated highly by voters in terms of importance and were languishing down the list. This was the biggest worry. Bishop had a point. By 47% to 23%, voters regarded the Coalition as more capable than Labor of handling defense — but defense was rated only the ninth most important issue. Interest rates, where the Coalition was seen as better than Labor by 49% to 20%, came in 10th.

ACCESSION #

11490940

Tags: POLITICAL parties;  POLITICAL planning;  GOVERNMENT policy

 

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