Latest Newspoll Survey Adds Up to Labor Woes
The Queensland vote over the weekend pointed to a likely Labor humiliation come the national elections next year and today that spectre was further supported by the latest Newspoll survey, which showed Prime Minister Julia Gillard succumbing to defeat from the gathering Coalition storm.
The Australian reported on Tuesday that Labor would cede its hold of the federal government, much in the same manner that Premier Anna Bligh's attempt for a fresh mandate was rejected by Queensland voters on Saturday.
Bligh took a crushing blow from Queensland Liberal headliner Campbell Newman and the same scenario would most likely play out by 2013, with Newspoll unveiling anew surges in the primary vote of the Coalition - registering 47 percent after only a fortnight.
Labor, on the other hand, plunged to 28 percent after achieving 31 percent from two weeks ago, evidently lagging too far from what analysts said was the opposition's best showing so far in 2012.
In terms of two-party preferred, up to 57 percent of the more than 900 participants picked the Coalition, with only 43 percent attracted by the Labor-led government, the Newspoll survey said.
The only consolation for Labor was Ms Gillard has maintained her edge over Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, clocking at 40 percent as the preferred Prime Minister while the latter managed only 37 percent.
The survey came out as the Labor leadership was still reeling from the crushing defeat that befell the party's Queensland force, prompting senior members to call for more Labor presence in the Sunshine state.
Ms Gillard, however, has elected to put aside suggestions that Labor will probably be out of power by next year if the Queensland election was of any indication, insisting that federal and state issues were worlds apart.
She admitted though that Bligh's defeat was quite a disappointment but stressed while on a visit to South Korea that "there was clearly a major 'it's time' factor."
But Queensland Labor leaders were convinced that Ms Gillard needs to attune her national policy into something definite that would rub on easily on the ordinary Australians.
If possible, the national Labor leadership must worker harder in reinventing the image of the federal government, according to former Queensland premier Peter Beattie, which in turn could make Ms Gillard's national platform more believable.
Then selling federal policies should come easier, Beattie added.
"(But) it requires regular visits here, spending considerable time and demonstrating the financial benefits that come to Queensland," Beattie was quoted as saying by The Age on Tuesday.
Also, Labor will likely surrender its hold on the national government if Queensland remains in the Liberal grip and winning the state back should be one of Ms Gillard's priorities, national Labor MPs told The Daily Telegraph.