Rudd: Preferred Prime Minister with 71% approval
| Finding No. 4273 -
February 25, 2008 |
A special telephone Morgan Poll over the last two nights finds:
• A majority of Australian electors (71%) approve of the way Mr Rudd is handling his job as Prime Minister;
• One-in-three electors (32%) approve of the way Dr Nelson is handling his job as Opposition Leader, 42% disapprove and a large 26% can’t say;
• In the Morgan Poll released Friday, it was found that 77% of electors say that Mr Rudd would be a better PM than Dr Brendan Nelson (9%) — 14% can’t say or someone else;
• Former Treasurer Peter Costello fared better: 67% of electors say that Mr Rudd would be a better PM than Mr Costello (28%) — 5% can’t say or someone else;
• Two-in-three (66%) electors say that Mr Rudd would be a better PM than leadership aspirant Malcolm Turnbull (21%) — 13% can’t say or someone else.
Analysis by voting intention
Of L-NP voters:
• A majority (52%) say Mr Rudd would be a better Prime Minister than Dr Nelson (23%) — one-quarter (25%) of L-NP supporters can’t say;
• More than six-in-ten (63%) say Mr Costello, now a backbencher, would be a better Prime Minister than Mr Rudd (30%) — 7% can’t say;
• Exactly half (50%) say Mr Turnbull would be a better Prime Minister than Mr Rudd (33%) — 17% can’t say.
Gary Morgan says:
“Mr Rudd’s approval rating (71%) is significantly higher than Mr Howard’s approval rating (59%) after he won the 2004 Federal election. Mr Nelson’s disapproval rating of 42% is about the same as Mr Latham’s (43%) after the 2004 Federal election.
“What should be occupying the minds of the Coalition is how the alternative leaders compare against Mr Rudd in the ‘better Prime Minister’s stakes’: Rudd 67% v Costello 28% (other/can’t say 5%); Rudd 66% v Turnbull 21% (other/can’t say 13%); Rudd 77% v Nelson 9% (other/can’t say 14%). While Mr Costello is slightly ahead of Mr Turnbull as a preferred Prime Minister, both are way behind Mr Rudd.
“Although there is a long time before the next Federal election, it is important for a credible Coalition leader to be installed now so the Opposition can be looked upon as a serious alternative.”
This special telephone Morgan Poll was conducted on the evenings of February 20/21, 2008, with an Australia-wide cross section of 560 electors.
Approval of Leaders
Prime Minister
Respondents were asked: “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Mr Rudd is handling his job as Prime Minister?”
|
|
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Federal Voting Intention |
|
|
Nov
3/4,
2004* |
Jan
4-7,
2007* |
May
16/17,
2007* |
Aug
21/22,
2007* |
Feb
20/21,
2008 |
ALP |
L-NP |
The Greens# |
Family First# |
Ind / Other# |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Approve |
59 |
56 |
53 |
44 |
71 |
91 |
42 |
91 |
39 |
66 |
|
Disapprove |
34 |
39 |
42 |
51 |
14 |
3 |
30 |
2 |
43 |
21 |
|
Can’t say |
7 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
15 |
6 |
28 |
7 |
18 |
13 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
* John Howard (L-NP) was Prime Minister
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Sex and Age |
| |
Nov
3/4,
2004* |
Jan
4-7,
2007* |
May
16/17,
2007* |
Aug
21/22,
2007* |
Feb
20/21,
2008 |
Men |
Women |
18-24 |
25-34 |
35-49 |
50+ |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Approve |
59 |
56 |
53 |
44 |
71 |
70 |
72 |
78 |
70 |
74 |
67 |
|
Disapprove |
34 |
39 |
42 |
51 |
14 |
15 |
13 |
12 |
16 |
10 |
17 |
|
Can’t say |
7 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
10 |
14 |
16 |
16 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
* John Howard (L-NP) was Prime Minister
Opposition Leader
Respondents were asked: “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Dr Nelson is handling his job as Leader of the Opposition?”
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Federal Voting Intention |
| |
Nov
3/4,
2004* |
Jan
4-7,
2007^ |
May
16/17,
2007^ |
Aug
21/22,
2007^ |
Feb
20/21,
2008 |
ALP |
L-NP |
The Greens# |
Family First# |
Ind/ Other# |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Approve |
47 |
64 |
72 |
74 |
32 |
29 |
41 |
18 |
31 |
40 |
|
Disapprove |
43 |
11 |
17 |
19 |
42 |
48 |
33 |
63 |
- |
39 |
|
Can’t say |
10 |
25 |
11 |
7 |
26 |
23 |
26 |
19 |
69 |
21 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
* Mark Latham (ALP) was Opposition Leader
^ Kim Beazley (ALP) was Opposition Leader
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Sex and Age |
| |
Nov
3/4,
2004* |
Jan
4-7,
2007^ |
May
16/17,
2007^ |
Aug
21/22,
2007^ |
Feb
20/21,
2008 |
Men |
Women |
18-24 |
25-34 |
35-49 |
50+ |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Approve |
47 |
64 |
72 |
74 |
32 |
35 |
30 |
34 |
24 |
33 |
35 |
|
Disapprove |
43 |
11 |
17 |
19 |
42 |
42 |
43 |
32 |
48 |
45 |
41 |
|
Can’t say |
10 |
25 |
11 |
7 |
26 |
23 |
27 |
34 |
28 |
22 |
24 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
* Mark Latham (ALP) was Opposition Leader
^ Kevin Rudd (ALP) was Opposition Leader
Better Prime Minister: Rudd v Nelson
Respondents were asked: “Thinking of Mr Rudd and Dr Nelson. In your opinion, who would make the better Prime Minister — Mr Rudd or Dr Nelson?”
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Federal Voting Intention |
| |
May 2007* |
Aug 2007* |
Feb 21/22, 2008 |
ALP |
L-NP |
The Greens# |
Family First# |
Ind / Other# |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Rudd |
51 |
52 |
77 |
94 |
52 |
92 |
60 |
67 |
|
Nelson |
44 |
38 |
9 |
2 |
23 |
4 |
23 |
5 |
|
Other / Can’t say |
5 |
10 |
14 |
4 |
25 |
4 |
17 |
28 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
* John Howard was Coalition Leader
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Sex and Age |
| |
May 2007* |
Aug 2007* |
Feb 21/22, 2008 |
Men |
Women |
18-24 |
25-34 |
35-49 |
50+ |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Rudd |
51 |
52 |
77 |
79 |
75 |
82 |
80 |
79 |
72 |
|
Nelson |
44 |
38 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
3 |
7 |
11 |
11 |
|
Other / Can’t say |
5 |
10 |
14 |
11 |
16 |
15 |
13 |
10 |
17 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
* John Howard was Coalition Leader
Better Prime Minister: Rudd v Costello
Respondents were asked: “Thinking of Mr Rudd and Mr Costello. In your opinion, who would make the better Prime Minister — Mr Rudd or Mr Costello?”
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Federal Voting Intention |
| |
Feb 21/22, 2008 |
ALP |
L-NP |
The Greens# |
Family First# |
Ind / Other# |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Rudd |
67 |
91 |
30 |
87 |
56 |
62 |
|
Costello |
28 |
8 |
63 |
9 |
34 |
23 |
|
Other / Can’t say |
5 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
10 |
15 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Sex and Age |
| |
Feb 21/22, 2008 |
Men |
Women |
18-24 |
25-34 |
35-49 |
50+ |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Rudd |
67 |
63 |
71 |
74 |
69 |
70 |
63 |
|
Costello |
28 |
32 |
24 |
23 |
26 |
27 |
31 |
|
Other / Can’t say |
3 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
Better Prime Minister: Rudd v Turnbull
Respondents were asked: “Thinking of Mr Rudd and Mr Turnbull. In your opinion, who would make the better Prime Minister — Mr Rudd or Mr Turnbull?”
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Federal Voting Intention |
| |
Feb 21/22, 2008 |
ALP |
L-NP |
The Greens# |
Family First# |
Ind / Other# |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Rudd |
66 |
87 |
33 |
81 |
56 |
77 |
|
Turnbull |
21 |
5 |
50 |
1 |
23 |
9 |
|
Other / Can’t say |
13 |
8 |
17 |
18 |
21 |
14 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
| |
Electors 18+ |
Analysis by Sex and Age |
| |
Feb 21/22, 2008 |
Men |
Women |
18-24 |
25-34 |
35-49 |
50+ |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Rudd |
66 |
68 |
65 |
78 |
69 |
72 |
59 |
|
Turnbull |
21 |
22 |
19 |
9 |
16 |
16 |
29 |
|
Other / Can’t say |
13 |
10 |
16 |
13 |
15 |
12 |
12 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
For further information:
Gary Morgan: Office +61 3 9224 5213 Mobile +61 411 129 094
Michele Levine: Office +61 3 9224 5215 Mobile +61 411 129 093
The Morgan Poll is conducted by the ONLY Australian and New Zealand member of the Gallup International Association.
No Other public opinion poll taken in Australia has this qualification.
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