💧DUKE Clyde (HANSARD)CFW9 (Biden-Harris ELECT)💧 · @nobby15
29th Apr 2017 from TwitLonger
Galaxy poll: Queensland Labor bounces back after Cyclone Debbie
Palasczcuk popularity still trails
CYCLONE Debbie has blown hope into Labor’s flagging election fortunes with Queenslanders endorsing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s performance during the disaster.
A new Galaxy poll reveals Labor’s support has leapfrogged the Liberal Nationals and put Ms Palaszczuk in a winnable position just six months out from an expected November election.
Senator Pauline Hanson’s One Nation outfit suffered a sharp fall from its historic peak of 23 per cent three months ago, but still shapes as a huge electoral force.
With its primary support reaching a 12-month high, the Palaszczuk Government could seize on the electorate’s goodwill and spark an ultra-early election after the June 13 budget.
Senior LNP figures had been bracing for a Labor revival, which mirrors the party’s renewal after Cyclone Yasi in 2011, but have scotched any suggestion of leadership change.
The findings come despite the Government being mired in a secrecy scandal following this week’s heavy-handed redaction of an inquiry report into youth detention abuse.
Conducted exclusively for The Courier-Mail, the poll shows Labor’s primary vote has jumped 5 per cent to 36 per cent, which is still shy of what it achieved at the 2015 election.
The LNP inched forward to 34 per cent, well short of the party’s 41.3 per cent election vote.
After falling short of expectations in the recent West Australian election, One Nation’s vote has dropped to 17 per cent. The 6 per cent slide would limit the damage to the major parties, but would still put One Nation in contention for several seats.
On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor now leads the LNP 52 per cent to 48 per cent, a result that could allow Ms Palaszczuk to rule in her own right without the support of crossbench MPs.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk arrives via Australian Defence Force helicopter to inspect the damage caused by Cyclone Debbie at Bowen Airport in March. Picture: Sarah Motherwell/AAP
Labor’s revival has been fanned by Ms Palaszczuk’s high-profile efforts during Cyclone Debbie, with 76 per cent of Queenslanders rating her performance during the disaster as good or very good.
The Premier’s overall satisfaction rating also soared, while the number of voters dissatisfied with Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls increased.
According to Galaxy, satisfaction with Ms Palaszczuk rose from 41 per cent to 47 per cent, while dissatisfaction dropped from 37 per cent to 35 per cent. Satisfaction with the performance of Mr Nicholls remained at 27 per cent, but dissatisfaction increased from 39 per cent to 45 per cent.
Palaszczuk: "We need to make sure all of the preparations are done"
Ms Palaszczuk stormed ahead in the preferred premier stakes, increasing her support from 39 per cent to 48 per cent. Mr Nicholls was on 28 per cent, with the number of uncommitted voters shrinking 10 per cent.