New poll confirms privatisation to severely affect Federal Labor
A new Queensland poll confirms the State Government’s privatisation plans will severely affect Federal Labor’s chances in Queensland in this year’s election.
The QCU-commissioned poll conducted by Essential Research surveyed 1039 voters across Queensland between 9 and 14 February and complements research from September 2009 on public attitudes towards privatisation.
QCU General Secretary Ron Monaghan said the poll proved privatisation was still deeply unpopular and that it had now become a federal election issue.
“The poll shows that state asset sales are so unpopular that 32% of respondents - or about one in three – are saying they would be more likely to vote for the LNP in the federal election.
“It would be a tragedy if the State Government’s privatisation helped Tony Abbot come to office and return workers to the dark old days of WorkChoices.
“And at the state level, the Bligh Government has lost just over half of its voter base from a year ago. 45% of respondents said they voted Labor in March 2009 and now just 22% say they will vote Labor at the next election.
“This is an extremely sobering result for the State Government and it’s now time to resolve the privatisation issue once and for all.
“There can be no hiding behind cancelled state conferences and the like – the polling figures speak for themselves.
“It’s not too late to save these important assets and keep the jobs and services these assets provide in regional Queensland.”
Other key poll findings include:
“74% of Queenslanders surveyed think the Bligh Government lied to the public by keeping secret its plans to privatise prior to the March 2009 state election.
“This confirms that the government has been well and truly caught out and no amount of spin will convince Queensland voters otherwise.”
The QCU-commissioned poll conducted by Essential Research surveyed 1039 voters across Queensland between 9 and 14 February and complements research from September 2009 on public attitudes towards privatisation.
QCU General Secretary Ron Monaghan said the poll proved privatisation was still deeply unpopular and that it had now become a federal election issue.
“The poll shows that state asset sales are so unpopular that 32% of respondents - or about one in three – are saying they would be more likely to vote for the LNP in the federal election.
“It would be a tragedy if the State Government’s privatisation helped Tony Abbot come to office and return workers to the dark old days of WorkChoices.
“And at the state level, the Bligh Government has lost just over half of its voter base from a year ago. 45% of respondents said they voted Labor in March 2009 and now just 22% say they will vote Labor at the next election.
“This is an extremely sobering result for the State Government and it’s now time to resolve the privatisation issue once and for all.
“There can be no hiding behind cancelled state conferences and the like – the polling figures speak for themselves.
“It’s not too late to save these important assets and keep the jobs and services these assets provide in regional Queensland.”
Other key poll findings include:
- Just one in 10 Queenslanders supports privatisation;
- 59% of voters say the asset sales program makes them less likely to vote for the Labor Party in the next state election;
- 66% will not forget the asset sales issue at the ballot box even if it has been resolved by then;
- 80% of those polled think the government has underestimated public opposition to asset sales;
- Almost 70% do not agree with the share float of Queensland Rail.
“74% of Queenslanders surveyed think the Bligh Government lied to the public by keeping secret its plans to privatise prior to the March 2009 state election.
“This confirms that the government has been well and truly caught out and no amount of spin will convince Queensland voters otherwise.”
