Daryl Passmore

October 31, 2009

Voter confidence in Premier Anna Bligh has plummeted to new lows, according to a Sunday Mail poll taken in the past few days.

The launch of a $1.9 million campaign last week to promote the Queensland Government’s controversial sale of state assets has done nothing to quell public anger towards her and the Labor Party.

The Galaxy Poll for the Sunday Mail, conducted on October 29-30, shows voter satisfaction with Ms Bligh’s performance as premier is in free fall, reaching a new low of 30 per cent only six months after she became Australia’s first female premier to win an election.

Ms Bligh’s abysmal approval rating is now even worse than it was immediately after the corruption and cronyism controversy sparked by Tony Fitzgerald’s stinging criticism in July.

The 30 per cent rating is thought to be the lowest of any incumbent premier since the Nationals’ Russell Cooper’s short stint 20 years ago.

The LNP has extended its lead over Labor on a two-party preferred basis to 55-45, and for the first time Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek is seen as a genuine alternative, running neck and neck with Ms Bligh as preferred premier.

Mr Langbroek’s rating as preferred premier has risen six points since early September to 39 per cent, one point behind Ms Bligh.

However, Mr Langbroek’s satisfaction rating with voters is still a low 33 per cent.

A worried Ms Bligh yesterday admitted: “There’s no hiding from the fact that these are bad results and I know I need to do more to live up to Queenslanders’ expectations.

“But I’m passionate about modernising and transforming Queensland and real change is often difficult.

“I honestly believe that Queenslanders will reap the benefits of these reforms for a generation and I also believe that’s worth fighting for.

“There’s no doubt I could have better dealt with some of the issues we face but I will fight to regain the trust and support of Queenslanders.”

Mr Langbroek said that even though the next election was still more than two years away, the ongoing slide in the Premier’s approval rating would sound alarm bells in the ALP.

Political expert Paul Williams agreed.

“Anna Bligh as a person, as a character, is no longer an asset to the Government,” Dr Williams, a political lecturer at Griffith University, said.

“The big thing that she brought to the Government was her personal image.

“That goodwill has definitely evaporated.”

The dismal poll results will feed murmurings of dissatisfaction among the Labor right and there is speculation that some MPs close to John Mickel, the Parliamentary Speaker, will use the summer break to lobby support for him.

But party insiders are ruling out any serious moves for a leadership spill - for now.

“The last thing we want is a NSW situation where Nathan Rees was rushed in as leader and has taken them further down the tube,” said one source.

“There’s no doubt Anna is still our best chance at the next election.”

Labor Party figures are hoping they can tough out the strong opposition to asset sales and get on to the front foot with a positive policy agenda in the New Year. They are counting on a good ALP showing in Queensland at the next federal election to boost the party’s standing at a state level as well.

Dr Williams said there was no obvious challenger to Ms Bligh anyway.

Deputy Paul Lucas is not seen as a serious contender, while Treasurer Andrew Fraser - once tipped by many, including Peter Beattie, as a possible future leader - has his fingerprints all over the same unpopular decisions as the Premier, including the asset sales and scrapping the state’s fuel subsidy.

Some in the party are talking up the potential of Attorney-General Cameron Dick, elevated to Cabinet in his first term as an MP.

Dr Williams said it was very early to be talking about Mr Dick as possible leader material but he could raise his profile by using his justice portfolio to make law and order a key issue, as it was traditionally in Queensland.

Galaxy principal David Briggs said Mr Langbroek’s success in closing the gap as preferred premier was “hugely significant”.

“It’s usually only when a change of government is imminent that you see Opposition leaders draw level or ahead of incumbent premiers in polls,” he said.

“If Anna Bligh can be credited with one thing in leadership, it’s the timing ing of the election in March.

“If she had delayed that poll, her party would be out of power.”

Mr Langbroek said the LNP’s polling was the strongest of any non-Labor party anywhere in Australia and showed that the merger of the Liberal and national parties in Queensland was the right model.

He said the poll results demonstrated Queenslanders were growing more and more confident with the LNP’s focus, stability coupled with the leadership it had shown on economic management, job security and opposition to Labor’s “fire sale privatisation agenda”.

But, he added: “It is still over two years until the next election and Bligh and Labor have a track record of lying all the way to the ballot box and being bankrolled by the union movement to get there.”

Dr Williams said former LNP leader, now deputy, Lawrence Springborg would have to take more of a background role if Mr Langbroek was going to present himself as a strong leader and potential premier.

The poll, conducted among 800 people statewide on Thursday and Friday, also revealed some good news for the Greens. Their primary support jumped three points to 15 per cent - double their vote at the March election.