Westpoll: 59-41 to Liberal-National in WA

The Labor leadership change has prompted The West Australian to commission its first Westpoll survey of state voting intention in nearly two years, and the results are all but identical to those of the Newspoll that precipitated Eric Ripper’s demise: the Labor primary vote at 29 per cent, the Liberals at 52 per cent and the Nationals at 2 per cent, the Greens on 11 per cent, and the Liberal-Nationals two-party lead at 59-41. However, Mark McGowan has done much better on debut as preferred Premier than Eric Ripper, trailing Colin Barnett 48-33 compared to Ripper’s 59-18 in the aforementioned Newspoll. The poll also finds 20 per cent “more likely to vote Labor” after the leadership change compared with 8 per cent less likely. However, the poll (conducted by Patterson Market Research) has the usual small Westpoll sample of 400, with a margin of error approaching 5 per cent.

The West’s Gareth Parker also reports that Channel Seven journalist Reece Whitby, who unsuccessfully ran in Morley at the 2008 election after being recruited by Alan Carpenter, now hopes to run in Belmont, which Ripper will vacate at the next election. The report says Whitby has “quietly spent the past three years attempting to bolster hims support base” in Morley, to the extent that he is now president of the party’s branch there, but he threatens to be squeezed out by Nollamara MP Janine Freeman’s determination to recover the seat for Labor. Meanwhile, the Fremantle Herald reports ABC TV gardening program presenter Josh Byrne has ruled himself out of contention for Labor preselection in Fremantle. The Herald reports the preselection now looms as a three-horse race between Fremantle councillors Josh Wilson and Dave Hume, and Maritime Union of Australia deputy secretary Adrian Evans (hat tip to Frank Calabrese).

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

17 comments on “Westpoll: 59-41 to Liberal-National in WA”

  2. Agreed …but pretty impressive jump in pp … Just has to shift the primary vote which will be tough But not impossible…. I don’t believe Barnett is as popular or entrenched as the MSM like to suggest.

  3. [Woeisme

    Posted Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 11:17 pm | Permalink

    Agreed …but pretty impressive jump in pp … Just has to shift the primary vote which will be tough But not impossible…. I don’t believe Barnett is as popular or entrenched as the MSM like to suggest.
    ]

    Exactly with this week being the start of the really hot weather and the risk of bushfires etc Barnett would be stupid to say another comment about Air Conditioning being a luxury.

  4. I get the sense that people are fed up with cost of living increases and that only some benefit from the mining / gas boom. I also think there is an emerging problem with law and order that this government has tried to trumpet as a key area. All in all he may be safe but as I said im not convinced its as rusted on as some suggest. I’m also not sure picking fights with Canberra as a strategy will work all the time to cover over local issues.

  5. 2006: Environment Minister (the polluters’ friend) Sneakers MuckGowan and his sabotage of Geoff Gallop’s 3C – Core Consultative Committee on Hazardous Waste.

    Lest we forget:

    July 2006:

    1) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) argues for zero outcome from the hazardous waste reforms – 3C process.

    2) CCI kicks up stink over hazardous waste treatment

    3) CCI questions hazardous waste issues

    4) CCI’s chief executive, John Langoulant writes to environment minister Mr McGowan, expressing concern over hazardous waste reforms

    5) Industry’s two big players, Tox Free Solutions and Total Waste Management will be affected by government policy decisions.

    November 2006:

    1) Hazardous waste industry, CCI, lobbyists jubilant in WA. Environment Minister, Sneakers MuckGowan maintains the status quo and sacks Core Consultative Committee on Hazardous Waste (3Cs) without explanation.

    2) General manager and serial polluter, Total Waste Management, Gary Watson said:

    “From time to time we have asked for advice from those gentlemen. We have sought advice on how to present our proposals to government and the like.

    “When a company like ours asks for advice from Brian Burke and Julian Grill, it is generally to know who and how best to pitch an approach and who are the key decision makers when it comes to dealing with a particular issue. Those gentlemen have been a great source of advice to us and other companies.”

    http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/climb-down-on-waste-plan/story-e6frg13u-1111112471634

    Note: Hazardous waste is defined as a “component of the waste stream which by its
    characteristics poses a threat or risk to public health, safety or the environment (includes substances which are toxic, infectious, mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, explosive, flammable, corrosive, oxidising and radioactive)

    August 2008: “ It (Labor Party) has failed on sustainability, wetlands, air quality, waste management, biodiversity, greenhouse issues and funding for the environment.” (Professor Philip Jennings – Murdoch University WA)

    ‘Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.’ – Lord Acton (1834-1902), English historian

    MuckGowan in – Labor Party out. RIP

  7. Fantastic! A whole bunch of chimps overruling the “independent” EPA’s EIS’ with impunity. And so it will come to pass where our future dear leader will be one ecocidal megalomaniac or another. To be sure, I shall dutifully drop my vote in the ballot box with a message to said rock apes strutting our halls of parliament – “Get fracked!”

  8. [Flower

    Posted Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:35 am | Permalink

    Fantastic! A whole bunch of chimps overruling the “independent” EPA’s EIS’ with impunity. And so it will come to pass where our future dear leader will be one ecocidal megalomaniac or another. To be sure, I shall dutifully drop my vote in the ballot box with a message to said rock apes strutting our halls of parliament – “Get fracked!”
    ]

    Colin Barnett sends his thanks for voting for him in 2008 🙂

  14. [Sneaky eh? And it only took him a day for the back flip.]

    Its sensible Flower, all McGowan is doing is giving certainty to business in honouring previous commitments. McGowan has said he will allow mines that have started under the current government.

    If govts refused to honour contracts/ enterprises started under previous govts businesses would be very very wary of investing starting any enterprise here.

    If perthnow had been doing its job they would have reported this contrast between McGowans realisitic stance and the craziness uncertainty that Abbott and co are sprouting.

  15. December 8th, 2011: “No Labor minister or public servant responsible to a Labor minister will issue any approval to facilitate a uranium mining project under a WA Labor government,” he said. “It does not matter how advanced the projects are. I’m putting the industry on notice. You won’t have your final approvals by the time of the next election and they will not be granted if WA Labor is elected.” (Eric Ripper)

    Australian Uranium Conference (2009) boast of over 450 uranium projects in Western Australia currently being reported to the global financial market.

    http://media.abnnewswire.net/media/en/docs/61048-uranium09-one-page-flyer.pdf

    Largest importer of Australia’s U308 – United States of America.

    Dirtiest/worst facility in the US. Paducah Uranium Enrichment Plant

    Highest single user of outlawed ozone depleting CFCs in the US: Paducah Uranium Enrichment Plant

    http://scorecard.goodguide.com/env-releases/ranking.tcl?tri_id=42001PDCHGHOBBS

    Contaminated Sites – National Priorities List – Paducah Uranium Enrichment Plant. Contaminants of Concern:

    Radionuclides, PCBs, dioxins, heavy metals, VOCs, aromatic amines:

    http://cfpub.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.contams&id=0404794#Top

    85,000 abandoned and toxic mine sites in WA. “Stay out and stay alive” warns the DMP but unevolved Frank and Castle ride the Yellowcake Express infatuated with industry’s dancing boy, the duplicitous Sneakers McGowan. Integrity is the foulest of words for yesterday’s men and Liberal stooges.

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