FED: Rudd rivals Hawke as most popular PM - poll
30 Mar 2009 2:47 AM
Subject: FED: Rudd rivals Hawke as most popular PM - poll FED: Rudd rivals Hawke as most popular PM - poll
A new poll shows Prime Minister KEVIN RUDD is rivalling BOB HAWKE as Australia's most popular prime minister .. while support for Opposition Leader MALCOLM TURNBULL has slumped dramatically.
The latest Nielsen poll .. published in Fairfax newspapers today .. shows Mr RUDD'S approval rating has risen to 74 per cent .. as Labor forges a crushing lead over the Coalition.
In an alarming turn for Mr TURNBULL .. more voters now disapprove of the job he's doing as Opposition Leader than approve.
Since November .. Mr TURNBULL'S disapproval rating has risen 12 percentage points to 47 per cent .. while his approval rating has fallen eight points to 43 per cent.
And the poll finds PETER COSTELLO is preferred Liberal leader by 47 per cent of voters
Over the same four months .. Mr RUDD'S approval rating has risen four points to 74 per cent .. his highest ever for the poll .. while his disapproval rating remains unchanged at 22 per cent.
Factoring in the poll's margin of error .. Mr RUDD has statistically equalled the all-time poll popularity record of 75 per cent set in November 1984 by BOB HAWKE.
On a two-party preferred basis .. Labor leads the Coalition by 58 per cent to 42 per cent .. a six percentage point swing to the government since the previous poll in November.
Labor leads on the primary vote by 47 per cent to 37 per cent.
The poll of 14-hundred people was conducted from Wednesday to Friday last week.
AAP RTV ao/psm/
=0A
FED: Rudd rivals Hawke as most popular PM - poll