Petrol prices, WorkChoices, fears of
further rate rises, a ballyhooed Budget that seems to have missed its mark…
It’s already looking like a bleak winter for the government – and the latest
Morgan Poll has just lowered the temperature.

Morgan has primary support for the government down 2.5 points to 39.5%, and Labor’s up one point to 42%.

If preferences were distributed as they
were at the 2004 election the two-party preferred vote would be 53% for
Labor, compared to 47% for the Coalition.

Still, the vast majority of voters believe
the Coalition remain the poll favourites, with 61.5% of respondents
saying the government would be returned at the next election. Meanwhile, they’re
looking differently at Labor. 26.5% – up 4.5% – tipped Labor,
while 12% couldn’t say.

The poll was taken before Kim Beazley pledged to abolish Australian
Workplace Agreements if Labor wins office at the next federal election.