Polls show Labor could win majority, Dutton’s favour slips

Majority government could be within reach for Anthony Albanese as Labor opens up its lead over the Coalition after week one of the federal election campaign.

With just weeks until Australians take to the ballot boxes, Labor is leading the Coalition 52 to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Newspoll shows.

The result is a percentage point improvement for Labor since the previous Newspoll was published on March 30.

Polls show Labor could win majority, Dutton’s favour slips

Majority government could be within reach for Anthony Albanese as Labor opens up its lead over the Coalition after week one of the federal election campaign.

With just weeks until Australians take to the ballot boxes, Labor is leading the Coalition 52 to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Newspoll shows.

The result is a percentage point improvement for Labor since the previous Newspoll was published on March 30.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/federal-election-2025-live-updates-dutton-dumps-controversial-plans-to-axe-bureaucrats-trump-s-tariff-war-will-hit-budget-hard-

 

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

David Solomon

Strong can be wrong

 

Are voters really influenced by their view of which of the party leaders is the stronger? Peter Dutton obviously thinks so; for a year and more he has been attacking Anthony Albanese in almost every speech and utterance as being “weak” and trying to persuade voters that he himself was strong.

It’s part of his campaign rhetoric too – “weak as water”, last Sunday, is the latest. That followed “limp-wristed” a few days earlier, a homophobic slur that was called out by some Teals as well as by Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

For at least six months, commentators and columnists have been echoing this same refrain. It got to the point where the prime minister at his first major event this year — an appearance before the National Press Club — was asked to comment on the accusation that he was weak.

He responded strongly (that word — but everyone in the audience seemed to agree) first by saying how strong he had been in adopting the stage 3 tax cuts for all taxpayers instead of the cuts in the original LNP package he inherited — but which he had said at the election he would not reject) which benefitted only high-income earners.

He then said that weakness was what had been displayed by Dutton in refusing all invitations to appear before the National Press Club where he would be questioned by journalists from the press gallery. Dutton, notoriously, gives few media conferences in Canberra, preferring locations elsewhere where his interlocuters are mainly locals not necessarily up to speed with the latest political dramas.

Dutton’s “strong” dialogue is clearly directed primarily at male voters. Whether it carries as much electoral weight for women voters may be doubted. However the Coalition doesn’t appear to be concerned. Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has dumped on Albanese saying he “would be the guy hiding in the toilets” during a bar fight – this because he hadn’t been strong enough in resisting Trump over tariffs.

The real problem with this language, however, is that the dichotomy it invites us to make our political judgments upon is largely irrelevant. It ignores and distracts us from considering more important issues such as whether the “weak or strong” leaders and the “weak or strong” policies that have been adopted or proposed are right or wrong, good or bad, appropriate, timely, affordable, in the national interest or not.

Albanese made no secret of his political strategy ahead of the last elections – don’t scare the horses, avoid being wedged. Weak, yes. But a political strategy designed to avoid antagonising voters who wanted to get rid of Scott Morrison and the Coalition Government. His eye was on winning a second term, which meant he would follow the same policy approach after he won government.

Weak, yes. Disappointing, undoubtedly, for many Labor voters who thought their party would implement more of its platform when it gained office. Policy free, largely, though he did rack up some policy successes in areas such as health, education, welfare, childcare, etc. But it also meant failing to fully deliver over the National Anti-Corruption Commission, protection of the environment and elsewhere. And he avoided facing up to problems such as AUKUS and the nuclear submarines which he had put in the two-hard basket while in Opposition.

Despite all of this, come the election he presents a united team – notwithstanding Opposition efforts to make Tanya Plibersek rebel. No defections, no leaks from cabinet or even from caucus. Some disquiet over the failure to address gambling and some other issues, but very little. On the other hand, Dutton has had to lecture his team about leaks and dissent, despite his strong-man image.

Strong can be wrong. Dutton’s exemplar, Donald Trump, who treats his allies, friends and neighbours as enemies, demonstrates that failing on a daily basis. Indeed, it seems that Dutton is beginning to suffer electorally for the growing public concern about Trump and the policies he has espoused and is putting into effect, policies which Dutton and his backers, such as Gina Rinehart, until now, had wanted to appropriate and apply in Australia.

https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/04/strong-can-be-wrong/

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

Dutton hesitant on domestic violence commission

By Olivia Ireland

 

 

Dutton has given a hesitant answer on whether there should be a royal commission for domestic violence, steering back from a previous pledge.

In May last year, the opposition leader pledged a royal commission if one is required to unearth the evidence to end men’s violence against women, particularly in Indigenous communities.

At the time, Dutton said there was a “strong argument” for a federal inquiry.

Speaking this morning on 4BC, Dutton was asked if he would still commit to a royal commission into domestic violence as the interviewer referred to his pledge when he last spoke to 4BC.

“I probably said during that interview, whatever it takes to reduce domestic violence in our country,” he said.

Asked again if he would commit to a royal commission, Dutton said: “I think change is certainly required and I think we need to do more and I think we need to identify where good programs are making a difference and identify what’s working and put more money into those programs.”

A bit of back and forth happens as Dutton repeats he believes change is required, before saying: “If a royal commission is required, then yes, but whatever we can do to reduce violence against women and children and make our community safer.”

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/federal-election-2025-live-updates-dutton-doubles-down-against-hate-media-labor-to-give-2b-to-states-to-build-more-homes-20250428-p5luxj.html

 

READ FROM TOP.

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.