Dr Kevin Bonham has a post Abbott Fastest Ever To Lose Poll Lead with this helpful advance summary:

• 1. Following the recent Newspoll, the new Abbott Government has lost the two-party preferred polling lead.

• 2. This does not necessarily mean the government would lose an election if one was held now.

• 3. The Abbott Government has lost the 2PP polling lead much faster than any other new government elected from Opposition in federal polling history.

• 4. Tony Abbott has also recorded negative personal ratings much faster than any new PM elected from Opposition in federal polling history.

• 5. While polling taken at this stage has very little if any predictive value, governments that have lost the lead very early in their terms have a historically greater risk of defeat at the next election.

• 6. Bill Shorten’s polling as Opposition Leader appears good, but is nothing unusual by the standards of other Opposition Leaders at the same stages of their careers.

• 7. Furthermore the strength or otherwise of an Opposition Leader’s personal polling after only two months in the job has no relationship with their success at later elections.

I’ll leave you to read the rest. Continue reading Analysing the polls →