Australian PM's popularity slips ahead of APEC
Prime Minister John Howard's popularity has fallen further behind his main political rival as he prepares to host Pacific Rim leaders at their annual summit, an opinion poll said Tuesday.
By Agencies |
SYDNEY: Prime Minister John Howard's popularity has fallen further behind his main political rival as he prepares to host Pacific Rim leaders at their annual summit, an opinion poll said Tuesday.
Chairing the high-powered Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting this week _ a highlight of his 11 years in office _ is expected to be Howard's last major function before he calls elections, likely next month or November.
But the run-up to the event has given Howard no boost with voters, who have consistently ranked him behind opposition leader Kevin Rudd in opinion polls all year.
A Newspoll published in The Australian national newspaper Tuesday found support for Howard's coalition government had slipped from 45 per cent to 41 per cent in two weeks while Rudd's Labor Party increased from 55 percent to 59 per cent.
Rudd's ranking as preferred prime minister rose 2 percentage points to 48 percent while Howard's slipped by the same amount to 37 per cent.
Howard told Sky News television: ``It's a very bad poll for the coalition.''
He declined to give any clues to the election timing, other than to say it would be ``well before Christmas.''
US President George W Bush was scheduled to meet Rudd on the sidelines of APEC Thursday to urge the Labor leader to rethink his election pledge of withdrawing Australia's combat troops from Iraq.
Howard sent 2,000 troops to support US and British forces in the Iraq invasion in 2003. He has promised the 1,600 Australian troops who remain in and around Iraq will stay as long as they are needed.
Howard, who refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, hopes to boost his environmental credentials by persuading APEC leaders to adopt a new approach to climate change.
But APEC delegates appear divided this week on the issue. The Newspoll was based on a nationwide random telephone survey of 1,147 adults at the weekend. It has a 3 percentage point margin of error.
Chairing the high-powered Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting this week _ a highlight of his 11 years in office _ is expected to be Howard's last major function before he calls elections, likely next month or November.
But the run-up to the event has given Howard no boost with voters, who have consistently ranked him behind opposition leader Kevin Rudd in opinion polls all year.
A Newspoll published in The Australian national newspaper Tuesday found support for Howard's coalition government had slipped from 45 per cent to 41 per cent in two weeks while Rudd's Labor Party increased from 55 percent to 59 per cent.
Rudd's ranking as preferred prime minister rose 2 percentage points to 48 percent while Howard's slipped by the same amount to 37 per cent.
Howard told Sky News television: ``It's a very bad poll for the coalition.''
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He declined to give any clues to the election timing, other than to say it would be ``well before Christmas.''
US President George W Bush was scheduled to meet Rudd on the sidelines of APEC Thursday to urge the Labor leader to rethink his election pledge of withdrawing Australia's combat troops from Iraq.
Howard sent 2,000 troops to support US and British forces in the Iraq invasion in 2003. He has promised the 1,600 Australian troops who remain in and around Iraq will stay as long as they are needed.
Howard, who refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, hopes to boost his environmental credentials by persuading APEC leaders to adopt a new approach to climate change.
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But APEC delegates appear divided this week on the issue. The Newspoll was based on a nationwide random telephone survey of 1,147 adults at the weekend. It has a 3 percentage point margin of error.
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