The Coalition is – as it should be – making significant inroads against Rudd and Labor. A 5% swing to The Coalition since March and back to the narrow margin of the 2007 poll. Labor leads the Coalition by 53% to 47%, down from the 58-42 gap in the [...]]]> The Herald /Neilson poll shows promising news for the Coalition.

The Coalition is – as it should be – making significant inroads against Rudd and Labor. A 5% swing to The Coalition since March and back to the narrow margin of the 2007 poll. Labor leads the Coalition by 53% to 47%, down from the 58-42 gap in the previous poll. The Coalition made up 9  points in the crucial primary vote. Labor’s primary vote fell 3 points to 44% while support for the Coalition rose 6 to 43%.

This is despite general satisfaction with the budget. Six out 10 were unhappy with the decision to raise the retirement age to 67.

Rudd’s approval rating has fallen 10 points to 64% while his disapproval rose 10 points to 32%. Mr Turnbull’s approval rating stayed steady at 43%, as did his disapproval rating of 47%.

Rudd still leads his rival as preferred PM but by 9 points less than 2 months ago. Rudd’s preferred PM rating fell 5 points to 64%. Mr Turnbull’s rose 4 points to 28%.

The Coalition will get more votes highlighting debt and deficit issues. There are votes in emphasising the Rudd-Swan team buffoonery.  So far these issues have not driven polls.  The normally sensible Brian at LP gets it wrong when the switch is attributed to a ‘big lie’ regarding debt and the deficit in the budget – on the contrary the budget was well-received.  The Labor cheer squad who wriggled around with comments on the uncomfortable poll trends missed this point too.

The tragedy of it all overwhelms me.