Voters in eight electorates across Australia reveal what they really think of ScoMo and Albo
A voter survey in eight battleground seats across Australia has brutally exposed the huge problems both the Liberal and Labor leaders need to overcome.
National
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More than one in four Aussies in some battleground areas cannot name Labor leader Anthony Albanese, and the cost of living is the number one topic of concern going in to the May 21 election, a snapshot of 400 voters has revealed.
News Corp spoke to voters in eight electorates across the country to ask people what really matters to them – with sobering results for the parties and their leaders.
While 96 per cent of voters surveyed identified the Prime Minister, just 72 per cent were able to name the Opposition Leader, and in some electorates, that proportion was even lower.
In Boothby (SA), one in three of the 50 voters interviewed could not name Anthony Albanese; in Petrie (Qld), the proportion was 38 per cent; and in Capricornia (Qld) it was almost one in two.
But there were ominous signs for the Coalition.
With 17 per cent of all voters naming cost of living as their number one concern, 36 per cent of respondents said they believed Labor would be more likely to help, compared to 27 per cent who said the Coalition.
The economy, climate change and national security were the next most pressing concerns, each nominated by 10 per cent of respondents.
Wilma Stevens in the seat of Hughes (NSW) said climate change and a federal integrity commission were among the issues she cared about.
“We need greater integrity and accountability in politics. We need transparency in where donations come from. We need greater truth in advertising and less sledging the other side and more talk about policies,” she said.
Asked who they would prefer as Prime Minister, voters in the swing seats of Braddon (Tas), Hughes (NSW) and Chisholm (Vic) chose Mr Albanese, while in Boothby, Petrie and Corangamite (Vic), Mr Morrison was the clear favourite.
But support for the Prime Minister was often qualified.
“Scott Morrison isn’t perfect, but who is?” said Kim Kara, a frequent Liberal voter in Boothby.
In the ultra-marginal Liberal-held seat of Chisholm (Vic), voters surveyed preferred the Labor leader. Blackburn North’s Christina McIntosh said Mr Albanese was “a compassionate and intelligent man” and Blackburn’s Betty, who didn’t give her surname, said she thought he “looks to me as more of a genuine leader”.
Voters surveyed in Braddon in Tasmania were unimpressed with either the prime minister or opposition leader when asked who they thought should be prime minister.
Out of 50 interview respondents just 13 said Anthony Albanese and 10 said Scott Morrison.
Penguin resident Mitch Edwick said he would be voting for the Liberals, as only they had the “business nous” to return the budget to surplus.
While the vox pop interviews reflected normal partisan gripes, they also picked up a very significant proportion of voters who said they had given up on both major parties.
Which party would help most with the cost of living? One in five (21 per cent) said neither Labor or the Coalition. The figures were similar when asked about the economy (19 per cent) and national security (17 per cent).
In Capricornia, Madison Dargusch said neither party could be trusted to manage the economy.
“I don’t think either of the major parties have the interests of the people at all,” she said.
In Corangamite, Deb Caruana said she had lost all faith.
“I used to really value that we had a vote, and that we had representation there, but I don’t feel represented. I tried very hard to watch (interviews) and hear what the leaders had to say, and I feel like they diverted everything. They diverted all the questions, they did not answer,” she said.
The sense of frustration was also apparent in the number of voters who name checked leaders of the past, including Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull.
In John Howard’s former seat of Bennelong, memories of the longstanding Liberal leader were still strong.
“He was such a reliable Prime Minister. He was the best, best ever,” said Angela Abboud.
Despite being a Liberal voter, the Putney resident was lukewarm towards Scott Morrison, initially answering with “none’’ when asked to name her preferred leader.
‘BRING BACK JOHN HOWARD’
They’re the voters in former prime minister John Howard’s seat of Bennelong, and if some voters had their way, he would still be in office.
“Bring back John Howard,’’ Angela Abboud, 52, said. “He had so much surplus … He was the best, best ever. I never go for Labor. You can’t rely on them plus they suck the economy dry.”
Despite being a Liberal voter, the Putney resident is lukewarm towards Scott Morrison, initially answering with “none’’ when asked to name her preferred leader.
Meanwhile, Ryde resident Jacob said Covid was still the most significant issue for the electorate.
He said Mr Albanese and Mr Morrison would be faced with an uphill battle if they expected to win on identity politics.
“I couldn’t tell you either of their names,” he said. “My preferred prime minister would still be John Howard.”
However, Ryde mother Shana Maeder said the housing affordability crisis was a major concern for the Bennelong electorate.
Ms Maeder said she was convinced the Labor Party handled the economy better than the Liberals.
ALBO WHO?
A quarter of voters don’t know the name of Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, and a third of people who want to see a Labor prime minister after the election would prefer it to be Tanya Plibersek or Penny Wong.
More voters trust Labor than the Coalition to provide cost-of-living relief and manage national security.
These are some of the findings of a snapshot conducted on April 3 by The Mercury in the northwest coast town of Penguin, population about 8000, which, for the past seven federal elections, has broken the way of the party which went on to form government. News Corp surveyed 50 people at random.
Mitch Edwick, aged in his 60s, said he believed only the Liberals had the “business nous” to return the budget to surplus and start paying down the debt incurred in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
Labor, he said – and Mr Edwick has been a union member – was only interested in “class warfare”.
But bartender Bjorn Worpel, aged in his 30s, said: “I don’t think the neoliberal direction (the Liberals) go in really works for anyone apart from rich people. Some people become more right-leaning as they get older, I’ve gone the opposite way.”
NO PROBS WITH SCOMO
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has emerged as preferred prime minister in several of the most marginally held Victorian seats.
A survey around the Blackburn High School booth found 40 per cent of participants had Mr Albanese as the preferred prime minister.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison received 28 per cent of the vote, while the remaining 32 per cent didn’t back either man.
Leader polled 50 shoppers who lived in suburbs including Blackburn, Blackburn North, Box Hill, Box Hill North, Forest Hill and Canterbury.
The suburbs all lie within seats held by the Liberals by no more than a seven per cent margin, including Chisholm (0.5 per cent), Deakin (4.7 per cent), Kooyong (6.4 per cent) and Menzies (7.0 per cent).
Blackburn North’s Christina McIntosh said Mr Albanese was “a compassionate and intelligent man”.
Box Hill North trader Gina Menelaou said she would be backing Mr Morrison.
“I’ve got no problems with Scott Morrison, as a small business I think we’ve been looked after pretty fairly,” she said.
IT’S ALL ABOUT TRUST
In the town of Sarina near the blockbuster Capricornia booth of Swayneville, Labor and the LNP are on the nose.
Voters of all ages expressed keen scepticism towards the major parties and often only picked one over the other when pressed to do so.
The Swayneville booth has successfully picked the winning government on each occasion since 2004, and in 2022 the booth is signalling that trust in standard politics is disintegrating.
Madison Dargusch, a cafe worker at Third Ground coffee house on Central St, said the cost of living and stagnating wages was the issue closest to her in this election.
She said the rental crisis was particularly brutal and rent costs chewed up at least 50 per cent of her weekly income.
When asked to choose between Labor and the LNP on who could best be trusted to manage the economy, she responded: “Can I say neither?”
“I’m probably one of the more opinionated people to answer these questions,” Ms Dargusch said.
“But I don’t think either of the major parties have the interests of the people at all.”
‘LEAST BAD’ OPTION
While health and cost of living are high on Seacombe Gardens voters’ agendas, what might decide the federal election is which potential prime minister is the “least bad”.
The result of the Seacombe Heights booth within SA’s most marginal electorate of Boothby may well decide the seat, but a majority of voters The Messenger polled don’t like Scott Morrison or don’t know who the Opposition Leader is.
And they think neither are up to the task of leading the country.
While Mr Morrison edged Anthony Albanese 14 to 11 when it came to the preferred PM, 16 said neither were capable and a further seven were undecided.
Oaklands Park resident Ainsley Jessop did not trust either party and said people had lost faith in the federal government.
“Both parties make promises and when they can’t fulfil them, they say they weren’t given the appropriate information by the other party,” Ms Jessop said. Having experienced homelessness herself, she said mental health and homelessness were the most important issues facing Australia.
“People can’t get the proper (mental health) help because it costs a fortune and they can’t afford it, so they self medicate,” she said.
Got a story tip? Email us at federalelection@news.com.au
Know some goss or seen something in your electorate? Contact us at election.confidential@news.com.au
Additional reporting: Duncan Evans, Joanne Vella, Jake McCallum, Alex Treacy, Kiel Egging, Brinley Duggan, Emily Jarvis and Evangeline Polymeneas
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