NSW election 2015: ALP radar fails to pick up young Greens

Labor Party figures are concerned internal polling in inner-city and far north coast seats failed to measure support for the Greens.

Labor Party figures are concerned internal polling undertaken in inner-city and far north coast seats failed to measure strong support for the Greens and wrongly predicted they would be won by Labor.

Party sources have told The Australian internal polling, which consistently showed Labor ahead in Newtown, Balmain and Ballina, and close in Lismore, was not able to accurately gauge young Green voters who don’t have a fixed address or landline.

In the campaign, Labor used ReachTEL automated phone polls in key marginal seats, which often have a low response rate, alongside more traditional pollster UMR.

“We just can’t poll these places accurately at low cost,” a Labor strategist said. “It’s too hard. The figures skew towards older voters on landlines and miss younger voters who travel around and use mobile phones.”

The Labor vote in Ballina rose by 13 per cent but the party came third with 24.9 per cent after the Greens on 26.5 per cent. Labor was also coming third in Lismore, with 25.3 per cent after a 12.3 per cent gain, but below the Greens on 29.2 per cent. The seat is still in play.

In Newtown, Labor is stunned at support for the Greens, who nearly won the seat on primary votes, polling 46.4 per cent to Labor’s 30.5 per cent. In Balmain, the Greens vote rose to 37.4 per cent and Labor ran second on 32 per cent.