Support for Labor steadies,despite dip in Palaszczuk’s popularity

The news

Voter support for Queensland Labor has steadied,despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s personal popularity falling further against still comparatively unknown LNP leader David Crisafulli.

And while the LNP holds a lead over Labor on primary voting intentions (37 per cent to 33 per cent),the gap has tightened in the latest four-month snapshot by Resolve Strategic forBrisbane Times.

A one percentage point shift in support from the LNP to Labor since the last poll is within the margin of error.

Crisafulli’s lead over Palaszczuk as preferred premier among the almost three-quarters of respondents with a view has widened from one percentage point to five (39 per cent to 34 per cent).

The net likeability of the major parties’ leaders – the balance of favourable and unfavourable views among those who knew them enough to rate – also widened,with Crisafulli at nine and Palaszczuk at -17.

However,still only 62 per cent of survey respondents had heard of Crisafulli,while a third said they would park their vote with minor parties or independents.

Expand

Why it matters

While support for Labor and Palaszczuk had been on a downward trend this year and was well below 2020 election levels,party support remained steady in the latest polling.

Still some 10 months out from the October 2024 election,the latest survey offers a picture of voters’ thoughts on political parties and key leaders between September and December amid the national Voice voteand its fallout,including Crisafulli’s backtrack on LNP support for thestate Path to Treaty.

Related Article

Perspective

Government

The MPs who played up most this year (and what it says about the next)

State-based debate over the key issues ofcrime,housing,andhealth have continued. As have discussions about thefederal infrastructure review andsouth-east water security.

In the months since thelast polling for Brisbane Times,the major parties have laid out more details abouttheir focus for the year ahead:the LNP via its “right priorities” document and Labor through looming bills and inquiries to highlight issues from energy tobipartisan efforts at justice reform.

Where to from here

Despite this,internal Labor grumblings about Palaszczuk’s leadership in her third term as premier have been seized upon by the LNP and somesections of the media.

Related Article

Perspective

Queensland votes

Major parties lay out their election-year plans. How will they get your vote?

While state parliament has wrapped up until mid-February,the major parties are already deep in aslow-burn quasi-election campaign.

Statewide council elections in March,incorporating Australia’s largest and perhaps most overtly political council – Brisbane – will further intensify campaigning in the capital before October,including that ofthe Greens.

By the numbers

A breakdown of primary voting intentions shows the most significant voter differences are along age lines – under-55s are more likely to support non-major parties before Labor and the LNP (in that order) – and employment status,with 54 per cent of retirees backing the LNP.

Behind our reporting

Resolve Strategic,which conducts polls forBrisbane Times,The Sydney Morning HeraldandThe Age,surveyed registered Queensland voters at several points across four months before giving us their findings.

This round,between mid-September and the end of last week,had a sample size of 940,with a 3.2 per cent margin of error.

Get the inside word on the news,sport,food,people and places Brisbane is talking about.Sign up for our City Talk newsletter here.