Julie Gillard's polling reaches record low in Queensland, Kevin Rudd last Labor MP left standing

• Steven Scott
• From: The Courier-Mail
• August 29, 2011 12:00AM

Source: The Courier-Mail

Kevin Rudd would be the only federal Labor MP left in Queensland if an election was called, an exclusive poll reveals. 

A year after Julia Gillard formed minority government, her support has crashed to a record low in the Sunshine State. In the worst result ever recorded in a Galaxy poll for The Courier-Mail, Labor was backed by just 23 per cent of the state's voters last week.

The plunge in support for Labor represents a slump of more than 10 percentage points since the election on August 21 last year. Support for the Liberal National Party has surged to 55 per cent, up more than seven points.

If the results are replicated at the next election, the Coalition would win by 63 per cent to 37 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

These figures would see an 8 per cent swing against the Government - a move that would leave Kevin Rudd the last Labor MP standing in Queensland, assuming a uniform swing across the state.

Mr Rudd continues to outpoll Ms Gillard as preferred Labor leader in Queensland, securing 62 per cent support compared to only 18 per cent for the Prime Minister. Ms Gillard has also stagnated in the preferred prime minister stakes, with 37 per cent support against Tony Abbott. But the Opposition Leader's support base has also fallen slightly - three points - since the last poll in May to 50 per cent.

The poll of 800 voters across Queensland last Wednesday and Thursday nights came after a week in which Labor was rocked by worsening developments in the sex and fraud allegations surrounding backbencher Craig Thomson.

Labor is struggling with increasing voter anger about the perceived influence of the Greens and the independents.

Almost a year after Ms Gillard secured backing from independents Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie to form a government, 56 per cent of Queensland voters said the minority government was "worse than expected".

This is more than double the 24 per cent who feared the hung Parliament would be worse than expected in a Galaxy poll conducted in late November last year.

There is also a growing fear in Queensland electorates about the role of the Greens in the Parliament.

Almost two-thirds of voters - and 41 per cent of Labor voters - say the Greens have too much influence on the Government. In a similar poll in February, voters were split over whether the Greens had too much influence.

"The problem for the Federal Government is the growing sense of disillusionment with the minority government," Galaxy chief executive David Briggs said.

Calls for an early election have increased, with 69 per cent of voters saying they want to elect a majority government.

But they also expressed dissatisfaction with both parties, with 60 per cent of Labor supporters and 66 per cent of LNP supporters saying their vote was determined by not wanting to see the other party in power rather than a liking for the candidate.

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