Last week I said I could not vote for Bill Shorten to lead this country. This week a Fairfax Media focus group study revealed middle Australia feels the same. But nor do they like Tony Abbott.
What middle Australia does like is ‘stability’, and for that reason alone it appears we will vote for Tony Abbott when push comes to shove.
Researcher Tony Michelmore is reported in the Sydney Morning Herald:
“Tony Abbott may be personally unpopular among middle ground voters but the group that broke from the ALP at the 2013 election is not coming back to Bill Shorten, with many regarding him as a ranting puppet obsessed with political point scoring, and lacking in charisma”.
“If the question is, ‘Who is your preferred leader out of Bishop, Turnbull or Abbott?’, then Abbott is a long way last. However if the question is ‘Who do you want: Turnbull, Bishop or stability?’, stability wins”.
Most of us men and women in the street are not dumb. We know from our own budgets we need a steady household environment and income to make plans and to get anywhere.
We remember the chaos that was Labor that we are paying the price for now – it was only two years ago.
Yes, we want budget action that will repair past damage done but we don’t want ‘unfair’ policies based on political ideology.
I run a small business. I had to employ people to get started and we are paying small suppliers who are doing the same. If we don’t feel confident that the world is relatively stable, we won’t feel we can afford to take these risks.
This is why dumb actions by politicians of both colours drives me crazy. Creating uncertainty and scepticism about the future, undermines our future. And today’s world for my kids who are trying to make a place for themselves.
What ‘two words’ did people in the Fairfax Media research focus groups use to describe their views on the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition? Well…
Bill Shorten:
- Unknown and uncharacteristic
- Loose wire
- Tacky and fake
- Dog with bone
- Unpolished and typical
- Populist and unionist
- Passionate and complicated
- Dull
- Dull personality
- Spineless and boring
- Weak and unimaginative
Tony Abbott:
- Unimpressive and blokey
- Lizard
- Doofus
- Guarded and misleading
- Conservative and guarded
- Average and bumbling
- Dull and puppet
- Ugly and annoying
- Idiot, full of promises
- Measured and misunderstood
- 20th century mentality
Not a great list for either.
Yes, we want stability with the caveat that we don’t want ‘Captain’s calls’.
Yes, we want budget action that will repair past damage done but we don’t want ‘unfair’ policies based on political ideology.
And we want a vision for the future and a plan on how to achieve it. Can a stable Tony Abbott deliver this vital leadership component?
What do you think?
