Not much joy for the Liberal-National coalition and the Labor Party in today's political research news. In
The Australian Newspoll had the two parties share of the vote at just 72%. That's five percentage points down on the share at the last election. And in
The Sydney Morning Herald a report on what focus groups have found about the current feeling of voters towards the big two had this to say:
The distaste for both major parties did seem to create an opportunity for the minor parties; One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and independent senator Derryn Hinch were praised for speaking their minds. Some voters named the Greens as a potential alternative yet none could name the party leader, Richard Di Natale, nor his predecessor.
No hint there of a change in the long-term trend that has seen a steady shrinking of the support for Australia's major parties.
Major party first preference votes | | |
(House of Representatives) | | |
Period | Number of elections | Average major party vote |
1950s | 4 | 94.2 |
1960s | 4 | 90.5 |
1970s | 4 | 92.4 |
1980s | 4 | 92.2 |
1990s | 4 | 84.4 |
2000s | 3 | 83.6 |
2010s | 3 | 79.1 |
The decline is even more pronounced in Senate voting figures.
Major party first preference votes | | |
(Senate) | | |
Period | Number of elections | Average major party vote |
1940s | 1 | 95.3 |
1950s | 4 | 92.0 |
1960s | 3 | 88.3 |
1970s | 4 | 86.7 |
1980s | 4 | 84.4 |
1990s | 4 | 80.5 |
2000s | 3 | 78.8 |
2010s | 3 | 68.9 |
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