Guardian Essential poll finds 43% want Tony Abbott to leave parliament
Only 18% think Abbott should stay in politics and by given a ministry, as Labor pulls ahead to 53-47, two-party preferred
Former prime minister Tony Abbott at the Liberal party democratic reform event in Sydney on Saturday. Photograph: Brendan Esposito/AAP
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**rielle Chan
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Tuesday 4 July 2017 04.00 AESTLast modified on Tuesday 4 July 2017 04.01 AEST
The latest Guardian Essential poll has found nearly half of voters (43%) think Tony Abbott should resign from the parliament as the former prime minister continues to
cause ongoing instability in the Coalition.
The survey, conducted online from 29 June to 3 July, found only 18% thought Abbott should stay in office and be given a place in the Turnbull ministry. A further 14% thought he should stay on the backbench and 24% didn’t know.
Among Coalition voters, the poll of 1,025 respondents found 35% thought Abbott should resign and leave parliament while 25% thought he should stay and be given a ministry. A further 19% thought Abbott should stay on the backbench and 22% didn’t know.
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The polls showed Labor widened its lead over the Coalition 53% to 47% on a two party preferred basis,
up from 52% to 48% recorded for the past four weeks. The primary votes remained largely unchanged, with the Liberals sitting on 35%, the National party on 3%, the Greens on 11%, Nick Xenophon on 3% and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation on 7%.
Twelve months on from the last election, support for marriage equality remains at 63% with those opposed at 25% compared with July 2016, when the corresponding figures were 58% and 28%.
But support remains strong for a plebiscite on same sex marriage, with a total of 59% in support of a national vote and only 29% in support of a vote in parliament by politicians without a plebiscite, while 12% don’t know. Twelve months ago 25% thought same sex marriage should be decided by a vote in parliament compared with 60% who wanted a national vote.
