Focus groups it seems regard the 30 newspoll issue as inconsequential and basically most don’t believe anyone is going to knife Turnbull! Seems the electorate is wise and realises that Turnbull is the Coalitions biggest asset and in any event the appetite for revolving door PMs is not their. Turnbull is safe!
'No-one's going to knife Turnbull'
If Labor held Batman, Mr Shorten would be in a better position to exploit Malcolm Turnbull's passing 30 consecutive negative Newspolls which will happen within weeks, unless there is an unexpected improvement (he is up to 28).
But if the views of these soft voters are any guide, there is little interest in this benchmark among ordinary people.
They were perplexed that it was even raised as an issue in the discussion.
They don't think there is anyone waiting in the wings to oust Mr Turnbull, or any momentum for a change of leadership, especially when compared with the very public awareness of internal Liberal manoeuvrings when Tony Abbott was overthrown.
PHOTO: The voters were perplexed Mr Turnbull's negative Newspolls were even raised as an issue. (ABC News: Jed Cooper)
"No one's going to knife him", one participant said, while another asked rhetorically: "Who could take over?"
One younger male did note that the Opposition would be "merciless", making Mr Turnbull's life "hell" in Parliament's question time.
But the 30 Newspoll benchmark may loom a good deal larger in the minds of politicians — especially that of Abbott — and the media than with voters.
Michelle Grattan is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Canberra and chief political correspondent at The Conversation. This article first appeared in The Conversation.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-16/grattan-what-batman-soft-voters-say-about-bill-shorten/9554454
