I have pasted the article, as there are some good points throughout it.
THE Liberal National Party has staged a recovery in the first week of the Queensland election campaign, but Campbell Newman continues to wrestle with his unpopularity among voters.
Since the Queensland Premier called the first January election in Australia in more than a century, the Newman government has lifted from being neck-and-neck with Labor before Christmas to holding a six-percentage-point lead on preferences. According to a Newspoll, taken exclusively for The Weekend Australian from Tuesday to Thursday, the LNP is on 53 per cent to Labor’s 47 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis. The Newman government’s gains have come at the expense of minor parties and independents.
Despite the improved support for the LNP government, which still faces the loss of a swath of seats after its record 2012 election win, Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk is closing the gap as preferred premier.
The polling indicates a 10 per cent swing to Labor which, if uniform, could cost the LNP more than 20 of the 73 seats it holds in the 89-seat unicameral parliament. The government can afford the net loss of 28 seats and still retain power. Under that swing, Mr Newman’s seat of Ashgrove, which he holds by 5.7 per cent, would be reclaimed by former Labor incumbent Kate Jones.
With three weeks to the January 31 poll, the LNP’s primary support has jumped by five points to 42 per cent since the October-December Newspoll, while Labor gained just one point to 37 per cent.
The Greens are down three points to 7 per cent, and other minor parties — including the Palmer United Party and independents — have collectively fallen three points to 13 per cent.
Mr Newman, recruited into state politics for the 2012 election because of his popularity as Brisbane lord mayor, continues to struggle, with his net satisfaction rating remaining in negative territory for a year. Despite some undecided voters warming to the Premier, who last year offered a mea culpa for his combative leadership style, 51 per cent remained dissatisfied with his performance.
His satisfaction rating rose three points to 41 per cent. Ms Palaszczuk lost ground in personal approval: 38 per cent were satisfied with her performance, unchanged from the previous poll, but her dissatisfaction rating rose four points to 38 per cent. Worryingly for the LNP leader, his rival is closing the gap on the measure of better premier. Ms Palaszczuk gained three points since the previous Newspoll to rate as preferred premier among 38 per cent of voters, with Mr Newman losing two points to 42 per cent.
LNP supporters are the most committed at this stage of the campaign, with 63 per cent saying they are locked in, compared with 50 per cent of Labor voters. Amost half of all voters believe the Newman government will be returned, with 31 per cent believing Labor can win after one term in opposition.
