TONY Abbott has fired the first shot in this week's war for western Sydney as Julia Gillard gears up for a five-day tour to reconnect with the Labor heartland and salvage support in once-safe seats.
The opposition leader descended on Campbelltown on Saturday, pledging to solve the area's transport woes and tackle crime as new polling highlighted just how hard the prime minister will need to work during her own visit.
The Fairfax Media/ReachTEL poll found the government is on track to lose the seats of Chifley, Blaxland, McMahon and Werriwa to the Liberals at the September 14 election. All four would normally be considered safe.
Such a result would result in frontbenchers Chris Bowen and Jason Clare and backbenchers Laurie Ferguson and Ed Husic being booted from parliament, in addition to Labor MPs in more marginal seats like Lindsay's David Bradbury.
And in particularly worrying news for Ms Gillard, the poll of 2550 voters spread across the four seats finds the collapse in Labor's support is due in large part to negative perceptions of her leadership.
Mr Abbott sought to highlight the local MPs' failings too.
"You've got Chris Bowen, who couldn't stop the boats. You've got Jason Clare, who can't stop the guns. And you've got David Bradbury, who wants to attack people's superannuation," Mr Abbott told reporters at Leumeah train station.
He rejected suggestions his visit to Campbelltown was aimed at stealing the spotlight from Ms Gillard.
"I know Sydney, I'm not a tourist in Sydney and this is my 47th visit since the election to western Sydney," he said.
Mr Abbott will return to the area in the coming days and says he will stop in at the Rooty Hill RSL - next door to where the PM is staying - on Monday at the invitation of a breakfast television program.
While Ms Gillard had no public appearances on Saturday, Trade Minister Craig Emerson sought to downplay the latest poll, suggesting it could not be trusted because it was automated, unlike the better known Newspoll and Nielsen.
"The people who are more likely to respond to those polls are the ones who have got a particular adverse view," Dr Emerson told ABC television on Saturday.
Former Labor leader Mark Latham, who lives in Sydney's west, says the party has lost touch with the area. He says the old working class is steadily vanishing and being replaced by more aspirational voters.
"And unless Labor understands that it too will vanish," he told Sky News.
Labor holds Chifley on a margin of 12.3, Blaxland on 12.2, McMahon on 7.8 per cent and Werriwa on 6.8 per cent. The poll suggests a leadership switch to Kevin Rudd could keep Chifley and Blaxland in Labor's hands.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Abbott and PM descend on western Sydney
Dengan url
http://mesinjahitan.blogspot.com/2013/03/abbott-and-pm-descend-on-western-sydney.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Abbott and PM descend on western Sydney
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Abbott and PM descend on western Sydney
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar