CANBERRA – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd could lose elections later this year after a dramatic decline in support, two new polls found on Monday, put pressure on the government to achieve an agreement on the new mining tax. Support for the ruling Labour government three points in one month fell to 47 percent on a two-party system based poll Nielsen in Fairfax newspapers found, indicating Rudd is losing votes if he pushes for a controversial 40 percent tax on mining profits.
* Polls show Rudd Australia could lose elections loom
* Mining tax debt for the most recent poll slump
* Rudd stands by mining tax plan
Conservative opposition Tony Abbott was an election winning 53 percent, the poll found, although the Greens were big winners in the fall of the primary support for the Government, up two points in the month to 15 percent.
“The mining tax is National Labor bleeding, not only in the affected areas,” Age newspaper political editor Michelle Grattan wrote. “The results highlight the government need to sort out its final position quickly, but Rudd is no hurry.”
Voters also showed the opposition hardline attitude towards asylum seekers back, while there was also dissatisfaction with the government scrapping a system for carbon emissions.
The financial markets have so far shown little reaction to polls showing a slide in support for Rudd. Sydney’s benchmark share market index fell by around 3 percent. AXJO and the Australian dollar AUD = was under pressure on Monday, but this was mainly due to concerns about the global economy and European debt concerns.
The next election will probably be around October this year and will partly be held on the new mining tax, which Rudd’s strategy to boost retirement income and wipe out the 2012/13 fiscal deficit is based.
There are probably too many differences on key economic policy, but the opposition has promised to give tax if it wins office, while refusing to consider an emissions trading program.
A second poll, a News Poll commissioned by the mining and published in the Australian newspaper, was conducted in nine key marginal seats, and took charge of mining, the next election costs Rudd.
They found 48 percent against the mining tax, but only 28 percent were in favor, while nearly one in three said they were less likely to vote for Labor because of the tax.
The Nielsen survey, despite the decline in government support, Rudd remains the preferred prime minister with 49 percent support compared to 39 percent for Tony Abbott.
Pollster John Stirton said the results showed a protest vote against Rudd signal, but a protest that is big enough to tip Labor out of office if it remained until election day.
Rudd acknowledged that the results on Monday and said he now needed to work harder to explain his policies, although he remained steadfast in its plan for the mining tax, which is due to start in July 2012.
“The reason for this reform, the reason for this major reform to make our economy strong and globally competitive for the future. That is why we do it,” Rudd told Australian radio.
“The other reason is, of course, is to ensure that all Australians a fair share of the funds they receive, the Australian people themselves eventually.”
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