Updated
Trade Minister Craig Emerson has played down a new poll showing four Labor seats in western Sydney could fall to the Coalition in September's federal election.
According to the survey of 2,550 voters, published in today's Fairfax newspapers, the Labor seats of McMahon, Werriwa, Chifley and Blaxland would be lost if an election were held now.
The poll predicts double-digit swings, with the safest two seats of Chifley and Blaxand both having been retained by Labor at the 2010 election with margins of over 12 per cent.
Blaxland is held by Labor frontbencher Jason Clare and Chifley by first-termer Ed Husic.
The poll also shows Labor's vote in all four seats would be higher if Kevin Rudd returned to the leadership, with the safest seats even possibly returning to a winning margin.
Dr Emerson says the survey is automated and does not compare with more regularly published opinion polls.
He says Labor's leadership is settled and talked up Prime Minister Julia Gillard's five-day swing through western Sydney, which begins tomorrow.
"We know that there are issues in western Sydney, so we've got in the Prime Minister, someone who is tough as teak," he told ABC News 24.
"[She's] got a view for the long-term interests of the people, not only of the people of western Sydney, but of the nation as a whole - even if from time to time that's not the most popular thing."
He said the visit is not a last-minute bid to shore up votes but an opportunity to talk through important issues of policy.
"Some people will have an adverse view," Dr Emerson said.
"Other people, and I do know I think the people of western Sydney, some of them will be saying it's a good thing that the PM is spending some real time there.
"Not just half a day or a day, but an extended period of time, and they'll welcome it."
Dr Emerson also took a swipe at the Coalition and premiers of Queensland and Victoria over their opposition to the Government's school funding changes.
Queensland and Victoria have both announced their intentions to ignore the Gonski funding model in favour of their own plans.
In a speech last night, Treasurer Wayne Swan accused Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of inciting Liberal state governments to undermine the national plan.
Dr Emerson says Mr Abbott and the premiers must put politics aside and sign up.
"Let's not politicise this. Let's keep the politics out of it," he said.
"That's what I ask of Mr Abbott, [Victorian Premier] Mr [Ted] Bailleu, and of course Mr Campbell Newman up in Queensland, who is completely preoccupied with privatising everything, including some of the schools in Queensland."
Topics: federal-government, federal-elections, government-and-politics, blacktown-2148, nsw, australia
First posted
No comments:
Post a Comment