NSW: Govt support at record high: new poll

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2000
NSW: Govt support at record high: new poll

SYDNEY, Dec 7 AAP - The New South Wales Government appears to be enjoying a prolonged
Olympic honeymoon with support for the Labor Party at a record high, according to a new
poll.

The Bulletin-Morgan poll, conducted late October and early November, reveals primary
support for the government has climbed to an unprecedented 53.5 per cent, up 1.5 per cent
from the previous month.

The public support came despite sexual assault allegations against a government MP
and related accusations of a cover-up engineered by the Labor Party's Lower House Speaker.

Primary support for the Liberal/National Party Coalition was stagnant at 29.5 per cent.

On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP increased its lead over the Liberal/National
Party Coalition to a record 27 per cent.

Attempted point scoring by the Liberal Party during November apparently failed to hit
home with voters.

During the period of the poll, the NSW opposition continued to press for an independent
judicial inquiry into sexual assault allegations made by a female member of the Young
Democrats against Lower House backbencher Joe Tripodi.

Opposition leader Kerry Chikarovski also accused Lower House Speaker John Murray of
failing to follow parliamentary procedures when taking action on the alleged assault.

The NSW Labor Party's drive to build support outside its Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle
strongholds was more successful with Country Labor endorsed candidates scoring victories
in council elections in NSW.

The latest poll was conducted face-to-face with 1,325 electors throughout NSW.

AAP jw/sb/gmw/bwl

KEYWORD: POLL NSW

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