Beazley no chance for PM - poll
By JOE HILDEBRAND and SUE DUNLEVY
May 17, 2006
KIM Beazley's future as Labor leader is in doubt, with party figures using secret internal polling to lobby for his removal.
The polling – conducted nationally in 24 Coalition-held marginal seats last month – shows voters do not believe Mr Beazley has what it takes to become PM.
As with the dumping of Simon Crean – brought down following the leaking of damaging internal polls – moves are under way to ensure caucus members are made aware of how poorly the public regards Mr Beazley in this most recent internal poll.
"It shows Beazley's unelectable," a source close to the polling said. "He's not connecting."
Its publication followed revelations in The Daily Telegraph that NSW Labor was so fed up with Mr Beazley's performance they were urging union boss Bill Shorten to enter politics immediately to bolster the Labor team.
Mr Beazley spent yesterday with Mr Shorten, meeting miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell in Beaconsfield, and heaped praise on his would-be successor.
While an entry to Parliament before the next election for Mr Shorten is being blocked by sitting member Bob Sercombe – who is worried about losing his superannuation should he leave politics immediately – speculation is mounting of a Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard ticket.
Despite opinion polls showing voter satisfaction with Mr Beazley rising and the ALP polling neck and neck with the Government after a giveaway Budget, MPs claim he is still "on notice". But they said it was unrealistic to expect Mr Shorten to springboard straight to the leadership once he entered Parliament. "Even Bob Hawke didn't do that. No one has ever done that in political history," one MP said.
Mr Beazley said Mr Shorten had a major role to play in the Labor Party and the upcoming election campaign but vowed he would be leading the ALP to the 2007 poll.
He praised the union leader for his role in Beaconsfield.
"What (Bill Shorten) has done, and what the AWU branch here in Tasmania has done . . . has demonstrated emphatically and clearly to the people of Australia how absolutely critical the union movement is," Mr Beazley said.
By JOE HILDEBRAND and SUE DUNLEVY
May 17, 2006
KIM Beazley's future as Labor leader is in doubt, with party figures using secret internal polling to lobby for his removal.
The polling – conducted nationally in 24 Coalition-held marginal seats last month – shows voters do not believe Mr Beazley has what it takes to become PM.
As with the dumping of Simon Crean – brought down following the leaking of damaging internal polls – moves are under way to ensure caucus members are made aware of how poorly the public regards Mr Beazley in this most recent internal poll.
"It shows Beazley's unelectable," a source close to the polling said. "He's not connecting."
Its publication followed revelations in The Daily Telegraph that NSW Labor was so fed up with Mr Beazley's performance they were urging union boss Bill Shorten to enter politics immediately to bolster the Labor team.
Mr Beazley spent yesterday with Mr Shorten, meeting miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell in Beaconsfield, and heaped praise on his would-be successor.
While an entry to Parliament before the next election for Mr Shorten is being blocked by sitting member Bob Sercombe – who is worried about losing his superannuation should he leave politics immediately – speculation is mounting of a Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard ticket.
Despite opinion polls showing voter satisfaction with Mr Beazley rising and the ALP polling neck and neck with the Government after a giveaway Budget, MPs claim he is still "on notice". But they said it was unrealistic to expect Mr Shorten to springboard straight to the leadership once he entered Parliament. "Even Bob Hawke didn't do that. No one has ever done that in political history," one MP said.
Mr Beazley said Mr Shorten had a major role to play in the Labor Party and the upcoming election campaign but vowed he would be leading the ALP to the 2007 poll.
He praised the union leader for his role in Beaconsfield.
"What (Bill Shorten) has done, and what the AWU branch here in Tasmania has done . . . has demonstrated emphatically and clearly to the people of Australia how absolutely critical the union movement is," Mr Beazley said.
