Rating drops 3 notches

Press, 17 May 1984, Page 10

Rating drops 3 notches

NZPA-AAP Melbourne The Australian Prime Minister, Mr Bob Hawke, slipped from “Mr 75 per cent” to “Mr 72 per cent” at the start of this month, says the latest Morgan-Gallup poll published in this week's “Bulletin” magazine. The poll also showed that the rating of the Opposition leader, Mr Andrew Peacock, had slipped two percentage points to 35 per cent between April 21 and May 5. Forty-five per cent of those surveyed disapproved of the way Mr Peacock was handling 'his job. He was also out of favour when those polled were asked if Mr Hawke or Mr Peacock would make the better Prime Minister.

Seventy-four per cent backed Mr Hawke, while only 14 per cent favoured Mr Peacock.

Mr Hawke won a 92 per cent approval rating from Labour voters, down 1 per

cent, but his support among Liberal-National Party supporters slipped 7 per cent, to 45 per cent. Mr Peacock won a 43 per cent approval rating from coalition voters, and 30 per cent from Labour supporters.

There was little change in support for the two parties, and Labour would have been returned easily if an election had been held at the start of May. Labour would’ have won 55 per cent of the vote against the coalition’s 39 per cent, according to the poll.