Fear factor at work

Labor says ‘scare campaign’ on borders is closing Federal gap

LABOR says it is understandable the polls are narrowing as the Federal Government ramps up a “scare campaign” over national security and asylum seekers.

The latest Ipsos poll, conducted for Fairfax newspapers, has Labor leading the Coalition 51-49 on a two-party preferred basis, down from 54 per cent to 46 per cent in December.

Labor’s primary vote has fallen from 37 per cent to 33 per cent over two months, while the Coalition’s rose 36 per cent to 38 per cent in the poll of 1200 voters. A separate Yougov Galaxy poll of 810 Queenslanders has Labor ahead 52-48 in the state on a two-party preferred basis, although two in five say they are less likely to vote for Labor because Bill Shorten is the leader.

It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week ramped up the rhetoric on border protection following a historic loss in Parliament on legislation making it easier for refugees to get medical transfers to Australia.

“When you have a prime minister running a scare campaign it will have impact,” Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said yesterday.

“We need to be clear to people the changes we made last week apply to a few hundred people on Manus Island and Nauru. This is not a significant change when it comes to our borders.”

Former prime minister Tony Abbott said the tougher message from the Government was a winning strategy.

“Governments that have conviction and character can come back and what we have seen from the Prime Minister and ministers over the last few months is conviction and character, and I think we’ll see more of that,” he said.

He said the Federal Government had not been “great at politics”, but had been “competent”.

This week is the final parliamentary sitting week before the April 2 Budget.