Fed: Poll shows scare campaigns not working: Swan

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2007
Fed: Poll shows scare campaigns not working: Swan

CANBERRA, April 3 AAP - The latest Newspoll results prove the scare campaigns and personal
attacks on Labor party members have not been successful, opposition treasury spokesman
Wayne Swan says.

A Newspoll published in The Australian newspaper today shows the government had clawed
back four points on a two-party preferred basis, but is still losing 43 to 57.

Prime Minister John Howard is also still trailing Kevin Rudd as preferred prime minister,
despite regaining two points to be 38 to 48.

Mr Swan said the change was not surprising.

"I don't think that anyone in the Labor party believes that these sorts of leads last
forever and they most certainly won't," Mr Swan told ABC radio today.

"I guess the surprising thing is that the scare campaign and the personal attacks haven't
had much of an impact."

Mr Swan said elections in Australia are always close contests.

"The next election will be like that, except on this occasion there's a much stronger
mood for change out there running against the government," he said.

"The task for the Labor party is to continue to put forward strong, positive alternatives
in policy areas like the economy, keeping downward pressure on interest rates and climate
change and to defend ourselves against scare campaigns and personal attacks from the Liberals,"

Mr Swan said.

AAP kc/sco

KEYWORD: NEWSPOLL SWAN

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