Australians fear terrorist attack more likely because of Iraq: poll
Posted on 03/22/2004 8:46:37 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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Australians fear terrorist attack more likely because of Iraq: poll
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5 minutes ago
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SYDNEY, (AFP) - Almost two-thirds of voters here fear Australia's decision to join the US-led war in Iraq (news - web sites) has increased the chances of terrorist attack, according to a new poll which shows the opposition has boosted its lead over the government.
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As national security continues to dominate political debate here, The Australian said its Newspoll findings were the clearest sign yet that voters are dubious about government assurances involvement in the Iraq war would not increase the terrorist threat.
The poll put the opposition well ahead of Prime Minister John Howard's conservative government in the run up to an election late this year and showed Labor leader Mark Latham almost level-pegging Howard as preferred prime minister.
It was conducted as Howard fended off charges of trying to muzzle Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty, who last week linked the Madrid bombings to Spain's support for the invasion of Iraq.
Australia, like Spain, was a strong supporter of US President George W Bush's decision to attack Iraq, despite strong domestic opposition.
The poll showed 65 percent of voters thought terrorist attack on Australia was more likely because of its involvement in the war, while 30 percent thought it made no difference.
Just four months after he was elected leader, Latham's personal approval rating for his performance as opposition leader is at a record 66 percent, with his performance appearing to lift Labor's support to three-year highs.
It also showed Latham's support up three percentage points in a fortnight to 42 percent, just one point behind Howard's 43 percent as preferred prime minister.
"More importantly, Mr Latham has broken the dominance Mr Howard has had as the preferred prime minister in the past two years -- drawing virtually level," the newspaper said.
The survey, conducted last weekend and based on 1,150 interviews, puts Labor's primary vote at 46 percent after a two-percentage-point rise in the past two weeks, while the conservative Liberal-National coalition's primary vote stayed at 41 percent.
After distribution of second preference votes under Australia's preferential voting system, Labor stood at 55 percent to the coalition's 45 percent -- enough to give Labor a landslide win if the election had been held at the weekend.
Latham said Tuesday that despite the latest poll, winning the election would still be a challenge.
"Let's not get carried away here, Mr Howard is a tough and wily competitor. He has gone on a spending spree," Latham told ABC radio.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the election was still months away.
"We have done a lot better in the Newspolls than we are doing now and we have done a lot worse in the Newspolls than we are doing now," he said.
I marvel and laugh at the common allegation that Americans are fat, lazy, soft pigs that think only of their luxuries? Seems we're the only people left in the world that have any balls besides the terrorists.
Attacking a Mulsim government will irritate the Old Man of the Mountains and his Muslim terrorists? We are suprised by this?
But in the Land of Positive Thinking anyone who sees the reality is somehow assumed to be not fully committed to the program.
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