Q. Do you think that if Peter Costello had stayed in Parliament, he would make a better leader of the Liberal Party than Tony Abbott?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Yes | 45% | 46% | 50% | 64% |
| No | 26% | 32% | 25% | 19% |
| Don’t know | 29% | 22% | 25% | 17% |
45% of respondents think Peter Costello (had he stayed in parliament) would make a better leader of the Liberal Party than Tony Abbott. Preference for Peter Costello was strongest among Liberal/National voters – 50% Costello/25% Abbott. The highest level of support for Tony Abbott came from Labor voters (32%).