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Preferred System for Electing Party Leaders

5 Mar 2012

Q. Which of the following do you think would be the best way to elect national party leaders?

 

Total

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

The Australian system where the leader is elected by the Members of Parliament

36%

45%

36%

45%

The US system where registered voters in primaries elect the party’s candidate for President

31%

25%

36%

23%

The UK system where MPs, party members (and in Labour’s case, union members from affiliated unions) all get to vote for the party leader

11%

10%

8%

15%

Don’t know

23%

19%

19%

17%

36% prefer the Australian system of electing the party leader – 31% prefer the US system and 11% the UK system.

Labor and Greens voters were more likely to prefer the Australian system (45%) and Liberal/National voters the US system (36%).

45% of people aged 55+ and 45% of those on income of $1,600+ pw favoured the Australian system.

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