Politics
The preferred Premier
Matthew Denholm Australian
THE leadership handover in Tasmania last month appears to be paying off for Labor, with a poll showing a surge in support for new Premier David Bartlett. Mr Bartlett, who replaced the unpopular Paul Lennon on May 26, is the state’s preferred premier among 46 per cent of voters. The poll, published in the Launceston Examiner, was conducted by Enterprise Marketing & Research Services. The same pollster revealed last month that Mr Lennon’s preferred premier rating had slumped to 17 per cent. That fuelled the push for a leadership change, contributing to the 52-year-old’s sudden departure. The new EMRS poll has Mr Bartlett well ahead of Opposition leader Will Hodgman, preferred premier for only 32 per cent of the 1000 Tasmanians polled. Read more here