Sept. Aug. 2004

As always, John Howard gets the good news from Newspoll just when he needs it. On the very weekend when he was proved a liar, and he closed down the House of Representatives to stop it asking him questions, one million four hundred thousand voters, changing their minds, decided they preferred him as Prime Minister; the way you would.

Newspoll is run by Sol Lebovic, and his chief customer is Rupert Murdoch, who runs Fox News. And Rupert Murdoch, famously, likes his news just so. Fox News Polls, for instance, favour George Bush much more than other polls; the way you would. And Sol Lebovic's Newspolls favour John Howard, too, just when he needs them to. Is this a coincidence? I don't think so. One million four hundred thousand people decided they really liked a liar as leader, and changed their minds to favour him. Do you know any of these people? Can Sol Lebovic name one of them?

How does Sol get these figures? Well, in a number of ways. He doesn't ring mobile phones, which eliminates half the votership. He rings on Friday night, when only the poor, the sick, the old, the lonely and the friendless are at home. He rings on Saturday night, when the football's on and a lot of normal, healthy, working class people refuse his call. He rings on Saturday and Sunday mornings when a lot of normal, healthy, middle class people are out shopping or swimming or watching the children play soccer. All these methods tend to favour the Liberals, who are often old and crabby, sad and solitary and poor.

And then, of course, he counts the votes. And if there are, say, 1186 votes of which 54 percent prefer Labor, is he tempted to make the sample, say, 1136 votes and the outcome, say, 50-50? The way you would? Any friend or customer of Rupert's is tempted, surely. Is there anyone else but Sol, in fact, who counts the votes? Who checks the numbers? In the public interest? Why not?

Sol this week showed the Coalition closing on Labor, and Howard scooting ahead. Sol is very influential. He makes the headlines. He shapes campaigns. Already Labor, in view of his figures, are rejiggering their approach. Should his numbers be checked out? Why not? And should his methods be checked out also? Why doesn't he ring mobile phones? What does he fear in the views of the prosperous young who go out at night, or go bushwalking or sailing or surfing? Why not ring them? As part of a national sample?

I dare not call Sol corrupt. He may be only luckily incompetent; luckily for the Liberals, that is. But he should be put under scrutiny, the way politicians are. He is a kind of politician after all, making headlines, and shaping campaigns. A camera crew should go to his headquarters, and watch him work.