JOHN Howard has been named Australia’s best prime minister of the past 40 years, followed by Bob Hawke, with Gough Whitlam and Kevin Rudd tying for third place.
The poll, conducted last week by Essential Research and provided exclusively to The Australian, shows that 39 per cent of voters ranked Mr Howard, the Liberal prime minister from 1996 to 2007, as the best.
Labor’s Mr Hawke was rated as the best prime minister by 14 per cent of voters. A further 8 per cent of voters chose Mr Whitlam while another 8 per cent selected Mr Rudd.
Paul Keating was named best prime minister by 7 per cent, placing him fifth overall. In sixth and seventh place, respectively, were Julia Gillard (4 per cent) and Malcolm Fraser (3 per cent). Tony Abbott’s score tied with Mr Fraser.
Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of Coalition voters selected Mr Howard as the top prime minister among the eight who have served in the position since December 1972.
Labor voters spread their choice more widely. Mr Hawke (1983-91) was the choice of 21 per cent of Labor voters, followed by Mr Rudd (2007-10, 2013) with 16 per cent support, Mr Howard (15 per cent) and Mr Keating (1991-96) with 13 per cent.
Labor voters rated Mr Howard as a better prime minister than Ms Gillard (2010-13), Mr Keating or Mr Whitlam (1972-75).
Coalition voters rated Mr Hawke as better than Mr Fraser (1975-83) and Mr Abbott, in the job for just six months. There is not much love for Ms Gillard or Mr Fraser in their own parties – just 8 per cent of Labor voters nominated Ms Gillard as the best prime minister, while only 4 per cent of Coalition voters named Mr Fraser as the best.
Of the 1007 online respondents, 45 per cent nominated a Liberal prime minister and 41 per cent nominated a former Labor prime minister. Fourteen per cent did not nominate anyone.
The most popular former prime minister among Greens voters was Mr Whitlam, with 22 per cent support, followed by Mr Hawke (19 per cent) and Ms Gillard (16 per cent).
Mr Howard was the most popular choice among men (43 per cent) and women (35 per cent). He was also strongly favoured by all age groups but his biggest support was among respondents aged 55 and older (48 per cent).
A January 2012 Essential Research poll, which asked voters to rate prime ministers from 1941 to 2012, saw respondents rate Mr Howard as the best prime minister (33 per cent) followed by Mr Rudd and Mr Hawke, who tied in second place at 15 per cent each.
A January 2009 poll found Mr Howard was rated best by 28 per cent of respondents, followed by Mr Rudd (20 per cent) and Mr Hawke (12 per cent).
source: theaustralian.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 