Bob Ellis questions the absence of opinion polls reporting Bill Shorten's newfound success and PM Malcolm Turnbull's rapidly declining popularity.

A SILENCE HAS fallen over the events of last week — and it is the silence of the polls.

No poll has put Shorten ahead, which is where he is. But where is the Ipsos? The Essential? The Newspoll?

Where, moreover, is the approval rating of the Treasurer? Of the Minister for Immigration? Of Bishop as Foreign Minister versus Plibersek or Carr? Of Joyce as Member for New England versus Tony Windsor, who will take the seat from him?

Newspoll will do one its "paradoxical" wheezes next, I reckon. Paradoxically, the swing is to Turnbull, Newspoll will claim. It always does that. Counter-intuitively. Unexpectedly. Surprise, surprise.

I think Bill Shorten may have been seriously underestimated

He has seen off the GST hike

Wiping the floor with Turnbull on negative gearing — Bruce Ross (@brucerossbrc) February 25, 2016

The facts, however, are exact and immoveable. Morrison has no credibility as a manager of money or an advocate of self-sacrifice. O”Dwyer is a joke. Turnbull says cheaper housing for young Australians would be a national catastrophe. He mistakes a home-craving nation for a hungry swarm of real estate speculators moved only by money. Bishop is threatening war with China. Pyne is up to his neck in what Brough and Ashby did, illegally, to Slipper. Dutton continues to torment children and pregnant raped women here and overseas.

And the polls will continue to put Turnbull ahead of Shorten — and show two million people who don’t want him as Prime Minister voting for him.

Soon now, one or other of them will print the truth and put Labor ahead.

I wonder which one it will be.

#auspol

Turnbull_ wonder how long i got before minister f@@ks up

Shorten _wont be long pic.twitter.com/pGhUcDbcvd — BigAl (@banas51) February 15, 2016



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Turnbull Begs Shorten To Stand Up To The Right Wing Of Liberal Party For Him. https://t.co/7VCadbS769 pic.twitter.com/BaQd61S5rF — SBS Comedy (@SBSComedy) February 26, 2016

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