Now, anecdotally and otherwise, there is a growing displeasure with Newman, and while no direct link has been established, some are citing the ''Newman effect'' as a driver of the modest resurgence in federal Labor's poll numbers. People on both sides of politics have been remarking on it for a couple of weeks now. Newman, formerly the lord mayor of Brisbane, is a state political novice, never having sat in Parliament until after he became Premier, and it is starting to show. His style is abrasive and combative, which those close to him say is consistent with his colourful, if not controversial, military background. One worried Queensland federal Coalition MP confided last week that Newman needs to understand politics is about people, not insult them by ''calling them dog shit'' and speaking in generally merciless terms about culling their jobs. In Canberra recently for the Council of Australian Governments meeting, Newman, protesting why his government could not afford at the moment to contribute to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, likened Queensland's economy to that of Spain. It was an extraordinary comment which fitted Newman's narrative of overstating Queensland's financial situation.

Soon after, the latest figures on consumer sentiment showed the index had fallen 2 points nationally but by 10 points in Queensland. Federal Labor is starting to try to turn the Newman effect to its advantage by drawing a link with Tony Abbott. ''Many of us lived through the Joh [Bjelke-Petersen] era, where he ruled with an iron fist,'' the Treasurer and Queenslander, Wayne Swan, said yesterday. ''There is no doubt that the Premier of Queensland is going down the same road and it is having damaging effects on the Queensland economy. ''It's a taste of what they would get if Mr Abbott became prime minister.''

Newman justifies his cost-cutting crusade using an audit of finances he commissioned after the election. Abbott has promised a similar audit if elected, noted the Trade Minister, Craig Emerson, also a Queenslander. Queensland is critical federally. Labor holds just eight of the state's 30 seats and it ranks alongside Western Australia as the state most hostile towards the government. Until recently, opinion polls have shown Labor's vote to be so low in Queensland that it risked losing all eight seats there. Over the weekend, a Galaxy poll published in The Courier-Mail showed Labor starting to climb back. Its primary vote had risen 7 percentage points from a risible 23 per cent in May to 30 per cent. Similarly, today's Herald/Nielsen poll shows Labor's primary vote has clawed its way up from 18 per cent to 28 per cent over the same period.

The Galaxy poll in yesterday's Sunday Mail showed two-thirds of Queenslanders felt Newman's cuts were too severe. More than half the public service were fearing for their jobs. A ReachTEL survey of four Queensland electorates conducted on Wednesday night last week showed rising negativity towards Newman and his cost-cutting. Federal Labor's primary vote is still low enough to lead to a wipeout in Queensland but the leap in recent months has been sizeable. Some of this support is from Labor supporters who voted against Queensland Labor in a fit of anger and have now calmed down, part of the natural rebalance after such an election result. Others may be swing voters aggrieved at Newman. Newman is almost three years from an election. His majority is so massive it is an impossible election to lose.

It is also likely that should he rebalance the books by then and learn a few lessons along the way, the negativity towards him will have abated. The more immediate interest is next year's federal election, and whether anger against Newman will play any role in that. Loading Until now, it was thought only Kevin Rudd could save Labor in Queensland. Phillip Coorey is the chief political correspondent.