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Historical rankings of Prime Ministers of Australia


Historical rankings of Prime Ministers of Australia are surveys conducted to construct rankings of the success and popularity of the individuals who have served as Prime Minister of Australia.

John Curtin has been regarded as Australia's greatest Prime Minister in a 2004 survey by The Age, followed by Sir Robert Menzies and then Bob Hawke. The lowest ranked Prime Minister was William McMahon though only Prime Ministers since 1939 were considered for listing. The two caretaker Prime Ministers (Frank Forde and John McEwen) and Arthur Fadden (who served only a few months) were excluded.

This study was conducted prior to the electoral defeat of the Howard Government in 2007. As such, it does not take into account opinions of decisions made by Howard towards the end of his premiership, nor does it include his successors as Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.

It is possible to compare the highest approval ratings achieved by Prime Ministers in various opinion polls.

According to the Nielsen Poll (available since 1972), Bob Hawke had the highest approval rating in November 1984, with 75%, and the lowest was William McMahon, with a 34% approval rating.

Highest Nielsen Poll ratings for each Prime Minister since 1972:

William McMahon ended 1971 with an approval rating of 36.4%. By the end of 1972, his popularity had sunk to 34%, and he was defeated by Gough Whitlam in the 1972 election.

According to Newspoll (available since 1985), the highest satisfaction rating of any Prime Minister was Kevin Rudd's at 71% in August 2008, while Paul Keating has had the lowest high-mark satisfaction rating at 43%.

Voters are asked the question: 'Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way -name- is doing his/her job as Prime Minister?'

Since Newspoll began in 1985, the lowest satisfaction rating of any Prime Minister is by far Paul Keating's at 17% in August 1993, with an 6% difference between Keating and the nearest low rating of Julia Gillard at 23% in September 2011.


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