eg raph ▁pol ling ▁showed ▁Labor ▁leading ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁in ▁opinion ▁pol ling ▁from ▁mid - 2 0 0 6 ▁on ward . ▁ ▁On ▁several ▁key ▁questions , ▁Labor ▁increased ▁its ▁lead ▁after ▁Rud d ▁assumed ▁the ▁Labor ▁leadership ▁from ▁Kim ▁Be az ley , ▁at ▁which ▁point ▁Rud d ▁also ▁assumed ▁the ▁lead ▁as ▁preferred ▁prime ▁minister . ▁While ▁Labor ▁was ▁ahead ▁in ▁opinion ▁pol ling , ▁Howard ▁had ▁led ▁Be az ley ▁on ▁this ▁question ▁by ▁a ▁wide ▁margin . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Australian ▁political ▁anal yst ▁Adam ▁Car r , ▁Work Cho ices ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁key ▁reasons ▁for ▁"... a ▁change ▁of ▁heart ▁by ▁the ▁decis ive ▁se ctors ▁of ▁the ▁elect or ate ". ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁industrial ▁relations ▁program , ▁Car r ▁said , ▁anger ed ▁the ▁" How ard ▁batt lers " ▁– ▁the ▁traditional ▁Labor ▁vot ers ▁who ▁had ▁supported ▁Howard ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁ 1 1 ▁years ▁– ▁because ▁they ▁saw ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁direct ▁attack ▁on ▁their ▁liv elihood . ▁ ▁A CN iel sen ▁pol ling ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁had ▁Rud d ' s ▁personal ▁appro val ▁rating ▁at ▁ 6 7 ▁per ▁cent , ▁which ▁made ▁him ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁opposition ▁leader ▁in ▁the ▁poll ' s ▁ 3 5 - year ▁history , ▁with ▁New sp oll ▁( News ▁Limited ) ▁ 2 PP ▁pol ling ▁the ▁highest ▁in ▁its ▁history . ▁The ▁largest ▁ 2 PP ▁election ▁result ▁for