New-look Labor set to give 'Teflon John' a run for his money

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard is riding a political high. Opinion polls put him way ahead opponents and economic indicators are at their strongest in years.

So successful has Mr Howard been at brushing off rivals and weathering political crises that he has been popularly dubbed 'Teflon John'. Not surprisingly, he is widely tipped to win a fourth term in elections expected next year.

Critics put his success down to luck. Australia's economy would have been on an upward swing regardless of whether Mr Howard was in charge, they argue. Opposition political parties had damaged themselves through infighting and poor decision-making.

Academics and other commentators put the prime minister's longevity partly down to luck, but also a good measure to clever tactics. Some dispute that his position remains as strong since the main opposition and left-wing Labor Party elected a new leader last week who is perceived as being just as politically deft.

A Newspoll in The Australian newspaper on Tuesday showed support for Labor had risen to its highest in a year, up 4 per cent to 39 cent. Support for Mr Howard's conservative Liberal-National Party coalition was up 1 per cent to 45 per cent.

The turnaround for Labor followed its appointment to leader of maverick Sydney lawmaker Mark Latham to replace the uncharismatic Simon Crean. An AC Nielsen poll in The Sydney Morning Herald showed 34 per cent support for Mr Latham, up 10 per cent on Mr Crean's rating in the last survey in September.