The political scene.

The article presents a review of the political scene in Australia as of January 2009. A survey of voting intentions show the ruling Labor Party widening its lead over the opposition National-Liberal coalition and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pulling further ahead of the opposition leader, Malcolm Turnbull, as preferred prime minister. The government secured the passage of legislation relating to the funding of private schools after the Liberal-National coalition dropped its objections to the measure in December 2008.