It’s official — we hate them. More than ever.

The primary vote splintered on August 21 to reveal two politicians deeply disliked by the country. In terms of the proportion of the Australian electorate each major party leader convinced to vote for them, we’re at historic lows.

As former ACT pollie Michael Moore calculates for Crikey, Tony Abbott, with a primary vote of 38.4%, ranks 39 out of 50 measuring the two-leader vote from the last 25 federal polls. He writes: “The proposition that Tony Abbott has run ‘the best campaign as opposition leader never to win government’ is so ludicrous it is outrageous.”

So what does that say about Julia Gillard? Well she’s right at the bottom of the list with Labor’s 33.4%. Last out of 50.

If she’s the worst-performing leader in a federal election since the 1950s, Abbott isn’t much better.

Judging by their performance since the election, has either leader got the message? Abbott continues his campaign of relentless negativity, committing himself to demolishing and wrecking, even if it means reneging on clear commitments he himself has made. And while Gillard is emphasising a more consensual politics, the backroom boys who ‘masterminded’ Labor’s wretched election campaign are more powerful than ever, with not the slightest evidence they understand that their model of politics no longer works, if it ever did.

We might be waiting a long time for real change.