Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten plunge in the latest Newspoll

IN A surprise result, Bill Shorten has somehow gone backwards in the polls despite the government’s controversial Budget.

HOW did that happen?

It’s not surprising that Prime Minister Tony Abbott is more unpopular in today’s Newspoll than he was before the Budget.

The document, which included a $7 GP co-payment and dramatic changes to HECS, was deeply unpopular with voters.

But you’d think Opposition Leader Bill Shorten would have made the most of the Prime Minister’s unpopularity. Nope. In a surprise result, dissatisfaction with the Labor leader surged six points to 45 per cent in today’s Newspoll.

There were still many silver linings for Labor. The Government once again copped a shellacking in the two party preferred vote, with Labor streets ahead of the Coalition 53 — 47.

Some 61 per cent of voters disapproved of Mr Abbott’s performance as Prime Minister. And Mr Shorten was still ahead of Mr Abbott as preferred PM, 40 to 37.

Independent support surged, with candidates capturing 10 per cent of the vote. The verdict seems to be: anyone but these two.

You can read more about this poll at The Australian.