Electoral boundaries redraw could hurt Turnbull Government at next federal election

A DRAFT redraw of electoral boundaries is bad news for Malcolm Turnbull as he braces for the next Newspoll Survey

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THE Turnbull Government has been dealt a blow over draft boundaries for the next election, as it braces for the symbolic loss of 30 Newspoll surveys in a row.

Labor is in pole position to win two new House of Representatives seats to be created in Melbourne and Canberra under draft redistributions released yesterday.

Sluggish population growth will cost South Australia one of its 11 seats at the next election, while the ACT and Victoria pick up an extra position each.

Draft boundaries for SA will be released next week.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s government currently has a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at the Commonwealth Games Athlete's Village on the Gold Coast this Picture: William West — Pool/Getty Images

The draft Victorian and ACT electoral maps were released ahead of the publication of that latest Newspoll opinion survey, due on Monday.

When Mr Turnbull, pictured, successfully challenged Tony Abbott for the Liberal leadership in 2015, he criticised the then prime minister for having lost 30 Newspolls in a row. Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne yesterday backed Mr Turnbull and described Newspoll as an “irrelevancy”.

Mr Pyne said Mr Turnbull would win the next election, which could be held as late as May next year.

“Four months ago, the polls said Nick Xenophon was going to be Premier of South Australia, today he is without one seat, including his own,’’ he said.

Former prime minister John Howard on Thursday night urged Liberal MPs to unite behind Mr Turnbull if they wanted to remain in government.

Mr Turnbull yesterday said he had modelled his government on Mr Howard’s administration, which was in power from 1996 to 2007.

“He is a source of very good advice both privately and publicly and I learned a lot from him,’’ Mr Turnbull said. “When I became PM, I said that I was going to restore traditional cabinet government.”

Labor leader Bill Shorten said Mr Turnbull must stand up to conservative Liberal and National MPs who want the government to invest in a new coal-fired power station.

“Mr Turnbull should look his dissidents in the face in the Liberal Party and say, no longer will the energy prices of Australia be hostage to the civil war and culture of hate within the Liberal Party,’’ Mr Shorten said.

Election analyst Antony Green said the draft redraw of seats would see Labor start three seats ahead of the government at the next election.