Prime Minister Anthony Albanese downplays poor polling, spruiks policy agenda
End of year polling is predicting a tough election year ahead for Anthony Albanese, but he refuses to be daunted.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has downplayed end of year polls showing his likeability among voters is slipping further ahead of next year’s federal election.
Polling has consistently shown the Prime Minister has a popularity problem, with his net approval rating landing at -17 in a fresh poll put out by the Nine papers.
In contrast, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton climbed to a net rating of 0.
The final Guardian Essential poll of the year told a similar story, while the Australian Financial Review’s last Freshwater Strategy poll showed most voters expected Labor to return as a minority government after 2025 election.
But a defiant Mr Albanese said on Sunday he has been “underestimated” for his entire time in politics and that he was “focused on cost of living”.
“What I am worried about is helping fellow Australians,” he told reporters in the Victorian city of Horsham.
“I have been underestimated my whole political life, and I am focused on making a difference for cost of living, making a difference for plans that we have going forward.”
He pointed to his government’s election pledge to slash student debts by 20 per cent in a bid to “to address intergenerational equity issues”, as well as spruiking sweeping childcare reforms.
“What I am focused on is on making a difference for Australians,” he said.
“We have made a difference already.”
The Albanese government has secured a number of major legislative wins despite a senate constipated by political blustering, including its signature Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills.
It has also given the consumer rights watchdog more resources to take action against dodgy pricing practices at supermarkets.
But with Australians still forking out record amounts on groceries for less and housing costs continuing to climb across the country, the Albanese government’s cost of living measures have been more mitigative than preventive.
Mr Albanese has also been at the centre of several controversies this year that have been broadly seen as undermining his claim to understand the challenges facing every day Australians because of his working class origins.
In October, he bought a $4.3m mansion on the NSW Central Coast.
Weeks later, allegations he personally solicited free flight upgrades set off the Qantas travel perks scandal.
The Nine papers’ poll showed Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie was Australia’s most likeable politician, with a net rating of 14.
Nationals leader David Littleproud, whose party has had its fair share of political scandals this year, said Senator Lambie struck “a fine line between authenticity and what Australians see as just pure mad”.
“I think what people are looking for is authenticity,” Mr Littleproud said.
“And I think, as politicians, that’s where you’ve got wear your heart on your sleeve sometimes. But it’s how you do it.
“I think Jacquie does it well and I don’t always agree with her, but I always respect her.”
He added that he would “rather be Peter (Dutton) and I than Albo at the moment”.
“Australians just don’t feel as though they’re getting ahead and they’re feeling a bit angry about the world,” Mr Littleproud said.
“And that’s the nature of politics. That’s the brutality of the game. And that’s the game that we play.”
It remains unknown when the next year’s federal election will be, but May 16 is the latest it can be held.
Originally published as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese downplays poor polling, spruiks policy agenda
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