New RedBridge polling shows voters dislike Anthony Albanese but they’re feeling meh about Peter Dutton and the Coalition

Voters think Anthony Albanese has been away with the fairies. But he’s still in with a chance, and Peter Dutton still has more work to do to close the gap at the polls, argues James Campbell.

Given how poorly marginal seat voters rate Anthony Albanese on the issues they care about it’s amazing he’s still in a show to be re-elected.

Whether it’s the cost-of-living, housing, immigration, or crime – you name the issue – the ratings for the government’s performance range from the diabolical to the merely terrible.

Voters also think that rather than attending to the issues they care about, Albo’s been away with the fairies.

Oh and they don’t think he will build a better Australia and nor does he deserve re-election.

The reason he’s still in with a show of being re-elected is because though voters think he’s been dreadful, they’re feeling meh about Peter Dutton and the Coalition.

On cost-of-living – the issues that dwarfs every other concern – voters also rate the conservatives fail.

Same with housing and health care.

Only on the economy and crime is the Coalition in positive territory.

True, they don’t think Dutton is as bad on their priorities as Albo but a fail is still a fail and goes a long way to explaining why the swing to from Labor to the Coalition is only 3 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

It also perhaps explains why while the Coalition’s primary vote is up by 5 per cent in these seats, Labor’s is only down 1 per cent.

Indeed it’s possible given the Greens primary is up by 1 per cent that there has been very little direct movement between from Labor to Coalition.

If this is right all Dutton has done is get back conservatives who drifted off to ‘others’ such as Clive Palmer and Pauline Hanson because they’d had enough of Scott Morrison.

The best news for the Coalition is that given the stated softness of Labor’s support it would appear that a large chunk of their voters are Dutton-curious and can still be won.

Labor on the other hand will be hoping those voters, while disappointed at Labor, are solid left-wingers who might have drifted off to the Greens if they hadn’t wrapped themselves in the keffiyeh but are not in any way tempted by Dutton.

Originally published as New RedBridge polling shows voters dislike Anthony Albanese but they’re feeling meh about Peter Dutton and the Coalition