Newspoll: Boat conflict fails to boost polls for Coalition

Scott Morrison has vowed to maintain a tough stance on border protection despite the latest Newspoll showing it hasn’t boosted the Coalition’s standing with voters.

Scott Morrison has vowed to maintain a tough stance on border protection despite the latest opinion poll showing the Coalition’s standing with voters hasn’t changed despite its attacks on Labor’s refugee medivac law.

The Prime Minister brushed off the Newspoll result today with a reference to last year’s AFL grand final, saying: “The election is in May. West Coast were behind at half time. There’s still a long way to go.”

Mr Morrison said his tough border security stance - which included reopening the Christmas Island detention centre after Labor passed the controversial refugee medivac law - had nothing to do with winning over voters ahead of the election.

“It’s not about these numbers,” he told Sky News, accusing Opposition leader Bill Shorten of “chasing the polls around” by backflipping on his Christmas Island stance.

“What I’m doing is laying out plans for our economy, national security, climate change and border protection,” Mr Morrison said.

The Prime Minister also told ABC radio he wouldn’t waiver on border protection even if it cost him votes.

“I don’t want to see kids on boats die,” he said.

According to the latest Newspoll, conducted by The Australian , the two party preferred vote remained unchanged with Labor leading the Coalition 53-47 per cent.

The Coalition’s primary vote of 37 per cent has remained the same since the beginning of the year as Labor kept a two-point lead at 39 per cent.

The Coalition’s primary vote of 37 per cent has remained the same since the beginning of the year. Picture: AFP

The poll will likely come as a slap in the face to Coalition MPs who were anticipating an electoral surge over its campaign to depict Labor as soft on asylum seekers.

Both Mr Morrison and Mr Shorten have taken hits to their respective approval ratings.

Mr Morrison’s approval rating dropped to one per cent to 42 per cent, while Mr Shorten was at 35 per cent.

Scott Morrison is still trailing Bill Shorten. Picture: Ian Currie

Bill Shorten’s approval ratings took a hit. Picture: AAP

More people disapproved of Mr Morrison, with 48 per cent of those surveyed unhappy with his performance while those who disapproved of Mr Shorten grew two points to 53 per cent.

Mr Morrison maintained his lead as the preferred prime minister at 44 per cent to Mr Shorten’s 35 per cent.

The Greens’ primary vote is still steady at nine per cent with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation stayed at five per cent with “other” minor parties made up the other 10 per cent of the vote.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation held ground at five percent of the vote. Picture: AAP

— with The Australian