Newspoll: Malcolm Turnbull extends lead over Bill Shorten as preferred PM as Coalition hits back
TONY Abbott has kicked off the 2018 parliamentary year by praising Malcolm Turnbull over a Newspoll rebound as the Prime Minister extends his lead over Bill Shorten as preferred leader.
National
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TONY Abbott has kicked off the 2018 parliamentary year by praising Malcolm Turnbull over a rebound in the polls.
After spending much of 2017 criticising Mr Turnbull and the government’s policy positions, the former prime minister has welcomed the latest Newspoll results today which show Mr Turnbull has increased his lead over Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister 45 to 31.
The Coalition also received its best two-party-preferred result since April last year in the poll today published in The Australian.
While still trailing Labor 48 to 52, a one-point boost since December has put the Coalition back into contention for the next election.
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The Coalition also saw a two-point lift in its primary vote since December to 38 per cent, while Mr Turnbull’s satisfaction rating with voters jumped five points to 37 per cent.
Mr Abbott said this morning the poll showed that the Coalition was in a position to win the next election.
He acknowledged that it was the 26th Newspoll in a row that the Coalition had lost to Labor, taking Mr Turnbull ever closer to the self-imposed deadline of 30 poor Newspolls in a row that he cited when launching his leadership challenge against Mr Abbott.
“What this poll indicates is what I’ve been saying all along ... that is that the next election is winnable for the Coalition, provided we sharpen up the policy difference with Labor,” he said.
“It’s good that government ministers from the Prime Minister down have been on the front foot against Labor pointing out that if Shorten were to win the next election, you’d have the Greens in charge of social policy and you’d have the unions in charge of economic policy.”
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Mr Abbott said the Coalition now needed to emphasise its differences from Labor by building a new coal fired power station in a bid to make power prices more affordable.
He also argued for the Coalition to scale back immigration in a bid to boost wages and make housing more affordable.
Labor’s primary vote remains as it was in December at 37 per cent, while the Greens are on 10 per cent.
The Government will now try to take advantage on the results, as proof that Mr Shorten was now on the back foot and the momentum had begun to swing its way, reports The Australian.
Still, if an election were to be held this coming weekend, Labor would win.
One Nation has continued its slide dropping a further two points to five per cent, returning a five point loss since November last year.
Almost all the One Nation vote has returned to the Coalition which has lifted its primary vote four points since plummeting to a record low of 34 per cent in November.
The Greens and other minor parties remain unchanged on 10 per cent apiece.
Mr Turnbull’s jump in personal approval at 45 to 31, is the biggest lead since August last year.