Newspoll: Malcolm Turnbull widens lead over Bill Shorten as primary vote falls
MALCOLM Turnbull has increased his lead over Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister, while Labor held its gains against the government in two-party terms.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
MALCOLM Turnbull has widened his lead over Bill Shorten as the preferred prime minister in the latest Newspoll
Mr Turnbull is at his strongest position so far this year, backed by 46 per cent of voters compared to 31 per cent who favour the Opposition Leader, reports The Australian.
The Prime Minister has also gained ground in voter satisfaction with his performance, posting his strongest results since early last year despite a week of Liberal infighting over same-sex marriage and speculation of a challenge to his authority on the floor of parliament.
It comes as Labor held its gains over the Coalition after two weeks of political debate over national security and tax reform, leading by 53 to 47 against the government in two-party terms for the sixth Newspoll survey in a row.
The latest Newspoll, conducted exclusively for The Australian, shows Labor’s primary vote has fallen from 37 to 36 per cent after a fortnight of big policies including a $4.1 billion tax hit on family trusts, a plan to enact four-year parliamentary terms and a vow to hold a plebiscite on a republic.
The Coalition’s primary vote is unchanged at 36 per cent.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has suffered its second setback in consecutive Newspolls, with its primary vote slipping from 9 to 8 per cent amid questions over whether Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts renounced his British citizenship in time to secure a valid election to the upper house.
The Greens have increased their primary vote from 9 to 11 per cent, their strongest result since May last year.
This is the sixth Newspoll in succession with a result of 53 to 47 per cent in two-party terms, a record that confirms the scale of the challenge facing the government in turning its fortunes around.
Yet the result confirms the electorate’s support for Mr Turnbull even as his party room fights over same-sex marriage.
The biggest shifts in the survey were in the personal standing of the leaders, with both improving but Mr Turnbull posting the biggest gains.
The number of voters who were satisfied with Mr Shorten rose from 33 to 36 per cent while those who were dissatisfied fell from 53 to 51 per cent.
Mr Shorten’s net satisfaction rating — the difference between those satisfied and those dissatisfied with his performance — improved from negative 20 points to negative 15 points over the past fortnight.
Voters reported greater satisfaction with Mr Turnbull’s performance, which rose from 34 to 38 per cent, and a fall in the number who were dissatisfied, which fell from 54 to 50 per cent.
Mr Turnbull’s net satisfaction improved from negative 20 points to negative 12 points, a bigger boost compared to Mr Shorten and one of the Prime Minister’s best results since early last year.
The Newspoll survey of 1639 respondents saw many of the results stay the same or move within the margin of error of 2.4 percentage points, except for the gains in Mr Turnbull’s standing and the satisfaction with Mr Shorten.
The number of voters who prefer Mr Turnbull increased from 43 to 46 per cent in the latest Newspoll while those who prefer Mr Shorten fell from 32 to 31 per cent.
The latest survey is the 17th consecutive survey where Coalition has trailed Labor in two party terms, a tally that is being closely watched by Mr Turnbull’s conservative critics.
This story was originally published in The Australian and is reprinted with permission.
Minister resigns after ‘chauffeur scandal’
Jo Haylen has resigned as NSW transport minister amid growing controversy over her use of taxpayer-funded drivers for private trips.
Family’s plea after girl killed by shark
A beloved Year 12 student and avid beach-goer who was killed in a shark attack off Bribie Island has been remembered by her mother as a ‘free spirit’ and ‘shining light’.