Scott Morrison cements position as preferred Prime Minister as support for Coalition lifts
SCOTT Morrison has been given a major confidence boost in securing his spot as preferred Prime Minister, while his party’s popularity also climbed. But the PM had a pretty chilled reaction about it.
National
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JUST a month after replacing Malcolm Turnbull in the top job, Scott Morrison has secured his position as Australia’s preferred Prime Minister, despite the coalition losing its 41st Newspoll to Labor.
The Prime Minister brushed off the slight boost today, saying: “I’m just sticking to my job, mate.”
“My job is to ensure that our government continues to deliver a stronger economy, to guarantee the essentials that Australians rely on, to keep Australians safe, and importantly, to keep Australians together,” he told reporters in Sydney.
According to the latest Newspoll published in The Australian, Mr Morrison increased his lead as preferred PM to 13 points over Labor leader Mr Shorten — recording the best approval ratings for a prime minister since February 2016.
Mr Morrison’s approval rating now stands at 45 per cent, while Mr Shorten’s stands at 32 per cent.
The Coalition’s primary vote also lifted, rising two points to 36 per cent, but they still trailed the opposition 46 to 54 on a two-party preferred basis.
Labor’s primary vote, on the other hand, fell three points to 39 per cent after hitting a decade long high of 42 per cent in the last Newspoll.
Despite the slight rebound today, the Coalition’s standing with voters hasn’t returned to its position under Mr Turnbull’s leadership yet.
Under Turnbull, the Coalition had been in a position to put up a fight at the next election, trailing Labor by just 49 to 51 per cent on a two party preferred basis on and off since April.
It is now facing a wipeout unless Mr Morrison can sustain the rebound.
Mr Turnbull’s lead over Mr Shorten as preferred PM had dipped in the weeks before the leadership spill but he was still backed by 44 per cent of voters to Mr Shorten’s 32 per cent.
There was no change in the Greens’ primary vote, which remains at 10 per cent, nor for One Nation, which has stayed put at six per cent.
Support for other minor parties and independents rose one point to nine per cent.
The poll of 1675 voters was conducted nationally and is the third to cover Mr Morrison’s leadership.