‘Albo-tross’: PM a huge drag on Minns govt, says new poll

A new poll indicates Anthony Albanese is dragging down support for the Minns government, but state Labor is getting a boost from young voters fleeing the Greens.

Anthony Albanese is dragging down support for the Minns government, but state Labor is getting a boost from young voters fleeing the Greens.

The “Albo-tross” hanging around Premier Chris Minns is highlighted in a new poll by Redbridge, which will alarm Labor strategists in the lead up to the federal election.

The poll found that while the majority of NSW residents think Premier Chris Minns is doing a good job in government, fewer are prepared to vote for Labor if a state election was held today.

Forty-one per cent of voters think Mr Minns’ government is doing a good job, a net favourability rating of 19. However, that is failing to translate to primary vote share, with Labor and the Coalition all but even on a two-party preferred basis.

The test of public opinion found that 37 per cent of NSW residents would vote for Labor if a state election was held today, up three percentage points from the last Redbridge poll in September.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s missteps are not helping the NSW Labor government. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The Coalition had 41 per cent of the primary vote share on the latest poll, while support for the Greens is down three points to nine per cent.

Asked about the results on Thursday, one state Labor MP directly blamed the Albanese government.

“It’s the bloody feds dragging us down,” the MP said.

“They’re struggling to cut through, they don’t have great communicators, and they are just not consistent in trying to address the issues that are dominating people’s thinking.”

On a two-party preferred basis, state Labor holds a razor thin lead over the Coalition, 50.5 per cent to 49.5 per cent – virtually unchanged from two months ago.

The NSW government led by Premier Chris Minns is suffering because of the unpopularity of Anthony Albanese and federal Labor. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Labor is also losing among overseas-born voters, even though that cohort rates the performance of the Minns government very favourably. Almost half (47 per cent) of overseas-born voters favour the Coalition over Labor, even though 27 per cent of that cohort ranks Premier Chris Minns’ performance favourably.

“Despite positive voter assessments about the performance of the Minns Labor Government that isn’t currently translating into a strong primary vote share,” Redbridge Director Tony Barry said.

Mr Barry said incumbency is “no longer” an advantage for governments, driven by a “a strong mood for change sentiment fuelled by grievance and pervasive personal economic insecurity”.

“There is also qualitative evidence in our research to show the Minns Labor Government is also being dragged down by the Albanese Labor Government and perceptions they are failing to deliver,” he said.

The silver lining for Labor in the Redbridge poll, conducted from November 6 to November 20, is a surge in support from young voters.

The poll found that those aged 18-34 have fled the Greens in favour of Labor.

Support for the Greens among the cohort has slumped from 26 per cent to 17 per cent, while Labor’s has increased from 34 per cent to 43 per cent.

Mr Minns’ net favourability ratings were at 19 per cent, eclipsing the performance of Opposition Leader Mark Speakman, at negative four. Twenty-six per cent of voters thought the Opposition led by Mr Speakman was doing a bad job, while 38 per cent had no opinion either way.

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