Anthony Albanese hits highest approval rating in first year as PM

Voters have delivered Anthony Albanese an early Christmas gift in his first year as prime minister, a Newspoll has found.

Anthony Albanese has posted his highest voter approval rating since becoming Prime Minister and has seen a surge in support as the preferred prime minister, according to the latest Newspoll published by The Australian.

Mr Albanese claims to have delivered on Labor’s key election promises in the first six months of office while facing pressure to act on energy prices.

The Newspoll shows Labor also enjoyed a lift in popular support after delivering industrial relations ­reforms and parliament’s censure motion against former prime minister Scott Morrison.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s popularity is at its highest with voters. Picture: The Advertiser/ Morgan Sette

The last Newspoll survey for the year shows Labor’s primary lifting one point to 39 per cent, which is the highest level of support for Labor since before the election and is six points above its election result of 32.6 per cent

The Coalition’s primary vote remains unchanged at 35 per cent, almost a point down on its election result of 35.7 but is four points up on the 31 per cent recorded in the September Newspoll which marked a 15-year low for the Liberal and Nationals ­parties.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton during question time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Satisfaction with the prime minister’s performance rose to a record high of 62 per cent, while those saying they were dissatisfied with his performance dropped to 29 per cent.

As for who would be the better PM, Mr Dutton fell three points to 24 per cent while Mr Albanese rose five points to 59 per cent.

The combined primary vote for both major parties has ­returned to 74 per cent since the lowest recorded at the May election of 68.4 per cent.

The two-party-preferred split between the major parties remains at 55-45 per cent in Labor’s favour.

Support has dropped for the minor parties with the Greens’ primary vote of 11 per cent two points down on its post election high of 13 per cent.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has 6 per cent of the vote compared to Clive Palmers’s United Australia Party with 1 per cent.

It comes as last week Mr Albanese declared Labor had delivered its core election commitments including its controversial industrial relations laws, and a national anti-corruption body in the final parliamentary sitting for the year.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese hits highest approval rating in first year as PM