Federal Election 2019: Barnaby Joyce, Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton are the Coalition’s biggest liabilities in voters’ minds

Barnaby Joyce, Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton are the Coalition’s biggest liabilities in voters’ minds, an exclusive new poll has revealed. SEE WHAT VOTERS THINK

Exclusive: Barnaby Joyce, Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton are the Coalition’s biggest liabilities in voters’ minds, an exclusive new poll has revealed.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who opted to be overseas for the election, was also considered a hindrance by more than half of voters polled.

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison is considered an asset to the Liberals, on balance, with 43 per cent of voters saying he would help the party compared to 37 per cent who thought he wouldn’t, an exclusive YouGov Galaxy poll shows.

MORE 2019 FEDERAL ELECTION NEWS:

Woman mistakenly tells Shorten he’s a ‘p***k’

New poll: PM has an election fighting chance

Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton and Barnaby Joyce are the Coalition’s biggest liabilities in voters’ minds, an exclusive new poll has revealed. Picture: Supplied

The poll was conducted online among a representative sample of 1012 Australian voters, distributed throughout Australia including both capital and non-capital city areas.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten was seen more as a liability, with 44 per cent of voters saying he would hurt the party’s vote and 36 per cent saying he would help.

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek, however, was voted an asset to the ALP.

Mr Joyce, who resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader in 2018 amid the firestorm over his affair with former staffer Vikki Campion, was considered the Coalition’s greatest liability.

Sixty per cent of voters thought he would damage the government’s chances while just 14 per cent thought he was an asset. A further 26 per cent said they didn’t know.

His successor, however, was the invisible man of the election.

More than half (54 per cent) of voters said they hadn’t seen Nationals leader Michael McCormack during the campaign, while just 8 per cent were impressed by the Deputy Prime Minister’s performance.

A further 38 per cent were “not impressed” by Mr McCormack so far.

Forty-four per cent of voters said Bill Shorten was a liability for Labor. Picture: Kym Smith

Meanwhile, both Mr Shorten and Mr Morrison were considered more “untrustworthy” and “dangerous” by voters after their first two weeks campaigning.

They were also ranked slightly more well-intentioned.

Forty-one per cent had misgivings about Mr Shorten’s trustworthiness, up from 34 per cent in March, while the number who considered him dangerous jumped 6 per cent to a quarter of voters.

Thirty one per cent considered him “well-intentioned”.

Mr Morrison was seen as untrustworthy by 34 per cent of voters, up from 30 per cent at the last poll, while 35 per cent considered him well-intentioned and 16 per cent thought him “dangerous”.

Mr Abbott, who is in the fight of his political life to hold Warringah from independent Zali Steggall, was ranked as the next greatest liability for the Coalition behind Mr Joyce.

Almost two thirds of voters (62 per cent) thought he would damage the party’s vote, while just 21 per cent said he would help and a further 17 per cent didn’t know.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is considered an asset to the Liberals, according to the poll. Picture: AAP

More than half (52 per cent) of the respondents to the YouGov Galaxy poll from April 23 to 25 saw Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton as a liability to the Coalition, while just one in five (19 per cent) considered him an asset.

Mr Dutton, whose failed leadership challenge to oust Mr Turnbull sparked a rocky few months for the Coalition, is also fighting to hold his marginal Queensland seat of Dickson from Labor’s Ali France.

The former prime minister, who is continuing to weigh into the election from New York, was viewed as a liability by 51 per cent of voters and an asset by just 28 per cent.