The Coalition will only prevail when they articulate their position and differentiate their policies from Labor and the Greens

It’s time the Coalition recognise the enormous error it made, under Scott Morrison’s leadership, to embrace net zero.

After 18 months of gallivanting around the world and talking endlessly about his toxic Voice proposal, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has decided to focus on the cost of living crisis.

This belated awakening to the single biggest issue in the country has only come about after the Voice was emphatically rejected in every state and territory, except the ACT, and Airbus Albo’s popularity took a hit.

Post-referendum polling shows that support for Labor, their unofficial coalition partner the Greens, and the prime minister is heading south while the Coalition and other centre-Right parties are seeing greater support.

Even the latest Left-leaning Essential poll, courtesy of the Guardian, demonstrates the shift in the national mood.

Airbus Albo’s popularity has taken a hit. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The data this week shows Labor’s primary vote falling further from 33 to 32 per cent, while the Greens fell from 14 to 10 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Coalition’s primary vote went up from 32 to 34 per cent, with One Nation, United Australia and other minor parties also seeing an increase in support.

Also interesting is the surge in support from female voters who now prefer the Coalition over Labor in both primary (34 to 29 per cent) and two-party-preferred (47 to 45 per cent).

Among men the parties are tied on the primary vote and Labor are ahead on a two-party preferred basis.

Essential also measured the national mood and found only one in three Australians believes the country is heading in the right direction, with about half saying we are on the wrong track and 18 per cent unsure.

The data is in line with polling by Roy Morgan last week showing primary support for Labor down 3 points to 32 per cent and support for the Coalition rising to 36 per cent.

The Coalition leads Labor 50.5 to 49.5 on a two-party preferred basis.

Support for the Coalition has increased to 36 per cent. Picture: Steve Pohlner

And, again there was a clear majority of 53.5 per cent saying the country is heading in the wrong direction, with only one in three saying we are on the right track.

We are likely to see a different prime minister in the coming months as he works to convince Australians he understands and shares their concerns for the country.

At a speech at The Australian-Melbourne Institute Economic and Social Outlook conference on Thursday, the prime minister vowed to make cost of living his top priority.

“We know a stronger budget position serves as an important buffer against international shocks and it helps put downward pressure on inflation,’’ he said.

But we are outsourcing our destiny including our energy security.

The push for unreliable, expensive renewable energy is not only seeing costs soar for businesses and households alike but we are becoming increasingly dependent on supply chains largely controlled by China.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers also spoke at the conference warning that we cannot meet our bold emission targets without greater intervention from governments.

“Without more decisive ­action, across all levels of government, working with investors, industry and communities, the energy transition could fall short of what the country needs,” Chalmers said.

Translation: these dud projects are not commercially viable and more of your hard-earned tax dollars will go into propping them up and enriching the .01 per cent.

It’s time the Coalition recognised the enormous error it made, under Scott Morrison’s leadership, to embrace net zero. They signed up to the same economy-destroying lunacy offered by their opposition.

One of the many lessons from the Voice debate is that Australians deserve a true contest of ideas and the Coalition will only prevail when they clearly articulate their position and differentiate their policies from Labor and the Greens.

Australians deserve a true contest of ideas. Picture: AAP

It’s a point former prime minister Tony Abbott emphasised in a speech on Wednesday telling a London audience that when energy and climate policy had been a big election focus, the electorate always opted for their hip pocket

“On every occasion, when the Australian public have been asked to choose between reducing emissions and protecting their cost of living, they’ve put their cost of living first,” Mr Abbott said.

“Now, at the last election, energy wasn’t an issue. Both sides were committed to net-zero.”

In recent months I have spoken to a number of senior shadow ministers and Liberal/National MPs, on and off the record, and the message is clear; the Coalition must abandon its net zero pledge.