Newspoll: Dominic Perrottet makes election comeback, still preferred Premier

With less than four weeks until the state election, Dominic Perrottet is tightening the gap against Labor’s lead, and remains the preferred Premier.

Dominic Perrottet’s Coalition government is making up lost ground, and closing in on Labor’s lead, with less than four weeks to go until the NSW state election.

The most recent Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows the Coalition clinching a slight lead, 37 to 36 per cent, against Labor in the primary vote.

The Perrottet government has gained two points since the previous Newspoll conducted in September 2022, while Labor fell by 4 points.

Six per cent said they were uncommitted, while 12 per cent chose the Greens, and 15 per cent sided with Independents and minor parties.

Premier Dominic Perrottet is closing in on Labor’s gap, with less than four weeks till the NSW state election. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

Labor remains in the lead for a two-party preferred vote, leading 52 per cent to 48 per cent. However, the Coalition picked up two points, while Labor dropped by the same number.

This is the second poll on voter sentiment in weeks, which suggests voters are rallying behind the Premier.

A poll conducted by Roy Morgan last week also showed the NSW Liberals and Nationals gaining three points in voter intention. Labor maintained a slimmed-down lead of 52 per cent to the Coalition’s 48 per cent, dropping three points since the pollster’s December report.

When it came to who would make the better Premier, Mr Perrottet appeared the popular choice. The incumbent premier led on 43 per cent to Mr Minns’ 33 per cent. But 24 per cent of the 1014 surveyed voters said they were uncommitted.

Satisfaction in the Opposition Leader’s performance also dropped by one point to 41 per cent, while one in two respondents were ‘satisfied’ with Mr Perrottet’s work as Premier, in an uptick of three points.

33 per cent of surveyed voters said NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns would make the better Premier. 43 per cent chose Dominic Perrottet. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Damian Shaw

It appears the government’s string of scandals in the lead up to the election have not affected voters.

In early February, Mr Perrottet’s Finance Minister Damien Tudehope resigned after the discovery of more than $65,000 Transurban shares in a diversified superannuation fund. Liberal upper house candidate Peter Poulos was disendorsed and removed from the ticket after it was revealed he sent explicit photos of MP Robyn Preston to another colleague, prior to a preselection battle.

The scandals appear not to have swayed voters though, with the poll conducted between February 20-23, after both these events had circulated through the media.

For Labor to win the next election, and end their 12-year drought, they will need to pick up nine seats on top of their existing 38 seats to win with a majority government. They could also lead with a minority government if they claim five seats from the Coalition.

Morris Iemma was the last Labor leader to win a state election in 2007.