Anthony Albanese backs Labor majority victory despite grim new poll

The PM has continued to back a Labor victory despite suffering another blow to his approval ratings, with numbers at their lowest point since being elected.

Anthony Albanese has fought back against grim new polling figures, stating he believes Labor can still form a majority government.

The latest Newspoll shows a majority of Australians are expecting the Coalition to win this year’s federal election.

Speaking Kwinana in Perth, the Prime Minister said he believed Labor could still form a majority government.

“We will be campaigning to form a majority Labor government and I believe that we will be in a position to do so,” he said on Monday.

Satisfaction with Mr Albanese fell to 44 per cent with a net negative rating of minus 20 in the latest Newspoll results released on Sunday.

The result is the lowest for the PM since taking office, with Opposition leader Peter Dutton climbing from a low of 22 per cent in September 2022 to 41 per cent.

The survey, conducted by The Australian, also found the Coalition was again leading the incumbent Labor by a margin of 51-49 on a two-party preferred.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese approval ratings have fallen to 41 per cent. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Asked what party would win if an election was held in the next 12 months, only 47 per cent of respondents said Labor would govern on its own or with minor party support.

By contrast, 53 per cent of people involved in the poll said the Liberal-Nationals coalition would be the likely winners, though most said they would also need support.

However, Mr Albanese took aim at the Coalition government, stating there were a range of independents “occupying seats that historically have been held by the Coalition,” referencing the 2022 Teal wave which booted out high-profile Liberals, like former treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Wentworth MP Dave Sharma.

Mr Albanese added that Labor was the “only political party that is even trying to form government in our own right”.

“You have in the Liberals and the Nationals, a formal Coalition. We never know what the basis of that agreement is, and quite often them combining with the Greens to form the no-alition in the Senate to block our agenda,” he said.

The latest polling figures mark a sharp reversal of Labor’s chances of another election win six months ago when the party was considered the most likely to win at the ballot box.

The poll of 1259 voters conducted between January 20-24 also showed about two-thirds of voters believed there would be a hung parliament following the vote.

The Coalition’s finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said the polls was evidence of voters’ discontent with Labor.

“The Albanese government has been profoundly disappointing for so many Australians and that’s beginning to play out in those polls,” she said.

“That said, the Coalition will be focused on delivering the policies and the solutions that are important to ordinary Australians. We’re focused on our job right now, not what’s being reported daily.”

The dire figures as both Labor and the Liberals launch their pitch to voters ahead of the 2025 general election, which must be held on or before May 17 of this year.

Mr Albanese has faced increasing pressure over his handling of a spate of alleged anti-Semitic attacks, while focusing the campaign so far on cost of living pressures.

A majority of voters predicted a win for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty

For his part, Mr Dutton last week announced a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet, including the selection of Banks MP David Coleman as possible Foreign Minister.

On primary vote, the poll found Labor fell two points since December 2024 to an equal low of 31 per cent, while the Coalition remained steady at 39 per cent.

The Australian also reported a stark gender divide, with 58 per cent of women voters believing a Coalition victory was more likely compared with 49 per cent of men.

Men were also more likely to predict a Labor victory, at 51 per cent, compared to women at 42 per cent, younger and older voters favoured a Coalition victory.