PM Morrison avoids damage after difficult week but election on a knife-edge: Newspoll

After a wild week in parliament, there is a silver lining for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, according to the latest Newspoll.

The Coalition has managed to avoid dramatic damage despite a tumultuous week in Canberra, but the election remained on a knife edge, according to the latest Newspoll.

The federal government was wracked by the dramatic return of Barnaby Joyce as Deputy Prime Minister, including a public policy brawl in parliament, and the rapid spread of Covid-19 after damaging advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine.

But the government has seen its status with Australians remain effectively unchanged, though Labor has edged ahead slightly on a two-party preferred basis (51-49), in polling released by The Australian.

The Coalition has also maintained its primary vote lead (41-37) while Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in quarantine after a trip to the G7 in Europe, saw his net approval rating climb to 14 (+3).

Scott Morrison has avoided major damage in the latest Newspoll, despite a tumultuous week which saw Barnaby Joyce return as his deputy. Picture: Martin Ollman / NCA NewsWire

He continued to lead Anthony Albanese as preferred Prime Minister (53-33), a metric the Labor leader has not led since February 2020, as Mr Morrison faced heavy criticism for his handling of the Black Summer Bushfires.

The Coalition has not recorded a two-party preferred lead since late November, and has trailed Labor by as much as 52-48 since then. A June 6 poll had the two parties in a deadlock.

But since the onset of Covid-19, Mr Morrison has streaked well ahead of Mr Albanese in head-to-head standings.