Newspoll: Coalition’s fortunes fall as Scott Morrison on the rise

Support for the Coalition hits its lowest level this term after a swing to fringe minor parties but Scott Morrison’s popularity has lifted.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in his office in Canberra. Picture: Adam Taylor

Popular support for the federal Coalition has fallen to its lowest level this term with a swing to fringe minor parties amid record Covid-19 cases and debate over bringing an end to lockdowns.

But personal support for Scott Morrison has lifted as the Prime Minister seeks to wrest control of the national agenda with almost 60 per cent of the country’s population living under some form of social restriction.

An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows the Coalition primary vote falling three points to 36 per cent.

This would mark the lowest primary vote for the Liberal and Nationals since March 2019 and is more than five points down on the May 2019 election result.

Support for Labor lifted a point to 40 per cent, according to the Newspoll conducted ­between last Wednesday and Saturday.

It is the first time since 2018 that Labor has recorded popular support in the 40s, having ­recorded just 33.3 per cent at the last election.

On a two-party preferred split Labor now leads the Coalition 54-46 per cent, which marks a two-point turnaround on the last poll and the largest lead Labor has enjoyed over the government since before the last election.

The fall in support for the ­Coalition comes at a time of heightened anger and fear in the community over the Delta variant and the state lockdowns ­imposed to deal with it.

The poll covers a period in which there are record daily Covid-19 cases in NSW and a worsening situation in Victoria as Australians rush to get vaccinated.

It also captures a week in which the world watched the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and the evacuation of Australians from Kabul.

Anthony Albanese’s approval ­ratings rose two points to 40 per cent. Picture: Gary Ramage

The Greens fell a point to 10 per cent and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation held firm at 3 per cent – both in line with their support at the last election.

The largest movement in voter intention aside from the loss of support for the Coalition was a corresponding three-point rise to 11 per cent among those claiming to support other minor or fringe parties.

Mr Morrison has sought over the past week to define the battle ground as one between a continuity of state-imposed lockdowns or the federally backed national plan for vaccination thresholds of 70-80 per cent to bring an end to lockdowns.

This had forced Labor leader Anthony Albanese to clarify his position over the party’s support for the national plan.

In the head-to-head popularity contest over who was ­believed to be the better prime minister, Mr Morrison appears to have arrested a previous narrowing of the margin.

He lifted a point to 50 per cent compared to a two-point fall for Mr Albanese to 34 per cent.

Mr Morrison’s approval ratings have also returned to positive territory, albeit only marginally.

Having suffered a significant fall in those satisfied in his ­performance in the previous poll, this measure has risen two points in the latest poll to 49 per cent. Those dissatisfied fell two points to 47 per cent.

Mr Morrison’s highest approval rating this year has been 59 per cent.

Mr Albanese’s approval ­ratings rose two points to 40 per cent.

However, those dissatisfied with his performance rose a point to 47 per cent, leaving the Opposition Leader with a net negative approval rating of minus seven.

The Newspoll surveyed 1528 voters across metropolitan and regional Australia.