Peter Dutton claws back ground on Anthony Albanese in Newspoll

Anthony Albanese’s commanding lead over Peter Dutton as preferred prime minister has fallen despite popular support for the Labor government lifting to a post-election high.

Peter Dutton has enjoyed a rise in satisfaction levels as opposition leader, gaining four points to 39 per cent. Picture: Getty Images

Anthony Albanese’s commanding lead over Peter Dutton as preferred prime minister has fallen despite popular support for the Labor government lifting to a post-election high.

Support for independents and minor parties – including the Teal independents – has also fallen sharply and is now down almost five points since the election.

An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian following last Tuesday’s budget, shows Labor’s primary vote lifting a point to 38 per cent. This is more than five points higher than its election result of just 32.6 per cent.

Anthony Albanese, right, and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet in Sydney on Sunday. Picture: Dylan Coker

The Coalition, however, has also gained ground, lifting four points since the last poll to reach 35 per cent and regaining all the ground lost since the election.

The significant lift in support for the Liberal-Nationals primary vote has produced a four-point turnaround in Labor’s two-party preferred lead, reducing the gap from 57-43 per cent to 55-45 per cent.

This remains almost three points above the election result.

The last Newspoll was published on September 4 – an eight-week gap between surveys. Significant events have occurred over that time, including the budget, the death of Queen Elizabeth, and the government’s recent foreign policy blunder over Israel.

Significantly, the poll also represents a five-point lift in support for the two major parties since the election, with support for minor parties and independents falling.

Support for the Greens, which have been rocked by controversy over senator Lidia Thorpe’s relationship with a former bikie boss, has fallen two points since the previous poll to 11 per cent.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has also fallen a point to 6 per cent. Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, which has been deregistered, has been reduced to just 1 per cent.

Other independents and minor parties, dominated by the Teal independents, have fallen a point to 9 per cent – which is down 1.4 per cent on the election result of 10.4 per cent.

This represents a fall from 31.7 per cent at the election for minor parties and independents to 27 per cent in the latest poll.

The largest movement in the latest poll numbers, however, has been a seven-point fall in ­Anthony Albanese’s rating as the better prime minister and a corresponding five-point gain for Liberal leader Peter Dutton – with the gap narrowing from a 39-point lead for Mr Albanese to a 27-point lead.

Mr Albanese has fallen from 61 per cent to 54 per cent, while Mr Dutton, who delivered the opposition’s budget in reply on Thursday, has risen from 22 per cent to 27 per cent. This still represents a significant lead for Mr ­Albanese as the preferred prime minister.

Mr Albanese’s net satisfaction ratings have also contracted, ­although remain at high levels.

Satisfaction with Mr Albanese’s performance fell two points over the two-month period from 61 per cent to 59 per cent.

Disapproval of his performance as leader rose from 29 per cent to 33 per cent.

This produced a fall in his net approval ratings of 32 per cent to plus 25 per cent.

Mr Dutton, enjoyed a rise in satisfaction levels as opposition leader, gaining four points to 39 per cent. However, he also suffered a three-point rise in disapproval to 46 per cent.

This movement coincided with a seven-point fall to 15 per cent in uncommitted voters.

The Newspoll was conducted between Thursday and Sunday and surveyed 1500 voters across Australia.