Labor ministers downplay falling behind Coalition for the first time

Since 2001, when Newspoll began calculating two-party-preferred results for all polls, every government has fallen behind the opposition on that measure at some point during the parliamentary term.

A triumphant John Howard wins the 2004 federal election. Picture: AFP

Anthony Albanese says he is ­“focused” on winning majority government at the next election, after Labor fell behind the ­Coalition in Newspoll for the first time this parliamentary term.

The Prime Minister blamed cost-of-living pressures for his government’s declining popularity, but defended his record at addressing the key issue.

“Peter Dutton has opposed every single one of those measures that we have undertaken, whether it be cheaper childcare, fee-free TAFE, the tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer,” Mr Albanese said

“When people focus in the election on what the choices are, I’m very confident they’ll continue to support the federal Labor government that understands the pressures people are under and that is doing something to assist them.”

Since 2001, when Newspoll began calculating two-party-­preferred results for all polls, every government has fallen behind the opposition on that measure at some point during the parliamentary term.

The Albanese government held its lead for 875 days from election day to the last day of polling, second only to Kevin Rudd’s Labor, which reached 891 days before slipping behind the opposition under Tony Abbott after the ALP leader’s backdown on his signature Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

Employment Minister Murray Watt said the result showed “Australians are doing it tough”.

“I think all incumbent governments across the world and across Australia are finding it difficult at the moment because people are finding it tough and they’re looking to their governments for action,” he told ABC RN. “I guess what it tells me and, I think, all of my colleagues is that we need to work that little bit harder to explain what we are doing to assist people with those cost-of-living pressures and the risk that we face if Peter Dutton and the Coalition win the next election.”

Four of the eight governments since 2001 won re-election but of those, only the 2004 John Howard government managed to do so without changing leaders.

Labor was re-elected for another term after switching from Kevin Rudd as leader to Julia ­Gillard.

The Coalition achieved the same feat, changing from Mr Abbott to Malcolm Turnbull to win in 2016 and from Mr Turnbull to Scott Morrison to win in 2019.

Mr Morrison failed in 2022 to become the first prime minister to win back-to-back elections since Mr Howard in 2004.

Nationals leader David Littleproud on Monday said the News­poll result was “encouraging”.

“I think Australians are simply asking themselves, do they feel safer and do they feel better off after 2½ years of Anthony Albanese?” he told Sky News.

“The answer is no, they don’t. And so they’re getting angry.”