Newspoll: Coalition, Scott Morrison hold firm despite Covid crises, Nationals spill

Primary vote holds despite a stumbling vaccine rollout and a Nationals leadership spill. Labor edges ahead on preferences.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: AFP

The federal Coalition has held its electoral ground against the political pressure of a stumbling vaccine rollout, the Nationals leadership spill and two state Covid lockdowns, with support for Scott Morrison also lifting following his return from the G7 world leaders’ summit.

An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows the Coalition primary vote unchanged at 41 per cent and the Prime Minister’s net approval rating improving three points, despite a turbulent past fortnight for the government.

The opposition, however, has made inroads at the expense of minor parties with Labor’s primary vote lifting a point to 37 per cent and Anthony Albanese’s net satisfaction ratings advancing four points.

The poll shows that the contest between the two major parties remains tight, with Labor edging back in front on a two-party preferred split, 51/49 per cent, after being deadlocked at the beginning of the month.

The poll period covered the Victorian lockdown, which Labor has sought to blame on the Morrison government’s slow vaccine rollout and quarantine responsibilities, as well as the start of the Sydney lockdown and state border closures to NSW.

The government was also dogged by changes to the administering of the AstraZeneca vaccine and further potential delays to the national rollout after the regulator imposed new rules over the risk of rare clotting disorders for people under 60.

With Mr Morrison forced last week to negotiate parliament via live feed from isolation at the Lodge following his return from the successful G7 summit which elevated Australia’s position among the leading economies, the Coalition was further rocked by a political coup within the ranks of the Nationals which saw Barnaby Joyce returned to the leadership and Deputy Prime Minister last Monday.

Despite the troubles facing the government, the Newspoll showed voters had been largely unmoved by events with the only movement in the headline numbers being the single point rise in the primary vote for Labor.

The Greens remained stable on 11 per cent while One Nation’s previous support of 3 per cent remained unchanged.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The shift to Labor appears to have come from other minor parties which fell from 9 per cent to 8 per cent, which is well down on the election result of almost 12 per cent. While the Coalition primary vote remained at around its election result of 41 per cent, Labor’s primary vote of 37 per cent is significantly up on its 2019 election result of 33.3 per cent.

Mr Morrison’s approval ratings also lifted slightly in the latest poll, having fallen in the last poll three weeks ago to a March 2020 low.

Satisfaction with his performance rose a point to 55 per cent with dissatisfaction falling two points to 41 per cent, giving him a net positive approval rating of plus 14.

However, 15 per cent of voters still remain undecided on Mr Albanese’s performance compared to 4 per cent for Mr Morrison.

Mr Albanese’s approval ratings also lifted with a two point rise in satisfaction to 40 per cent and a two point fall on the opposite side of the ledger to 45 per cent, leaving him with a net negative rating of minus five.

The head to head contest also remained largely unchanged with Mr Morrison remaining firm as the preferred prime minister at 53 per cent while his rival Mr Albanese gained a point to 33 per cent.