Newspoll: Scott Morrison takes a hit in bushfires backlash

EXCLUSIVE | Scott Morrison’s approval ratings have tumbled as the Coalition falls behind Labor.

The poll has produced the PM’s worst numbers since he assumed the leadership in August 2018 and has put him on par with Bill Shorten at his most unpopular.

Voters have vented their anger at Scott Morrison over the handling of the bushfire crisis, with the Prime Minister’s personal approval ratings tumbling as the Coalition falls behind Labor on a two-party-preferred basis for the first time since the election.

However, the government has been largely spared the political wrath that has dogged Mr Morrison since his Hawaiian holiday in December, with primary support for the Coalition holding up.

An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows an eight-point drop in the Prime Minister’s approval ratings since December and an 11 per cent increase in those dissatisfied with his performance.

The poll has produced the worst numbers for Mr Morrison since he assumed the leadership in August 2018 and has put him on par with Bill Shorten at his most unpopular.

They also show Labor leader Anthony Albanese moving ahead of Mr Morrison as the preferred prime minster.

The poll shows Anthony Albanese moving ahead of Scott Morrison as the preferred prime minster. Picture: AAP

The Newspoll comes as Mr Morrison on Sunday conceded he could have done things better in his response to the crisis and confirmation that he would pursue a royal commission into the ongoing fire disaster that has sparked fierce debate over climate change and the management of fire prevention strategies at a state and territory level.

Fears that the issue had severely damaged the government will be tempered.

While the Coalition’s primary vote dropped two points on the last poll to 40 per cent, it remains on par with levels recorded in early November and is higher than the Coalition’s average for the past three years prior to the election.

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However, a surge in popular support for Labor — rising from a low of 33 per cent to 36 per cent in the latest poll — has the Coalition now trailing for the first time since the election, with a six-point turnaround in the two-party-preferred split to put Labor ahead 51-49.

In an interview on Sunday with ABC host David Speers, Mr Morrison acknowledged criticism of his decision to take a family holiday in early December, which he had to cut short because of the escalation in the fire disaster.

“In hindsight, I would not have taken that trip knowing what I know now,” Mr Morrison said.

“One of the great difficulties in any job, as you know, David, is balancing your work and family responsibilities. It had been a very busy year.

“I’d made a promise to my kids and we’d taken forward that break, as I explained when I came back and I thought I was very upfront about my contrition on that.

“How you do things on the ground differently, people want to see you on the ground, I understand that. That’s why I went.

“We walked into one of the most badly hit areas of NSW and I expected people would be raw and upset.

“I was prepared to go and do that because I wanted to be there and listen and hear. And I heard support and I heard fury and I’ve heard frustration, I heard fear. And that’s why I turned up. And I’ll always endeavour to turn up.”

The poll showed Mr Morrison’s approval rating fell eight points from 45 per cent to 37 per cent while those dissatisfied rose 11 points from 48 per cent to 59 per cent. The significant shift has delivered the Prime Minister a net negative rating of minus 22.

Mr Albanese’s approval ratings rose from 40 per cent to 46 per cent, with those unhappy with his performance during the bushfire crisis falling from 41 per cent to 37 per cent, giving him a net positive ratings of plus nine.

Voters have also marked down Mr Morrison in the head-to-head popularity contest, with Mr Albanese now leading Mr Morrison as the preferred prime minister — 43 per cent to 39 per cent.

It shows a nine-point fall for the Liberal leader since the last poll conducted in early December before Mr Morrison went on holiday, and a nine-point improvement for Mr Albanese.

There was little change for the other minor parties, with the Greens improving a point to 12 per cent, One Nation falling a point to 4 per cent and other minor parties dropping a point to 8 per cent.

The latest Newspoll is the first to have been conducted in January and the third to be conducted using an improved methodology.

It was conducted between January 8 and January 11 and surveyed 1505 voters.