On par with Scott Morrison but Anthony Albanese not worried

Anthony Albanese has denied he is worried about his personal standing among voters, despite his approval rating being the same as Scott Morrison’s in the lead-up to the Coalition’s 2022 election loss.

Anthony Albanese said ‘polls come and go’, ­before boasting his government had never trailed the Coalition in a Newspoll. Picture: Supplied

Anthony Albanese has denied he is worried about his personal standing among voters, despite his approval rating being the same as Scott Morrison’s in the lead-up to the Coalition’s 2022 election loss.

In an attempt to explain away his unpopularity the Prime Minister said “polls come and go”, ­before boasting his government had never trailed the Coalition in a Newspoll.

“I’m at the same level as Peter Dutton in Newspoll today,” he told Perth radio station 6PR.

“We haven’t lost a Newspoll unlike every other government during every term since Newspoll started, I think, certainly since the last few decades.”

After Newspoll showed Mr ­Albanese’s approval ­ratings had slumped, his media director Brett Mason told staff he was resigning to take up a senior communications role at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Mr Mason is expected to be replaced in the top media role by his deputy, Fiona Sugden. He had been in the position for nine months.

Newspoll, published by The Australian on Sunday evening, showed Mr Albanese’s disapproval rating rose three points to 54 per cent, the highest level of dissatisfaction in his performance since the May 2022 election.

His approval rating fell two points to 41 per cent, with 5 per cent uncommitted.

Mr Albanese’s personal numbers are exactly the same as Mr Morrison’s before the May 2022 election, although the impact on voting intention is likely to be mitigated by the Opposition Leader’s unpopularity.

Despite Newspoll showing a hung parliament was increasingly likely, Mr Albanese said he was “determined” to win majority government at the next election.

“The Coalition haven’t got a single costed policy out there and a nuclear-powered fantasy down there at Collie, where they won’t even visit to talk to the locals about it,” he said.

Opposition Treasury spokesman Angus Taylor said a hung parliament would lead to a “Labor-Greens coalition”.

“And (Greens leader) Adam Bandt has given you a sneak preview on what that’s going to look like. It’s going to be a hell of a lot more tax,” he told 6PR.

“There’s going to be a hell of a lot less mining and agriculture, and Lord help us all.

“But that is the most likely scenario if we have a hung parliament, and it’s why we’re going to be fighting every day from now until the next election to convince the Australian people that this Labor government is not delivering, will not deliver, and there is a better alternative.”