Voters turn away from Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton: Newspoll
Voters have delivered Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton their lowest approval levels since the election.
Voters have delivered both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton their lowest approval levels since the election as the two leaders lock horns over the voice referendum and as Australians face a deteriorating economic outlook.
An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows that popular support for Labor and the Coalition remains unchanged with no shift in the primary vote for either party over the past three weeks.
However, a one-point gain for the Greens has widened the two-party preferred contest by two points, with Labor now leading the Coalition 56 per cent to 44 per cent.
This is the biggest two-party preferred lead Labor has held over the Coalition since last September.
The primary vote for Labor remains unchanged at 38 per cent with the Liberal-Nationals’ combined primary vote still stuck at 33 per cent.
The Greens have lifted a point to 11 per cent. This is still almost two points down on the result recorded at the last election in May.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation fell a point to 7 per cent, having secured 5 per cent of the primary vote at the election.
Support for other minor parties and independents remains unchanged from the previous Newspoll published on April 2 at 11 per cent. This is 3.5 percentage points down on the election result.
The latest Newspoll is the first to test the electoral mood since Mr Dutton formalised the federal Liberal party’s opposition to the voice referendum, which has dominated the political contest in Canberra over the past three weeks.
Both leaders have suffered a drop in satisfaction with their performance amid a protracted and personal battle over the referendum due later this year that will decide whether the nation enshrines an Indigenous voice to parliament and executive government.
Mr Albanese’s approval rating dropped three points to 53 per cent. This is the lowest approval level for Mr Albanese since he became Prime Minister. Those dissatisfied with his performance as leader rose two points to 37 per cent, giving him a net positive approval rating of plus 16.
The assessment of Mr Dutton’s performance was also negative, with the Opposition Leader suffering a two-point fall in his approval rating to 33 per cent. This was also the lowest approval rating for Mr Dutton since he became Liberal leader following the Morrison government’s election defeat last May.
Those dissatisfied with his performance rose four points to 52 per cent, giving the Opposition Leader a net negative approval rating of minus 19.
The only good news for Mr Dutton was an improvement in the head-to-head contest over who voters regard as making the better prime minister.
The level of support for Mr Albanese in the job fell four points to 54 per cent, while those backing Mr Dutton rose two points to 28 per cent.
The 26-point lead for Mr Albanese is the closest the two leaders have been since the election, mirroring the result of the Newspoll conducted in early March.
The greatest margin Mr Albanese has held over his rival on this measure was recorded in September when he led 61 per cent to 22 per cent over Mr Dutton.
The latest Newspoll of 1514 voters was held between Wednesday and Saturday and surveyed voters across all states and territories.
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