Newspoll: fix economy say voters as PM support falls to lowest level

Malcolm Turnbull ends the year with his support as Prime Minister falling to its lowest level since he seized power.

Support for Malcolm has fallen to its lowest level since he seized power. Picture: AAP.

Voters are looking to the federal government to concentrate on jobs, economic growth and the budget as Malcolm Turnbull ends the year with his support as Prime Minister falling to its lowest level since he seized power.

The latest Newspoll, taken exclusively for The Australian, reveals the Coalition heads to Christmas with its two-party preferred vote improving from 47 to 48 per cent but still trailing Labor, which has chalked up its sixth successive lead, on 52 per cent.

Mr Turnbull’s standing has fallen again with his rating as better prime minister dropping two points to 41 per cent, the lowest level since he toppled Tony Abbott as leader 15 months ago. It has tumbled 18 points over the course of this year.

Mr Turnbull’s margin over Bill Shorten, who currently is favoured by 32 per cent as the preferred prime minister, has plunged from a 39-point lead in January to just nine points.

Newspoll shows the Prime Minister’s election slogan of “jobs and growth” has been overwhelmingly ranked by voters, including Labor supporters, as the most important issue for Mr Turnbull to address next year.

Some 36 per cent of voters nominated jobs and economic growth as the top priority, including 41 per cent of Coalition supporters, 34 per cent of Labor voters and 24 per cent of Greens. Dealing with the budget deficit was ranked the most important by 16 per cent of voters, although its importance varied across the parties, with 23 per cent of Coalition supporters nominating it as the priority but only 12 per cent of Labor voters and 8 per cent of Greens ­supporters.

Labor supporters ranked same-sex marriage and asylum seekers as more important, with 14 per cent support for each issue.

Greens voters declared asylum seekers the top issue with 26 per cent saying it should be Mr Turnbull’s highest priority, while 21 per cent said same-sex marriage was the most important.

After the failure of the Senate to approve the government’s plan for a plebiscite on gay marriage in February, Coalition supporters played down the importance of same-sex marriage, with only 5 per cent rating it the most important issue.

While 15 per cent of Coalition supporters said national security should be the top priority, only 3 per cent of Greens agreed. However, Labor and Green voters were more concerned about energy prices than Coalition supporters.

As cabinet meets in Sydney today, the Newspoll of 1629 voters, taken from Thursday to Sunday, shows the government’s primary vote has gained one point to 39 per cent following compromises in the final week of parliament to pass legislation restoring the Australian Building and Construction Commission and to settle a new backpacker tax rate.

After recent gains, Labor’s primary vote fell two points to a two-month low of 36 per cent. The Greens remain unchanged on 10 per cent while support for independents and other parties edged up from 14 to 15 per cent.

Within this category, national support for One Nation stands at 5 per cent with the Nick Xenophon Team at 2 per cent.

Based on preference flows from the July election, Labor’s two-party preferred lead has narrowed from 53-47 per cent, where it has stood for the past two Newspoll surveys, to 52-48 per cent.

After an improvement in the previous survey, satisfaction with Mr Turnbull’s performance slid two points in the past fortnight to 32 per cent while dissatisfaction rose one point to 55 per cent, leaving the Prime Minister with a net satisfaction rating of minus 23 points, a deterioration from minus 20 points a fortnight ago.

Mr Turnbull’s net satisfaction rating in January was plus 22 points.

Mr Shorten’s satisfaction level has changed for the first time since early October with a two-point drop to 34 per cent while dissatisfaction with his performance stayed unchanged at 51 per cent where it has been since the election, giving him a net satisfaction rating of minus 17 points. In January Mr Shorten’s net satisfaction rating was minus 35 points.