Brumby fends off poor showing in Newspoll

PREMIER John Brumby believes he has the "right plans" to deal with voter concerns despite a serious decline in support for his government.

PREMIER John Brumby believes he has the "right plans" to deal with voter concerns about public transport and law and order despite a serious decline in support for his decade-old government.

Just seven months out from an election, Mr Brumby was yesterday forced to defend his performance after the latest Newspoll revealed he was the most unpopular premier in his government's tenure.

"I always said you would see the polls come closer this year -- that generally happens in election year," he said.

The Newspoll, conducted exclusively for The Australian, found that 45 per cent of voters were dissatisfied compared with 43 per cent who were happy with Mr Brumby's performance as Premier.

The poll also showed the primary vote for Labor had dropped to 37 per cent and support for the Coalition -- and even the Liberal Party alone -- had overtaken the Brumby government for the first time in two years.

Only a stable Green vote of 14 per cent meant that Labor would win on a two-party-preferred basis if an election were held, but even that recorded a drop from the last Newspoll, held at the start of the year.

The Premier said the government was going to have a "very positive" few months, including delivering a "very positive budget" next week.

Mr Brumby said Victoria's economy was travelling well and continued to be "the most liveable state" in Australia. "We are a popular place to be," he said.

"What Victorians want, they want to know is that the government is making necessary decisions to secure our future."

He said he would be announcing plans to ease voter frustration about the problem-plagued public transport system and the increasing violence in the city. "I believe that the right plans will address those issues that do concern Victorians," he said. "And I believe that all of the things we've put in place build a very strong foundation for the future of our state."

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said the Coalition was gaining traction with voters, but he refused to comment on his own approval rating, which remained steady at 41 per cent while his dissatisfaction rating increased from 39 per cent to 41 per cent.

"We're very confident that we're heading in the right direction," Mr Baillieu said.