Voters back PM over Shorten to manage economy

Australians believe Scott Morrison is more able to manage the economy than Bill Shorten, the latest Newspoll shows.

The latest Newspoll suggests 44 per cent of voters see the new Prime Minister as the most capable leader to manage the economy. Picture : Sean Davey.

Australians believe Scott Morrison is more able to manage the economy than Bill Shorten, but his lead over the Labor leader on the question of economic management is narrower than that held by Malcolm Turnbull.

The latest Newspoll, conducted exclusively for The Australian, suggests 44 per cent of voters see the new Prime Minister as the most capable leader to manage the economy, compared with 34 per cent for Mr Shorten and 22 per cent undecided.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull led the Labor leader 48 to 31 the last time Newspoll posed the question, in May this year, down from 58 to 22 in February 2016.

An overwhelming majority of Coalition voters see Mr Morrison as the better economic manager, with 80 per cent rating the former treasurer as more capable of handling the economy than Mr Shorten.

Almost 60 per cent of Labor voters believe Mr Shorten would be better able to manage the economy, compared with 23 per cent of Labor voters who rate Mr Morrison ahead of the Labor leader on the issue.

Mr Morrison has vowed to make sound economic management a hallmark of his government but is yet to flesh out his economic agenda.

Tax cuts for big business have been shelved after they were blocked by the Senate, but Mr Morrison yesterday flagged a “new, exciting tax policy” for small and medium-sized businesses. “That is the engine room,” he said.

Mr Morrison also highlighted the inclusion of the small business portfolio in cabinet under Michaelia Cash.

“This is a passionate team, looking forward, ambitious and hungry for the next election, ready to demonstrate how, as the government, we will continue to offer what Australians need,” he said.

“And that is an economy that produces and guarantees services that they rely upon.”

The government had been considering bringing forward a tax cut from 27.5 per cent to 25 per cent for businesses with turnovers of less than $50 million when Mr Morrison was treasurer, in the face of Senate resistance to the government’s big business tax cuts.

Labor yesterday launched a social media video highlighting Mr Morrison’s role in pushing for big business tax cuts, including “$17 billion for the big banks”.