King David: Premier Crisafulli now the most popular leader in Australia

Three months after leading the LNP to victory, David Crisafulli is the most popular leader in the country, putting further pressure on Steven Miles.

• Crisafulli learnt from falls of Stacia, Newman

David Crisafulli has risen to become Australia’s most popular politician three months after dragging the LNP to a historic Queensland election win.

Mr Crisafulli’s net favourability among voters is significantly higher than that of the premiers of Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

Redbridge polling of 1507 Queenslanders provided by The Courier-Mail also reveals the LNP has also extended its two-party lead over Labor to 56.5 to 43.5 per cent – about 2.7 points higher than at last October’s election.

About 150 days into the top job, Mr Crisafulli’s net favourability of +29 per cent is significantly higher than the -19 for Opposition Leader Steven Miles.

The Queensland Premier’s popularity is higher than NSW Premier Chris Minns’s +22 per cent, +19 for SA’s Peter Malinauskas and +12 for newly re-elected WA Premier Roger Cook.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan languishes on -17 per cent.

Read what Crisafulli learnt as a minister under Campbell Newman in our editorial.

Notably, Mr Crisafulli’s personal popularity has translated to a boost for the LNP across the inner and outer metropolitan seats, where Labor’s vote was stronger at the October 26 campaign.

The polling was taken between March 17 and 25, after Tropical Cyclone Alfred but before the government’s well-received Olympic and Paralympic Games blueprint.

Redbridge director Tony Barry said Mr Crisafulli was viewed positively in the critical 35-49 age group and voters in the inner suburbs.

“The most significant number in this poll is the LNP’s renewed competitiveness in the inner suburban seats where it underperformed in last year’s state election,” he said.

“On the personal numbers, David Crisafulli is currently the most popular leader in Australian politics at net +29.”

Mr Barry said the poll would be difficult reading for Queensland Labor as it sought to rebuild and again challenge the LNP.

“If the Queensland Labor caucus are smart they’ll pension off Steven Miles and give Cameron Dick a run because at the moment the former premier is dragging down their vote,” he said. “Queensland voters want the remedy, not the replay.”

Mr Crisafulli’s +29 per cent favourability compares with the +45 recorded by Campbell Newman 50 days after the 2012 election, according to polling by YouGov for The Courier-Mail.

However, widespread job losses in the public sector saw Mr Newman’s net favourability plunge to -5 just three months later.

In 2015, 70 days after the election, Annastacia Palaszczuk’s net favourability was +29.

She finished 2015 at +36.

Mr Crisafulli – unaware of the poll result – on Sunday played down his popularity among Queenslanders.

He dismissed imputations Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton were seeking to benefit from his standing.

“We’re doing what we said we’re going to do and my style is to make sure that you negotiate with people forcefully, but respectfully,” he said.

“I contrast that with the style that I’ve seen before, where if it’s someone on your team you’re a patsy and if it’s someone on another team you’re some kind of crusader.

“You’re better off treating people with respect, not giving them an inch... that’s the model we’ve used.”

Mr Miles – unaware of the poll result – said Labor was working to earn back voters’ trust.

“My team and I are listening to Queenslanders, to understand what they want and how we can do better,” he said.

“We are firmly focused on holding David Crisafulli and the LNP to their word.

“I want Queenslanders to know we have their back, and that we will always fight for their fair share.”

Originally published as King David: Premier Crisafulli now the most popular leader in Australia