Popular support for Scott Morrison rises as the Coalition recovers critical electoral territory

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has caught up the ground he lost from the sex scandals that engulfed his government, according to the latest Newspoll.

Support for the government is back to its 2019 election levels as Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s popularity surges ahead of the May budget.

In an exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian the Coalition rises in approval for the second consecutive over the past two polls and Scott Morrison also sees a boost in popularity following his vaccine plan and push back on a mandated net zero 2050 emissions target.

However, the Coalition is still trailing Labor on the two-party-preferred count 49-51, with support for Labor remaining steady.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is back to his pre-election approval levels as preferred leader, according to the Newspoll. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

It comes as the Morrison government rejected West Australian Labor Premier Mark McGowan’s argument that Commonwealth-owned detention centres should be used to quarantine repatriated Australians and WA grapples with its snap lockdown.

The Coalition’s primary vote has risen one point since the last poll to 41 per cent, a rebound from the low of 39 per cent at the height of the rape ­allegations in Mr Morrison’s government, which put him under increasing pressure to address the entrenched mistreatment of women.

The Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan, has been in a spat with the Prime Minister over WA’s quarantine system. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tony McDonough

While the Coalition at 41 per cent has returned to the level of support that secured its 2019 election victory, the Liberals and the Nationals are down on average over the past six months.

Labor’s primary vote remains level at 38 per cent, having secured 33.3 per cent at the last election.

As preferred leader, Mr Morrison has seen a significant lift in approval since last month when his ­approval ratings fell to levels of the 2019-20 bushfire crisis.

Satisfaction with Mr Morrison’s performance rose four points to 59 per cent, against a drop in dissatisfaction of three points to 37 per cent.

Anthony Albanese has suffered a three-point drop in his satisfaction rankings to 40 per cent. With a two-point rise in dissatisfaction, the Labor leader has fallen to a net negative approval rating of minus three.

Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese, has suffered a three-point drop in satisfaction according to the latest Newspoll. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

As preferred PM, Mr Morrison won back some ground, rising four points to 56 per cent while Mr Albanese fell two points to 30 per cent.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation recovered a point to 3 per cent, while the Greens dropped one point to 10 per cent.

The total vote for other minor parties and independents fell a point to 8 per cent.

The poll results are good news for Mr Morrison who was forced to reshuffle his cabinet last month in the wake of several scandals.

Originally published as Popular support for Scott Morrison rises as the Coalition recovers critical electoral territory