Labor’s fortunes have nudged up, but its leader Bill Shorten’s popularity has plunged to an all-time low, according to the latest Newspoll.
Labor leads the Coalition 53% to 47% in two-party-preferred terms in the poll, published in the Australian. Labor’s share is up one percentage point, while the Coalition’s is down by the same margin from the last poll.
The Coalition’s primary vote is holding steady at 40%, while Labor’s primary vote is up two percentage points to 39%. The popularity of the Greens and other minor parties have also fallen one point, to 12% and 9% respectively.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has emerged from the trade unions royal commission slightly diminished, his net satisfaction rating sitting at minus 32% to prime minister Tony Abbott’s minus 27%.
Just over a quarter of people surveyed, or 27%, were satisfied with Shorten’s performance, compared with 59% who were dissatisfied, an overall drop of four percentage points.
One-third of voters were satisfied with Abbott, compared with 60% who were dissatisfied, giving him the same overall satisfaction rating as last fortnight.
Labor heads into this week’s national conference with its two-party-preferred performance at a four-month high.
The Coalition has failed to make significant headway in the polls since the May budget, its primary vote peaking at 41% in early June.
The survey of 1,638 people took place over the weekend, and it has a margin of error of about 3%.
