Support for the federal government has dipped to a five-month low, with Labor widening its lead over the Coalition following weeks of expenses scandals that resulted in the resignation of the Speaker, Bronwyn Bishop.
The latest Newspoll conducted by the Australian and published on Monday shows the ALP holds an election-winning lead over the Coalition, on 54% and 46% respectively, the Coalition’s worst figures since March. The previous poll, taken three weeks ago, had Labor ahead 53-47 in two-party-preferred terms.
The Coalition’s primary votes fell one point to 39%, while Labor’s remained unchanged, also at 39%.
Satisfaction with the performance of Tony Abbott was steady at 33%, with dissatisfaction rising one point to 61%.
The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, told ABC radio on Monday the Coalition’s standing in the polls was affected by Abbott’s initial support for Bishop, saying he “chose to defend the indefensible” for three weeks.
“[Abbott] couldn’t quite bring himself to accept that she had done the wrong thing,” he said.
The parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs, Steven Ciobo, downplayed the results.
“None of us [in government] get particularly excited by polls that go up and down,” he told Sky News on Monday.
Sunday marked exactly six months since Abbott survived a leadership spill. He had at the time asked his colleagues to give him six months to turn the government’s fortunes around.
At the time, Labor was outpolling the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis by 57% to 43%.
Bill Shorten’s popularity took a bruising in the last Newspoll, as the opposition leader emerged from the royal commission into trade union corruption. Satisfaction with Shorten rose two points in the latest poll to 29%, and dissatisfaction was down two points to 57%, leaving both leaders on a net satisfaction rating of minus 28 points.
They were also level as preferred prime minister, on 38%, with Shorten gaining two points and the prime minister falling one point.
The Greens were up a point on primary votes to 13% and support for other parties and independents was steady at 9%.
A ReachTel poll published by Fairfax Media on Sunday put Labor’s margin over the Coalition at 53%-47% in two-party-preferred terms.
In that poll Shorten (58.5%) enjoyed a clear lead over Abbott (41.5%) as preferred prime minister.
