Liberal leadership: half of electorate less likely to vote for Peter Dutton as PM

Peter Dutton’s press conference on Tuesday. When asked to choose directly between Malcolm Turnbull and Dutton, 61.9% of voters backed Turnbull. Photograph: Sean Davey/AFP/Getty Images

Almost half of the Australian electorate, including half of Liberal voters, would be less likely to vote for the Coalition if Peter Dutton became prime minister, according to the results of a ReachTel poll commissioned by GetUp.

The nationwide poll of 2,261 people was conducted on Monday evening, before Tuesday morning’s Liberal leadership spill. Malcolm Turnbull defeated Dutton in the party room ballot by 48-35.

The ReachTel poll showed Labor holding a 51-49 two-party preferred lead over the Coalition.

It asked voters to choose a preferred prime minister from a selection of Liberal MPs. Malcolm Turnbull was the most popular, with 36% support of all voters, and 59% among Liberal voters.

Both Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop polled 14%. Dutton was the preferred leader with 12% of voters.

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When asked to choose directly between Turnbull and Dutton, 61.9% backed the current prime minister, who survived a leadership spill motion on Tuesday morning.

Voters were also asked if they would be more or less likely to vote for the Coalition if Dutton became leader, and if the party adopted a more conservative policy stance.

Almost half (49.5%) said Dutton as leader would make them less likely to vote for the Coalition. The number was similar (49.7%) among Liberal voters. About 28% said they would be more likely to support the Coalition under Dutton’s leadership, while 23% said their vote would be unchanged.

Almost two-thirds (64.7%) of One Nation voters said they would be more likely to vote for the Coalition of Dutton was leader.

On the economy, 62% of all voters, and 74% of Liberal voters, said Turnbull was better placed to manage the economy.

GetUp has made Dutton, who holds his seat of Dickson by 1.6%, their top target at the upcoming election. The group said it would also campaign to stop him becoming prime minister.

“This is a dangerous moment for Australia,” said GetUp’s national director, Paul Oosting. “A Peter Dutton government would take us down the path of the US, where racism, hate-mongering, and the politics of fear reign supreme.”