The federal Liberal leadership change to Malcolm Turnbull has damaged the Victorian Labor premier, Daniel Andrews, the latest Newspoll suggests.
The Coalition’s primary vote in Victoria rose from 35% in May-June to 43% in November-December. Labor’s vote dropped from 41% to 39%.
Although Labor’s vote is higher than at the 2014 election, the poll reveals the Coalition is gaining ground.
The Newspoll found the National party vote rose from 3% to 5%, and the Liberal vote from 32% to 38%.
Andrews was sworn in as premier in 2014 after Labor’s election win, the first defeat of a single-term government in almost 60 years.
Some political analysts attributed the Liberals’ defeat in part to the unpopularity of the federal government under the then prime minister, Tony Abbott.
The latest Newspoll showed Labor leading the Coalition on a two-party-preferred basis 52% to 48% in Victoria. Andrews is preferred leader over the opposition leader, Matthew Guy, at 43% to 26%.
