Voters are snubbing the prime minister, Tony Abbott, as the Coalition falls behind on social issues such as same-sex marriage and housing affordability, according to the most recent Ipsos poll.
The poll, published in Fairfax media, shows that the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, has pulled ahead of Abbott as preferred prime minister by one percentage point after the prime minister benefited from a post-budget boost last month.
Abbott’s performance is approved of by 40% of respondents, down two points from last month. The number of people who disapprove of his performance is up by the same margin, to 54%.
Labor has had a bounce in the two-party preferred stakes, claiming an election-winning lead of 53% to the Coalition’s 47%. The May poll had both sides dead even on 50%-50%.
The phone poll shows that Labor’s primary vote is holding steady at 37%, while the Coalition’s primary vote has fallen three percentage points to 40%.
The phone poll surveyed 1,401 people and has a margin of error of 2.6%.
Parliament appears to be at odds with the vast majority – 68% – of Australians, who support same-sex marriage. The Coalition has so far refused to hold a conscience vote on the issue, with Abbott until very recently saying the matter must be settled in the party room.
The Coalition is also struggling to cut through on housing affordability.
The Ipsos poll finds that only 29% of those surveyed agree that housing is affordable for prospective first home owners. That figure falls to just 18% in Sydney.
The treasurer, Joe Hockey, drew heavy criticism last week for saying that having a good job was the starting point for owning a home.
