Support for PM falls as Coalition and Labor deadlocked 50-50 in latest Newspoll
The latest Newspoll shows Labor and the Coalition on an equal footing. Photo: The New Daily
Labor and the Coalition are deadlocked 50-50 on a two-party-preferred basis after a four-point turnaround in Labor’s favour over the past three weeks, the latest Newspoll shows.
The poll published in The Australian shows popular support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison has fallen for the first time since the height of the pandemic.
A special poll also showed 80 per cent of Australians support border closures if the health situation demanded it.
Victorians, who remain in Stage 4 lockdown, were the least enthusiastic.
Newspoll wow – 2PP vote at 50-50, after being 52-48 to the Coalition three weeks agohttps://t.co/OTUB9Gu4nZ
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) August 30, 2020
Mr Morrison remains at record-high popularity but his approval ratings fell for the first time since mid-April, dropping four points to 64 per cent.
Dissatisfaction with Mr Morrison’s performance rose three points to 32 per cent.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese had a two-point rise in approval rating to 43 per cent, but dissatisfaction with his performance jumped three points to 41 per cent.
Mr Morrison’s rating as preferred prime minister fell two points from a high of 60 three weeks ago to 58 per cent.
The Labor leader’s fortunes rose four points to 29 per cent, the highest support for Mr Albanese since May.
The swing to Labor of three primary vote points to take it to 36 per cent came with no change to the Greens on 11 per cent, no change to the other minor parties at 9 per cent, and a single-point drop to 3 per cent for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
At 41 per cent, the Coalition is back to the level of support it had near the end of April.