Support falls for PM as preferences help Coalition regain lost ground


Popular support for Scott Morrison has fallen in the latest Newspoll. Photo: AAP/Getty
Popular support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison has fallen sharply amid Victoria’s COVID-19 lockdown, the poor vaccine rollout and disputes about quarantine facilities.
But the latest Newspoll, released on Sunday night in The Australian newspaper, shows the two major parties locked 50-50 on a two-party-preferred basis despite the primary vote of both remaining unchanged.
Conducted with 1506 voters between June 2-June 5, the poll found the Coalition’s primary vote of 41 per cent remains unchanged since April and on par with its May 2019 election victory.
Labor’s primary vote of 36 is also unchanged from the last poll, but close to three points better than its election performance.
#BREAKING: The Coalition has recovered electoral ground to draw level with Labor on a two-party-preferred basis for the first time since February #Newspoll https://t.co/4c6YM1zYGs pic.twitter.com/Bqrq7ud1q1
— The Australian (@australian) June 6, 2021
The two-point turnaround for the Coalition from the last poll, which measured the reaction to the May 11 budget, was determined by small changes in minor party support and the expected flow of preferences.
This included a one-point fall for the Greens to 11 per cent and a lift for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation to 3 per cent.
Many interested observers online say the result was within the accepted margin of error.
But the ‘‘steep rise in voter dissatisfaction’’ with Mr Morrison’s performance as PM meant his approval ratings fell four points in only three weeks (54 per cent) and dissatisfaction increased five points to 43 per cent.
It is Mr Morrison’s lowest net result since March 2020.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese fared little better, suffering a one-point fall in approval to 38 per cent and a one-point rise in dissatisfaction to 47 per cent.