Government successes in Parliament and a pause in interest rate hikes have helped Anthony Albanese and Labor end the year on a high in the latest Newspoll.

The exclusive poll of 1219 voters surveyed across the nation between December 11 and 15 for The Australian newspaper found the reaction over the past three weeks to the immigration detention debate, and passing the Closing the Loopholes same job, same pay into legislation assisted in the government lifting its primary vote two points to 33 per cent to recapture what translates to a 52-48 electoral lead.

In what represents a four-point turnaround since mid-November in primary vote intentions, the Peter Dutton-led Coalition fell two points to 36 points.

The margin in the final Newspoll of 2023 mirrors the outcome of the May 2022 federal election, which Labor won with a 32.6 per cent primary vote (Coalition 35.7 per cent) and an overall 52.1-47.9 two-party-preferred result.

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Support for the Greens remained unchanged on 13 per cent, minor parties and independents dropped one point to 11 per cent, and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (up one point to 7 per cent) reached its highest level since the election.

The government’s midyear budget update by Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers, which delivered an improved bottom line and predicted an easing of inflation by the middle of 2024, amid a cost-of-living crisis may have also contributed to the reversal of fortunes.

On a personal front, Albanese retains a 46-35 lead as preferred PM, though he ended 2023 with more voters dissatisfied with his performance (down three points to 50 per cent) than Dutton (48 per cent).