Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has defeated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the preferred party leader, while recent opinion polls show that support for the Labor Party is declining on key issues.
It is the first time Mr Dutton has overtaken Mr Albanese as preferred prime minister in the Resolve Political Monitor, a poll regularly conducted for the Sydney Morning Herald.
The results published in the masthead show that the opposition leader has gained a narrow lead over his opponent with 36 percent of the vote, while Mr Albanese is on 35 percent.
When asked about the Prime Minister’s performance in office, 36 percent of respondents said he was doing his job well, while 50 percent of respondents said he was doing his job poorly.
Meanwhile, Mr Dutton received praise from 42 percent of voters, while 40 percent rated his performance as poor.
Polls showed support for the coalition remained stable at 36 percent last month, but Labor’s share of the vote in the primary election fell to a three-year low of 28 percent.
Notably, 40 percent of voters surveyed for the poll rated Mr Dutton and the Coalition as the best choice for managing the economy, while 24 percent chose Mr Albanese and the Labor Party.
On the issue of national security and defense, 42 percent supported the opposition leader, while 23 percent supported the prime minister.
When asked which politician would be better at keeping the cost of living low, 32 percent of voters answered Dutton, while 25 percent preferred Albanese.
The results reflect the country’s growing frustration with rising prices and the impact of constant interest rate hikes.
When voters were asked to name the most important political issue, 54 percent said lowering the cost of living.
Thirty-two percent of respondents thought Mr Dutton was the safer choice for the job, while 25 percent of respondents thought Mr Albanese was suitable.
However, on the issue of jobs and wages, the two major parties were neck and neck with 32 percent of voters.
On the issue of environment and climate, Mr Albanese and the Labor Party gained more support with 24 percent of the vote, while Mr Dutton and the Coalition received only 22 percent of the vote.
The findings came after Dutton refused to reveal key details of the coalition’s nuclear policy, after saying he would oppose a 2030 carbon emissions target at the next election.
The survey also brought good news for the Greens, who gained two percentage points more votes and increased their share of the vote in the primary elections from 12 to 14 percent.