Labor extends Newspoll lead
Labor has received a boost in the latest Newspoll, pulling away from the Turnbull government as it prepares for a handful of by-elections across Australia.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's personal poll ratings are falling but his party is in the lead. Photo: AAP/Tracey Nearmy
Labor now leads the Coalition 52 per cent to 48 in the two-party preferred vote, according to the poll published in The Australian, on Sunday night.
However, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has lost more ground as preferred prime minister, slipping two points to a 30 per cent approval rating, marking the longest negative satisfaction rating of any opposition leader.
Anthony Albanese registered 26 per cent as preferred Labor leader, while deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek received 23 per cent, the poll showed.
Malcolm Turnbull gained one point to 47 per cent as preferred prime minister since the last poll over May 10-13.
The poll shows the Coalition has lost one point in the primary vote (38 per cent) while Labor remains unchanged at 38.
One Nation managed a two-point rise to claim eight per cent of the popular vote, while the Greens stayed on nine per cent and the other minor parties dropped to seven per cent.
The July by-elections come after four Labor MPs were forced to quit over their citizenship status, while a fifth was triggered by WA Labor MP Tim Hammond’s shock resignation.
In better news for the Government, Newspoll also found majority support for the Coalition’s corporate tax cuts.
A total of 63 per cent surveyed by Newspoll back the changes, with more than a third of voters saying they should come into effect as soon as possible, and 27 per cent wanting them to be implemented over the next ten years.
Despite Pauline Hanson walking away from a deal with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann to secure them, 60 per cent of One Nation voters support the proposed company tax cuts in Monday’s poll.
“It’s encouraging to see that more Australians understand that we can’t continue to put businesses around Australia at a competitive disadvantage,” Cormann told ABC radio.
“My message to all Australian senators is that the Australian people need them to vote for those business tax cuts in full.”
He rejected calls to cap the tax cut to businesses with an annual turnover of $500 million.
“We don’t want to put an artificial barrier on the growth and expansion of businesses that are just below that threshold,” he said.
Hanson last week withdrew her support for the plan, leaving the government without the crucial numbers it needed to pass the legislation.
– AAP
