Labor’s support is at its highest for nine months in the latest Newspoll and Bill Shorten is ahead of Tony Abbott as better prime minister.
In two-party terms, the opposition leads the government by 55-45% in the poll, published in The Australian.
The Coalition’s primary vote was down two points in a fortnight to 36%, its lowest since July. The ALP’s primary vote, on 39%, is above the government’s for the first time since then, when the government was suffering the aftermath of the May budget.
The Coalition’s primary vote is nine points lower than at the election. The Labor primary vote is up three points in the last fortnight and six points higher than at the election.
The poll comes when the news was dominated by Abbott being caught up in a round of summitry abroad and at home. But his satisfaction rating is down.
Previously, national security and overseas issues seemed to be working for the government but they no longer appear to be having a positive effect for it. With parliament nearing the end of its sittings for the year, the attention will swing back to outstanding budget issues.
The Greens are down two points in the poll to 11%.
This is Labor’s third consecutive rise in two-party terms – it has been in front in 14 successive polls.