Poll shows Scott Morrison is LEAST trusted prime minister in more than a decade

Scott Morrison is the least trusted Prime Minister that Australia has had for more than a decade according to a new poll. 

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese is not far behind, showing that Australians have grown steadily less confident with political leaders from both parties over the last ten years. 

Only 40 per cent of survey respondents agreed with the description of Mr Morrison as trustworthy, while 44 per cent said they would describe Mr Albanese in those terms. 

Quizzed on a broad range of the character traits for the Liberal and Labor leaders, voters said they still considered Mr Morrison the more decisive of the two. 

He was also viewed as the more experienced, along with being the more arrogant, but lost out to Mr Albanese in every other area.

With a federal election due by May 21, both Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese is well into campaign mode with both desperately trying to avoid any unflattering publicity. 

The Newspoll survey commissioned by The Australian found that Mr Morrison had generally dropped percentage points among favourable traits compared to last year. 

And while a similar number considered him arrogant at 60 per cent, this level is actually no higher than previous Prime Ministers. 

Voters also seem to be warming up to Mr Albanese ranking him more likeable and caring than his opponent.

But a large number are still yet to form an opinion on the inner-western Sydney native with 22 per cent undecided if he was trustworthy. 

Mr Morrison’s PR nightmare during the 2019 Australian bushfires which included his infamous trip to Hawaii has left a sour taste with voters (pictured: Mr Morrison forces a distressed young woman in a fire zone to shake his hand) 

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will deliver his fourth budget on March 29 ahead of the May election which is expected to include a slightly better than expected deficit, but debt heading towards $1 trillion.

The prime minister and Mr Frydenberg have been framing the budget around the theme of strong economic management delivering the jobs, services and national security that Australians need.

Mr Morrison says Australians are well aware the price of petrol – which is hovering around $2.20 a litre – is being driven up by the Russia-Ukraine war.

He said the government would work with other countries to release fuel reserves and ease pressure on petrol prices.

With cost of living pressures shaping up as a key election issue the latest Newspoll shows support for the two major parties is unchanged from two weeks ago.

The coalition government is sitting on 45 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, trailing Labor on 55 per cent, the poll published in The Australian on Monday found.

But Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has ticked up on the preferred prime minister measure to now equal Mr Morrison on 42 per cent.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese (pictured with his girlfriend Jodie Haydon) is perceived as more likable but less decisive 

Mr Frydenberg has flagged further investment in defence to take the total military spend to just over two per cent of gross domestic product.

The budget will also include a women’s economic statement, more funding for skills and manufacturing and a strong focus on the regions to generate jobs.

It remains unclear whether the government will extend the low and middle-income tax offset, which provides up to $1080 a year to 10 million Australians on an income of less than $126,900.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the government would ‘double down’ on lower income tax settings to help with the cost of living.

‘Right now our income tax cuts are providing around $1.5 billion a month extra into the pockets of hard-working Australian households and it’s that type of disposable income that is necessary and helpful to deal with these sorts of pressures,’ he said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured) is set to deliver the budget this month with rising petrol prices a concern 

The budget papers will show a bringing forward of child care subsidy changes from July 1 to March 7, to cost around $224 million in 2021/22 and $670 million a year ongoing.

And there will be record spending on health and infrastructure.

‘Our government is getting the job done by delivering the infrastructure needed to improve regional roads that were neglected and left to deteriorate under Labor,’ Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said.