The Liberal leadership debacle has been capped off with the party’s lowest poll result in ten years – as a heavy defeat appears to loom for new Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the next election.
The Australian’s Newspoll has support for the incumbent Coalition dropping to just 33 per cent – while Labor’s backing climbs to 41 per cent.
The disastrous result for the government comes after a week of back-stabbing among the Liberals in Canberra, resulting in Malcolm Turnbull being deposed from the top job following a challenge from Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.
On a two-party preferred split Labor sits at 56 per cent to the government’s 44 per cent – compared to a slim two-point gap of 51-49 just two weeks ago.
Newspoll also has Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as more popular than Mr Morrison, 39 per cent to 33 per cent.
The Liberal leadership debacle has been capped off with the party’s lowest poll result in ten years – as a heavy defeat appears to loom for new Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the next election
Newspoll also has Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as more popular than Mr Morrison, 39 per cent to 33 per cent
But a Fairfax ReachTEL poll of 1047 done on August 25 and 26 has Mr Morrison edging out Mr Shorten in three marginal seats – Deakin, Dickson and Reid.
The poll showed support for the coalition had dropped in the three Liberal-held seats since the 2016 election, but still had the government slightly in front.
Mr Morrison became Australia’s 30th prime minister on Friday in a leadership spill staged by top job-hopeful Peter Dutton.
Mr Dutton has represented the marginal Queensland seat of Dickson since 2001 and the ReachTEL poll suggests he would continue to hold on to it.
But in Victoria’s Deakin, Mr Dutton’s supporter Michael Sukkar saw a significant drop from 50 per cent in 2016 to 42 per cent in the latest poll.
Mr Morrison on Sunday revealed his new ministry, adding another woman to cabinet and splitting the energy and environment portfolios.
‘This new Liberal-National team is a next-generation team,’ Mr Morrison told reporters on Sunday, noting that it would also bring ‘healing’ after a divisive week in which Mr Turnbull was dumped.
Earlier on Sunday Mr Morrison said his government was now focused on making Australia ‘even greater’, acknowledging last week’s leadership had disgusted voters.
Mr Morrison became Australia’s 30th prime minister on Friday in a leadership spill staged by top job-hopeful Peter Dutton (pictured)
‘That’s really been the issue I really have to get on top of straight away,’ he said on ABC radio’s Australia All Over program.
He’ll join the new drought coordinator Major General Stephen Day on a visit to drought-affected regions in Queensland on Monday to talk to people about their needs.
‘We’re doing that listening which is needed to then plan then act,’ Mr Morrison said.
‘We are rolling out a lot of things at the moment, but it’s got to be coordinated and get to where people need it.’
Malcolm Turnbull was ousted from the top job following a challenge from Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton