Horror poll no surprise to Libs

NEW Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has conceded a disastrous poll showing the Coalition is on track for a devastating election defeat is no surprise after a week of chaos in Canberra.

The government spent last week ripping itself to shreds, culminating in Scott Morrison replacing Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister and Mr Frydenberg taking over as treasurer.

The latest Newspoll, taken just after Friday’s leadership showdown, shows the Coalition’s primary vote has slipped to 33 per cent, the worst result in a decade.

On a two-party preferred basis, Labor holds a commanding 56 per cent to the Government’s 44 per cent.

“The polls are the biggest surprise since the sun coming up tomorrow,” Mr Frydenberg told 3AW yesterday.

He said there would be no early election, arguing the new leadership team needed time to lay out its agenda.

“The last week was a very difficult week for the party and my colleagues but we do need to move on,” the treasurer said.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, who played a key role in sparking the leadership crisis, believes the polls will trend upwards under Mr Morrison.

“We’ve had far too much backstabbing, we’ve had far too much leaking and briefing and I think we can now put all of that behind us. Thank God that’s the case,” Mr Abbott told 2GB.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the polls reflected a week of division and disorder.

“We have to turn that around, and we will turn it around, we must turn it around,” the Nationals leader told ABC radio yesterday.

A fortnight ago the Opposition led on a two-party preferred basis by 51-49 per cent.

Newspoll also has Bill Shorten as more popular than new PM Scott Morrison, 39 per cent to 33 per cent, after the Labor

WE HAVE TO TURN THAT AROUND, AND WE WILL TURN IT AROUND, WE MUST TURN IT AROUND DEPUTY PM MICHAEL MCCORMACK

leader trailed Mr Turnbull in the previous poll by 12 points.

Despite Labor being on track for a crushing election victory, Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen isn’t taking it for granted.

“There should be an election very soon, that is the ultimate answer to this chaos and dysfunction,” Mr Bowen told ABC radio.

Fresh from his failed bid to become prime minister, Peter Dutton was yesterday reinstated to Cabinet despite his key role in destabilising the government.

Mr Dutton, who quit the frontbench to launch a strike on Mr Turnbull’s leadership last week, was sworn in as home affairs minister yesterday.