Labor preferred party, polls show as early voting begins

CANBERRA: Federal Labor is ahead in the polls with less than two weeks until election day, as the second leaders’ debate was declared a draw.

The latest results from two polls show Labor is the preferred party as early voting began yesterday.

An Ipsos poll published in the Australian Financial Review showed Labor is leading 52% to 40% for the coalition on a twoparty preferred basis.

If undecided voters are discounted, the result was 57% for Labor against 43% for the coalition.

A Newspoll published in The Australian showed twoparty support for Labor was at 54% against 46% for the coalition.

Asked if the coalition was looking at losing office at the May 21 federal election, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham played down both poll results.

‘‘Australians saw last time that polls can be terribly wrong and that, ultimately, the decision is in their hands,’’ he said yesterday.

‘‘So all the way through to Saturday week we will be fighting for every vote.’’

In 2019, voter polls consistently pointed to a Labor win under Bill Shorten but Scott Morrison was able to claim victory for the coalition.

Mr Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese went headtohead in the second leaders’ debate on Sunday night on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes programme.

Asked who won the often feisty and shouty debate, viewers were split 5050 between the men vying for the nation’s top job.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek said the opposition leader had a clear plan.

‘‘Scott Morrison turned up with a bunch of excuses . . . Scott Morrison keeps saying you can do nothing about wages and cost of living,’’ she said.

The Australian Electoral Commission is urging people to plan their vote amid the backdrop of the pandemic.

About 550 early voting centres would be operational nationally before polling day.

Electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said there were plenty of voting options for people who could not turn up on election day. — AAP