Labor holds poll-position despite leader’s Covid isolation
Australia’s Labor Party has maintained its solid two-party leads in both Newspoll and the Australian Financial Review’s Ipsos poll.
In Newspoll, published in the Australian, Labor is ahead of the Coalition 53-47 per cent for the third consecutive poll. In Ipsos, it is leading 55-45 per cent, the same as three weeks before. These results would win the election if reproduced in uniform swings on May 21.
The polls come as Labor leader Anthony Albanese is isolating with Covid-19 and the national security debate escalates with the Government under attack from Labor for being unable to head off the Solomon Islands-China security agreement.
In Newspoll, Scott Morrison has widened his lead over Albanese as better prime minister for the second consecutive week. He heads Albanese 46 per cent (up two) to 37 per cent (unchanged). But net satisfaction with Morrison is down three points compared with the previous week. His satisfaction rating declined a point to 42 per cent, while dissatisfaction with him increased two points to 54 per cent.
Satisfaction with Albanese was up a point to 38 per cent; his dissatisfaction rating fell a point to 50 per cent. Both leaders are on a net negative satisfaction level of -12. The primary vote of the Coalition rose a point to 36 per cent, while Labor also increased a point, to 37 per cent. The Greens declined a point to 11 per cent.
The Ipsos poll also shows only slight movements. Labor’s primary vote was down a point to 34 per cent, compared to three weeks before; the Coalition was up a point to 32 per cent; the Greens rose two points to 12 per cent. On a two-party basis, when the undecideds are removed Labor leads 55-45 per cent.
Morrison’s approval lifted a point to 34 per cent; his disapproval was steady at 48 per cent. Albanese’s approval rose a point to 31 per cent while his disapproval increased three points to 35 per cent.
Notably, many more people haven’t made up their minds about Albanese than about Morrison. Some 34 per cent were in the “uncommitted” category on Albanese’s performance, but only 18 per cent were uncommitted about Morrison. Women are particularly unimpressed with Morrison. Only 31 per cent approve of his performance while 50 per cent disapprove. In contrast, 36 per cent of men approve and 47 per cent disapprove.
Albanese increased two points on the preferred-PM measure to lead Morrison, who rose a point, by 40-38 per cent. The poll found low trust in Morrison; Albanese rating low on economic management, and both doing badly on competence.
Ramping up the national security issue on Monday, Defence Minister Peter Dutton said: “The only way that you can preserve peace is to prepare for war and to be strong as a country, not to cower, not to be on bended knee and be weak”.
This followed Morrison’s declaration at the weekend, in the context of the Chinese-Solomons agreement, that: “Working together with our partners in New Zealand and of course the United States, I share the same red line that the US has when it comes to these issues. We won’t be having Chinese military naval bases in our region on our doorstep.”
Labor’s deputy leader Richard Marles said Australia’s strategic circumstances “are as complex as any point since the end of World War II. And we certainly need to prepare. But we have not seen the preparation under this government. And words are one thing, action is another. This is a government which beats its chest, but when it comes to actually delivering and doing what needs to be done, this is a government which repeatedly fails.”