Support for Labor Dips as Federal Election Approaches
As the federal election nears, Labor’s support wanes, trailing the opposition in recent polls, raising concerns for Albanese’s leadership.
Australia, Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton, Labor, Coalition, Election
Canberra: Anthony Albanese is gearing up for a tough battle to keep his spot in the Lodge. Recent polls show the federal government is falling behind the opposition, which is a bit concerning.
YouGov’s latest polling reveals the coalition is leading Labor 51 to 49 on a two-party preferred basis. That’s a slight bump for the coalition, which is up by half a percentage point since November.
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom for Albanese. He’s still the preferred prime minister over Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, which is a silver lining.
With the federal election deadline looming on May 17, Labor’s primary vote has ticked up from 30% in November to 32%. Meanwhile, the opposition’s primary share has also crept up from 38% to 39%.
Interestingly, support for the Greens has dipped from 13% to 12%, and One Nation has seen a drop from 9% to 7%. Voters backing independents have held steady at 10%.
YouGov’s polling director, Amir Daftari, mentioned that while the government’s primary support is stable, the two-party preferred vote has been slipping for months. It seems like voters are getting a bit anxious about cost-of-living issues and inflation.
At the start of 2024, Labor was ahead of the coalition 52% to 48%, but that lead has been shrinking. Albanese still leads Dutton as the preferred leader, 44% to 40%, which is a positive note for him.
However, Dutton’s approval rating has improved over the past year, rising from 35% in January 2024. On the flip side, almost half of those surveyed aren’t too happy with Dutton either.
Albanese’s personal satisfaction rating has also seen a slight uptick, with 40% of voters approving of his performance, up from 36% in November. But there’s still a significant 55% who disapprove.
His net satisfaction is at minus 15, which is a bit better than minus 20 last November. Dutton’s net satisfaction is minus six, with 43% approving and 49% disapproving.
As for the election date, Albanese hasn’t met with the governor-general yet, but both major party leaders are already in campaign mode, visiting key electorates and making local promises.
The survey included 1504 participants between January 9 and 15, giving a snapshot of the current political landscape.