Surprise poll show Labor’s lead is INCREASING less than three months out from an election – as campaigning PM unleashes his ‘secret weapon’ wife
- The ALP is on 49 per cent and the Coalition is on 45 per cent, says Essential poll
- Two weeks ago the figures were closer with Labor on 47 and the Coalition on 46
- But another poll shows Scott Morrison is still the preferred Prime Minister
Labor’s lead over the Coalition is increasing just three months out from the May election, according to a new poll.
The ALP is on 49 per cent and the Coalition is on 45 per cent on a two party preferred basis, while six per cent of voters are undecided, according to an Essential poll of 1,000 people for Guardian Australia.
Two weeks ago the figures were closer with Labor on 47 and the Coalition on 46.
Scott Morrison with wife Jenny (left) at Josef Chromy Wines in Relbia, Tasmania on Monday
The ALP’s primary vote jumped three points to 38 per cent while the Coalition’s dropped two points to 35 per cent.
Meanwhile, a Reserve Political Monitor poll for Nine newspapers put Labor on 35 per cent and Coalition on 33 per cent.
But the saving grace for Mr Morrison – who hit the campaign trail with wife Jenny this week – is that he’s still preferred as Prime Minister.
Some 39 per cent of voters are back him and just 30 per cent prefer Anthony Albanese to lead the nation.
The most recent Newspoll on February 13 put Labor a massive 10 points ahead by 55 to 45 on a two-party basis.
It comes after Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese traded blows over leadership as a pre-poll campaign blitz continues.
The prime minister spent Monday touring marginal seats in regional Tasmania.
Mr Morrison used the visit to announce an $86 million grant for the state’s forestry industry, pledging 150 million new trees.
Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese (second right) with Northern Territory Labor politicians in Darwin
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was in Sydney, before heading to Tasmania on Tuesday.
Mr Albanese used a radio interview in Sydney to attack the prime minister, following a series of TV and live appearances by Mr Morrison.
‘If you want a guy to shampoo your hair and weld without a mask on and all that, then play a ukulele, kind of, then Scott is your guy,’ he said.
‘People are wanting him to do his job, and his job was to order enough vaccines.’
Mr Morrison said the shutting down of rail services in NSW on Monday showed what would happen under a federal Labor government led by Mr Albanese.
‘If people want to hand the country to unions under a Labor government led by the most left-wing Labor leader in 50 years… this is what they can expect,’ Mr Morrison said.
The electorates of Bass and Braddon are must-hold seats for the government, with both on slim margins.
With AAP
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