Opposition leader Peter Dutton has overtaken Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the preferred leader, as recent polls show support for the Labor Party declining on critical issues.
It is the first time Dutton has eclipsed Albanese as preferred prime minister in the Resolve Political Monitor, polls conducted periodically by the Sydney Morning Herald.
The results published by the header show that the opposition leader has gained a narrow lead over his opponent with 36 per cent of voter support, compared to 35 per cent for Mr Albanese.
When asked how the prime minister was performing in his role, 36 percent of respondents said he was doing a good job, while 50 percent of respondents said Albanese was doing a poor job.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (left) has overtaken Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) as the preferred leader in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Resolve Political Monitor.
It is the first time Dutton (pictured with wife Kirrily) has eclipsed Albanese as preferred prime minister.
Meanwhile, Dutton received praise from 42 percent of voters, while 40 percent rated his performance as poor.
Polls showed support for the Coalition holding steady at 36 per cent over the past month, but the Labor primary vote fell to a three-year low of 28 per cent.
Notably, 40 per cent of voters surveyed ranked Dutton and the Coalition as the top choice to manage the economy, while 24 per cent chose Albanese and the Labor Party.
On national security and defense, 42 percent supported the opposition leader, while 23 percent supported the prime minister.
When asked which leader would do a better job of keeping the cost of living down, 32 percent of voters backed Dutton, while 25 percent favored Albanese.
The results reflect the country’s growing frustration with rising prices and the impact of constant interest rate increases.
When voters were asked to identify the most important policy issue, 54 percent said keeping the cost of living down.
When asked how Albanese (pictured right with Dutton) was performing in the role, 36 percent of respondents said he was doing a good job, while 50 percent of respondents said the first minister was doing a bad job.
Anthony Albanese (pictured) faces increasing pressure ahead of the 2015 federal election
Dutton was favored by 32 per cent of respondents as the safest hand for the job, while Albanese was supported by 25 per cent.
However, both major parties maintained the same position with the support of 32 percent of voters on the employment and wages issue.
Albanese and the Labor Party gained more support on the environment and climate issue, with 24 per cent of the vote, in contrast to 22 per cent support for Dutton and the Coalition.
The findings come after Mr Dutton declined to reveal key details of the Coalition’s nuclear energy policy after declaring it would oppose a 2030 carbon emissions target at the next election.
The poll also revealed good news for the Greens, who gained two percentage points of support and raised their primary vote from 12 to 14 percent.
Peter Dutton (pictured) received praise from 42 per cent of voters, while 40 per cent rated his performance as poor.