After an excruciatingly gory week in Australian politics, which saw the right wing of the Liberal Party successfully knife leader Malcolm Turnbull but fail to install Peter Dutton as prime minister, popular support for the Coalition has tanked. Who’d have thunk?
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The latest NewsPoll, conducted after Scott Morrison emerged as Australia‘s 30th prime minister on Friday, shows the Coalition is now lagging with just 44% support on a two-party preferred basis against Labor.
#BREAKING: Popular support for the Coalition has crashed to the lowest levels in a decade https://t.co/57QJDoql4t #Newspoll pic.twitter.com/iBvkoUZQG5
— The Australian (@australian) August 26, 2018
The margin between ’em was only two points a fortnight ago.
In addition, 39% of surveyed voters would prefer Labor leader Bill Shorten as PM, compared to 33% who back Morrison. Earlier this month, Shorten enjoyed just 32% support in that scenario – and Turnbull, the guy the LNP rolled, boasted 44% support.
Another fun take-away from the NewsPoll: Julie Bishop, who confirmed she will be resigning from her position as foreign minister after failing to attain the top job in Friday’s spill, was singled out by non-Coalition voters as the preferred leader of the Liberal Party. Too late for that, though.
All of that suggests Morrison is in for a hell of a slog convincing the Australian public that his new-look party and cabinet will be able to deliver sound policy, while also keeping the rabid conservative wing of the party content after its frankly embarrassing miscalculation.
