Barnaby Joyce has blamed the “absolute debacle” of the referendum result for a nosedive in Anthony Albanese’s approval ratings.
As the Prime Minister continues his overseas trip to China, the latest Newspoll results confirms his approval ratings have fallen sharply in the wake of the referendum defeat.
According to Newspoll, published exclusively in The Australian, Mr Albanese’s dissatisfaction rating is the worst result since he was opposition leader.
Dissatisfaction in his leadership rose six points to 52 per cent giving him a net negative satisfaction rating of minus 10.
While Labor remains in front on a two-party preferred basis, the Coalition is now leading Labor on the primary vote, 37 per cent to 35 per cent.
The Coalition is also gaining ground on a two-party preferred basis. Labor’s lead has been cut from 54/46 to 52/48 per cent.
Mr Albanese has also fallen below 50 per cent for the first time in the head-to-head contest over who voters believe would make a better prime minister.
Less than six months ago Mr Albanese enjoyed a 25-point margin over his rival but that gap has now narrowed.
Speaking on Sunrise this morning, Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek brushed off the result, insisting that “polls jump around”.
“The Prime Minister is absolutely determined to do what he promised, he promised a referendum, he did it, he promised cheaper childcare he delivered, he promised cheaper medicines, we’re doing that,’’ Ms Plibersek said.
But it was a response that Barnaby Joyce suggested sounded scripted by the Prime Minister’s office.
“There’s a place called the prime minister’s office, and they said ‘Tanya, these are lines you must say, everything is great, and everything is wonderful, nothing to see here’.
“The truth is people are lined up outside food banks getting food for free.
“They said the referendum we did it, they certainly did, they did it and what an absolute debacle that turned out to be.”
Sunrise host Natalie Barr then asked Mr Joyce if it “was a debacle … shouldn’t your side be further ahead?.”
“Not for one second I say you know, the elections in the bag, it’s a tough game,’’ he replied.
Over the weekend, a RedBridge poll, commissioned by The Daily Telegraph warned blue-collar Australia seems to be turning its back on the Albanese government.
It showed that Labor’s primary vote has dropped by 4 per cent since August, reflecting a noticeable shift in voter sentiment, especially among working-class Australians.
This change could be attributed to the impact of the Voice referendum, which Mr Albanese lost with just 39 per cent of voters opting for the change.
In August, Labor held a 39 per cent to 28 per cent lead over the Coalition among voters with Year 12 or equivalent education.
However, the most significant shift in voter sentiment occurred among those with TAFE, trade, or vocational education.
In August, Labor was ahead of the Coalition by 36 per cent to 29 per cent on primary votes among this demographic.
But in the latest poll, support for the major parties has dramatically flipped, with the Coalition now leading Labor on primaries among both of these education categories.
Among voters with a Year 12 or equivalent education, the Coalition now leads Labor 37 per cent to 28 per cent on a first preference basis.
For TAFE, trade, or vocationally educated voters, the Coalition has a lead of 35 per cent to 33 per cent.
In contrast, Labor’s primary vote has slightly improved among Australians with university degrees, rising from 40 per cent to 41 per cent since the referendum.
The Coalition’s share of the tertiary-educated population, however, has fallen from 34 per cent to 31 per cent.
The Voice referendum seems to have triggered a collapse in Labor’s primary vote among people aged 35 to 49.
On a two-party preferred basis, the government leads the opposition by 53.5 per cent to 46.5 per cent, representing a slight dip from the 55.6 per cent to 44.4 per cent lead that Labor held in August.
RedBridge director Tony Barry said the results should concern the Albanese Government.
“The honeymoon is over for Anthony Albanese, and he’s now sleeping on the couch,’’ he said.