Could this be why Anthony Albanese’s government is dropping in popularity? New poll shows two groups are turning away from Labor
Western Australians and younger Australians are abandoning their support for Anthony Albanese, the latest Newspoll has revealed.
Analysis from The Australian found that while, nationally, Labor was still four points ahead of the Coalition (52 to 48 per cent) based on a two-party preferred basis, the Opposition had taken the lead in Western Australia (WA) by 51 to 49 per cent.
The results reflected the first time Peter Dutton’s Coalition has surpassed Labor since they lost government in May 2022.
Since the last quarterly results were published, the Opposition also gained one point in NSW, with the two-party split narrowing to 50-50. In South Australia, Labor’s lead had also diminished by one point to 46-54.
Polling analysis has found Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party have fallen behind the Liberal-National Coalition in Western Australia for the first time since winning the federal election
The polling also found Labor Party support among young voters had dropped five points from December to hold a narrower 12-point lead (stock image)
Queensland was the only state which showed a one point increase to the government (53-47).
Support in the Albanese government was also dropping among young voters, with Labor’s 66-34 lead falling five points to 61-39.
Analysis of the primary vote for young Australians also showed Labor dropping five points to 33 per cent since December’s results.
Meanwhile, the Coalition gained five points to 27, surpassing support for the Greens (34 points – a drop of one point), Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (unchanged at six points), and other parties (10 points, an increase by one point).
Across all ages, primary vote for the Coalition remained at 37 points since the last Newspoll, with Labor (33) gaining one point from the Greens (12), since March.
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie said the polling was reflective of a wider trend of younger voters not being engaged with politics.
‘I do notice with, younger voters, that they are very disengaged from politics, to be honest with you. You see that from standing on street corners, none of them want to look at you on buses,’ she said on Today.
‘I think if someone can crack that (getting young voters interested in politics) we’ll all have a good go in the game.’
Her panelmate, A Current Affair reporter Neil Breen, said dropping support could be linked to increasing house prices and rent during a cost-of-living crisis.
‘I think younger voters are off the government because of house prices and rent. I truly believe it,’ he said.
‘I’ve got a daughter at university who frets about how she’s ever going to buy a house, ever in her whole life. So I think it’s a massive issue.’
