Daily Mail Ipsos National Poll 1 Report

A third (35%) of Australians approve of Anthony Albanese’s performance as Prime Minister and 39% disapprove, giving a balance of opinion of -4.  

Leaders Approval

Albanese’s approval rating is marginally higher among women (-2), among Daily Mail readers (+7), and among younger Australians (+17 among those aged 18-34).

Just over a quarter (27%) of Australians approve of Peter Dutton’s performance as Opposition Leader, while almost half (47%) disapprove.  This gives a balance of opinion of -20.  His approval rating is slightly more positive among men (-19) and older Australians (aged 55+, -6).

At -20, this is the lowest performance rating of any Opposition Leader over the last twenty years of our polling trend data.

Preferred Prime Minister

When choosing between the two main party leaders in this election, 44% select Albanese as their preferred Prime Minister; 30% select Dutton.  This gives a positive balance of opinion of +14 for Albanese.

Anthony Albanese’s lead as preferred Prime Minister is higher among women (+16) and younger voters (aged 18-34, +22).

When compared to historical trend data, the data suggests a strong position for Anthony Albanese.  The only other leader with an equally strong lead was Malcolm Turnbull in 2016.

Best party on issues

Cost of living dominates Australian’s concerns during this election campaign, with 52% saying it is the top issue facing Australia today.  Secondary related concerns are the economy (10%) and housing (8%).  President Trump is cited by 6% as a top issue facing our country.

While the cost of living stands out as the overriding concern facing voters, they are not clear on which party is best placed at handling this issue;  38% of Australians think Labor would handle the cost of living crisis best; 38% say the Coalition.

Labor is seen as best at handling housing (37%), healthcare (44%), the environment (41%), and Australia’s energy future (41%).  The Coalition is seen as being best at handling the economy (41%), immigration (43%), crime (41%) and defence (41%).

When it comes to foreign affairs, Australians see little difference between the parties in their ability to manage relations with China (34% Labor, 33% Coalition), but that the Coalition may be marginally better at handling President Trump (29% Labor, 32% Coalition).

Who is going to win the federal election?

Almost half (47%) of Australians think the Labor Party will go on to win the 2025 Federal Election.  A quarter (26%) of those intending to vote for the Coalition think Labor will win.

This is broadly in line with opinion before the 2022 Labor Federal Election victory.

Is the country on the right or wrong track?

Only a third (35%) of Australians believe the country is on the right track at the moment; half (51%) think we are on the wrong track.  Daily Mail readers are sightly more positive, with 43% saying Australia is on the right track.

Among the third who think we are on the right track, they believe this is because of political leadership (34%), the economy (31%) and social issues (23%).  
The half of Australians who feel that the country is on the wrong track cite the economy (43%) and political leadership (34%) as the reasons why.