Anthony Albanese could be on course to become a one-term Prime Minister as a new poll shows Labor’s primary vote is falling in three key states.
The federal government is in serious trouble in the eastern states, where most of the seats are held, with Labor falling to 24 per cent in Queensland, 28 in Victoria and 32 in New South Wales.
On a two-party preferred basis, Labor is being beaten 57-43 by the Coalition in Queensland, trails 52-48 in Victoria and is tied 50-50 in New South Wales, which is good news for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
There is one major reason the government is stuck with elections scheduled for eight months from now: cost of living pressures.
The online poll for News Ltd , which surveyed the views of 10,239 voters, followed the latest quarterly national accounts figures, which showed households cutting spending to cope with inflation and high interest rates.
People who took the survey left comments that made it clear they were struggling.
“The price of things like food and fuel keeps going up and up,” one said.
Another added: ‘It’s getting difficult to make ends meet. Rates remain high, but wages are not increasing.’
Anthony Albanese (pictured) could be on track to become a one-term Premier as a new poll shows Labor’s primary vote is falling in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.
The poll, conducted by Sydney-based agency Wolf + Smith, showed support for One Nation rose by 4 per cent, the Greens by 1 per cent and teal independents by 3 per cent.
The only ray of light for Labor on a state-by-state basis is South Australia, where its primary vote is 41 percent, and 60 percent on the measure preferred by both parties.
Nationally, the poll found Labor’s primary vote is just 29 per cent, while the Coalition has 36 per cent.
The flow of preferences from Green and other voters means Labor still leads the Coalition by 51 to 49 on a two-party preference basis, which could lead to one or the other of the sides forming a minority government, rather than winning outright.
Pollster Yaron Finkelstein said voters wanted Albanese and his colleagues to focus on the cost of living, housing and the economy.
“Labor came to power in 2022 with a historically low primary vote, so they cannot afford to backtrack like that,” he told News Ltd.
“It just doesn’t let up,” he said. “(Voters) don’t see any change in prices and they don’t see governments doing much about it.”
While most polls leading up to federal elections show a tangle of issues affecting voters, this poll stands out for the clear primacy of concerns about the cost of living over all other issues.
Cost of living was named as the biggest concern by 41 percent of respondents, followed by housing and the economy at 10 percent each.
But other factors were also very important in some states, with crime and security being crucial for many Queensland voters.
The federal government is in serious trouble in the eastern states, where most of the seats are held, with Labor falling to 24 per cent in Queensland, 28 in Victoria and 32 in New South Wales (pictured, Sydney residents).
Crime was cited as the key issue for 13 per cent of Queenslanders, and one of the top three concerns for 30 per cent of those surveyed there.
In South Australia, healthcare was a key issue for 25 per cent of voters, while in Tasmania, health came second after concerns about the cost of living.
Tasmania showed strong support for minor parties and independents: 11 per cent said they would vote for the Jacqui Lambie Red, 14 per cent the Greens and a massive 15 per cent of people said they would vote independent.
Labor’s primary vote in the island state is 23 percent, while the Liberals’ is 32 percent.
