The government has increased its lead over the opposition in the latest polling after US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs.
Pollster Roy Morgan has found that if the federal election – scheduled for May 3 – were held today, Labor would be returned to government with an increased majority.
Labor’s polled vote rose 0.5 per cent in the past week to 53.5 per cent, while the Coalition fell 0.5 per cent to 46.5 per cent, on a two-party preferred basis.
Still, only 33 per cent of Australians believe the country is “going in the right direction”, compared to 52 per cent who say the opposite.
Primary vote support for Labor rose 0.5 per cent this week to 32.5 per cent, while it dropped 2 per cent to 33 per cent for the Coalition.
It’s the closest the two parties have been on primary vote support since mid-October 2023.
Support for the Greens (13.5 per cent), One Nation (6 per cent), and other parties (six per cent) also increased, with Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots recording its best result yet of 1.5 per cent.
But support for independents fell 1.5 per cent, to 9 per cent.
“The ALP has now led in five straight Roy Morgan surveys since early March and has clearly won the first week of the campaign launched following the delivery of the federal budget,” Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said.
The full list of Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs
Levine cited “political mistakes” by the Coalition including leader Peter Dutton’s declaration that his main residence as prime minister would be at Kirribilli House in Sydney, and his backflip on ending work-from-home arrangements for public servants.
The Coalition was also hurt by Dutton’s perceived association with Trump following the imposition of tariffs on international imports – despite the opposition leader’s strident criticism of them.
Levine said the perceived association was “a clear negative for the Coalition”.
