Australia's opposition Labor party has won its sixth-straight public opinion poll as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's personal approval rating continues to tumble.

     Turnbull, who came to power last September, has finished the year with his lowest support rating, with voters increasingly frustrated by his lack of progress in stimulating the "jobs and growth" he promised at July's election.

     The Newspoll, taken for News Corp publications, showed the coalition remains four points in arrears of the Labor party in the two-party preferred (after preferences) vote, trailing 48 points to 52. however, it gained a percentage point in the primary vote after it managed to pass key legislation prior to Parliament's Christmas break.

     Turnbull's personal approval rating as Prime Minister fell to its lowest ever point at 41 percent, down two points from the previous Newspoll and down 18 points of the year. However, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten failed to capitalize and his approval rating simultaneously fell a point in the polls.

     According to the survey of 1, 629 voters, the prime minister will need to prioritize creating jobs and stimulating economic growth once Parliament resumes in the New Year. 36 percent of voters believe the economy is Turnbull's top priority, while fixing the budget is ranked as most important to 16 percent of voters.

     Overall, the prime minister's net satisfaction rating sits at -23 points, with satisfaction at 32 percent but dissatisfaction at 55 percent, while Shorten's net satisfaction rating dropped two points to -17 points, six points better off than Turnbull. 

     Parliament resumes on Feb. 2, 2017.  Enditem

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by XinHua News Agency

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