News poll: Labor suffers decline in support in Australia’s largest states

Federal Labor’s poll decline is worsening as the government suffers significant losses in Australia’s two largest states, the latest Newspoll analysis shows.

New poll results published in The Australian show the election for Anthony Albanese is tightening across the country, including in New South Wales and Victoria, where primary support for Labor has fallen to 30 and 31 per cent respectively.

While the Coalition maintained its lead in the two-party preferred vote in New South Wales with 51 percent to Labor’s 49 percent, support for the government in Victoria fell by two points, sparking fears that the government was losing ground in the progressive heartland Labor would lose Support fell to 52 percent compared to the Coalition’s 48 percent.

Both states, the two largest by seats in the House, saw a shift toward other and independent parties and away from the two major parties.

Analysis of polls conducted between July and September shows that the country’s indecision has become entrenched after three successive polls showed the two-party preference for both Labor and the Coalition had fallen to 50 percent.

Peter Dutton’s coalition has maintained its dominant lead in Queensland, keeping the state eight points ahead of Labor, while Anthony Albanese has held the must-win state of WA by four points.

The support in Western Australia and South Australia comes as Labor held its primaries – both states and the government recorded a steady 36 per cent vote.

Both Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton recorded negative approval ratings – minus nine and minus 12 respectively – while the prime minister held the title of preferred national leader by eight points.

However, the opposition leader narrowly won the preferred choice for prime minister among those aged 50 to 64, a sign of shifting support among the electorate.