The anti-globalist nationalist One Nation party has overtaken governing social democratic Labor in primary support in the first major opinion poll conducted after the announcement of the Australian federal budget, according to Roy Morgan survey data released this week.
The poll, carried out May 13–14 and surveying more than 2,300 voters across Australia, found One Nation at 32% of primary support, compared with Labor on 28.5%. The center-right Liberal–National Coalition trailed with 16.5%, while the Greens and ‘other parties’ were each recorded at 11.5%.
On a two-party preferred basis, the contest remained extremely close. Labor held a narrow lead over One Nation at 51% to 49%, while another calculation showed a near split between One Nation and the Coalition.
The poll comes in the wake of a contentious federal budget that included changes to housing investor tax settings, including restricting negative gearing—the ability to deduct the losses when the costs of an investment property exceed rental income—and introducing a minimum 30% tax rate on net capital gains.
A majority of respondents also expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s leadership. The poll found that 59% of Australians disapprove of the job Anthony Albanese is doing, while 40% said they approve of his performance as prime minister.
Earlier this year, Albanese was forced into an early exit from Eid celebrations in Sydney after being loudly heckled inside the country’s largest mosque. Just 15 minutes after joining the congregation, Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke were branded “genocide supporters” by a vocal segment of the crowd.
The survey found similar sentiment toward treasurer Jim Chalmers, with 57% disapproving of his performance.
According to the findings, disapproval of the prime minister was consistent across genders, all age groups, and most states, with Tasmania the only state where approval remained a majority.
