Sussan Ley's Liberal Party records historically bad result in first Newspoll since election
The latest Newspoll shows the Coalition's support has fallen to a four-decade low, as Anthony Albanese's Labor Party continues to enjoy a post-election bounce.
The survey, conducted on behalf of The Australian, has Labor in a strong position despite the Prime Minister's weak approval rating.
It's the first such poll since the election in May.
Anthony Albanese. Picture: Joseph Obrycht-Palmer/NewsWire
Liberal leader Sussan Ley. Picture: John Gass/NewsWire
At that election earlier this year, the two-party preferred vote ended at 55 per cent for Labor and 49 per cent for the Coalition, which yielded 94 Labor seats and a mere 43 for the official opposition.
That gap in the two-party preferred measure has now expanded to 57-43.
Of particular concern for the Coalition is its primary vote, which now stands at 29 per cent, even lower than its worst ever mark at an election. It recorded a primary vote of 32 per cent when Australians voted in May.
Mr Albanese's approval rating is still slightly underwater, with 47 per cent of voters approving of his performance.
Liberal leader Sussan Ley has an approval rating of 35 per cent, though more than a fifth of voters have yet to form a firm opinion of her.
According to The Australian, no lower primary vote result has been recorded for the combined Liberal and National vote since Newspoll started recording the relevant data in 1985.
The results suggest Sussan Ley is in some trouble. Picture: Justin Lloyd
Parliament is set to resume at last this week, for the first time since the election.
Ahead of that landmark in her new role as Leader of the Opposition, Ms Ley was interviewed by The Australian Women's Weekly earlier this month.
Most notably, during the interview she recalled an encounter with a stranger during a drive from Sydney to the town Thargomindah, in rural Queensland.
'The person lifted the visor on their helmet and said, 'Ah, you're here all by yourself, are you?'' she recounted. The man had arrived on a motorbike.
Ms Ley, on alert, pulled out a semiautomatic rifle, which had been purchased legally.
'I'm here with my tall skinny mate,' she said.
At which point the man drove away, while Ms Ley was left with her 'heart pounding'.
Sussan Ley. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire
Meanwhile a senior Labor minister has hit back at the opposition for criticising Mr Albanese's lengthy state visit to China, saying the relationship with Australia's biggest trading partner had 'broken down' on the Coalition's watch.
The Prime Minister spent much of the last week touting Australia's tourism, trade and research offerings in Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu as part of a five-day business and diplomatic blitz.
But the opposition has argued the trip did not produce any tangible outcomes, despite several agreements being signed.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said on Sunday she found the 'criticism quite extraordinary considering that since we came to government we have removed some $20 billion of trade impediments with China'.
China imposed trade restrictions during a trade war with the Morrison government.
'We now have in everything from wine to lobster, not to mention the fact that China is our single biggest trading partner,' Ms Rowland told Sky News.
'Our resources sector relies on that relationship.'
She noted that Mr Albanese's visit was 'at the invitation … of China'.
'He went with a significant business delegation,' Ms Rowland.
'This is about creating jobs and extra trade opportunities for Australia, and it's important that we maintain this vital relationship.'
Originally published as Sussan Ley's Liberal Party records historically bad result in first Newspoll since election
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
14 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Mystery behind fake cop cars after another man is allegedly caught impersonating Chinese police
Fake 'Chinese police' cars have continued appearing in Aussie cities in recent years, leaving locals confused as to what's going on. The phenomenon has sparked fears of foreign interference and an attempt by the Chinese government to exert influence over members of the Chinese Australian community. But it remains unclear if the owners of the vehicles are part of a co-ordinated effort, or simply overeager supporters of Chinese authorities. 'No one can link it to the actual (Chinese) state, but it's certainly an act that intimidates the Chinese diaspora in Australia,' Drew Pavlou, a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), told 'It intimidates Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Taiwanese - people who have moved to Australia to escape the Chinese regime. 'It's not fair to Australians as well, because it makes a mockery of our police and our legal system.' Shadow minister for home affairs Andrew Hastie said: 'Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence in and of itself, but it would be even more concerning if this tactic was being used as a tool of transnational repression to intimidate the Chinese diaspora in Australia.' 'ASIO has warned us that espionage and foreign interference are already at extreme levels, and it is no secret that the Chinese Government is the primary perpetrator,' Mr Hastie told 'There is no room for complacency in addressing these threats.' A car bearing fake Chinese police decals appeared in Melbourne in 2023, and two others were spotted in Adelaide and Perth amid pro-Hong Kong democracy protests in 2019. In response to the 2023 Melbourne incident, Benjamin Herscovitch, an expert on Australia-China relations, said the decals on the cars were so obvious that they were highly unlikely to be state-sanctioned. The cars would prove a 'huge liability' for Beijing, Mr Herscovitch told SBS News. 'From the point of view of the Chinese government, the benefits that you would get from having a car like this driving around the streets of Melbourne, are not big enough to justify the diplomatic kerfuffle and drama for the Chinese government that would result if something like this was traced back to the Chinese government.' Do you know more? Email Suburban Sydney charges In the latest incident, police arrested 21-year-old Kunlang Li at Strathfield, in Sydney's inner west, on Friday after he was caught allegedly driving a car bearing Chinese police insignia. Photos of the black Mercedes S-Class appeared to show the Mandarin characters for 'police' emblazoned on the bonnet, while the English translation was misspelt as 'poilce'. NSW Police also allegedly discovered firearms and ammunition in the car, and it was claimed Li produced a fake document claiming the car's purpose was to transport Chinese consulate officials. Li, who holds an active firearms licence, allegedly told police he believed the boot of the car was 'the best place to store his ammunition'. Officers seized the bullets along with other items suspected of being used to impersonate police. They later searched Li's Baulkham Hills home and also seized two gel blaster firearms. There is no suggestion that Li has any involvement with or connection to the Chinese state or Communist Party. Li was charged with multiple offences, including use display emergency services organisation insignia and drive motor vehicle with unlawful police insignia. He appeared in Burwood Local Court on Tuesday and did not enter a plea. He will remain on bail until his next court appearance on August 11. In 2022, a report by NGO Safeguard Defenders found that two secret Chinese 'police service stations' had been set up in Australia, including one in Sydney.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Penny Wong avoids labelling Trump administration ‘chaotic'
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has carefully declined to confirm whether she views the US Trump administration as 'chaotic', amid shifting dynamics in the diplomatic relationship. It comes after the US announced it would review the AUKUS defence pact, and called on Australia to confirm what it would do in the event of a China-Taiwan conflict. When asked by Sky News if she would describe the Trump administration as chaotic — a characterisation made by government insiders — Ms Wong did not confirm. 'I'm not going to get engaged in that sort of commentary,' she said on Tuesday. Ms Wong has instead pointed pointing to the evolving nature of the US-Australia relationship and her confidence in managing it. ' I understand that this is a time of change, and I was pretty upfront about that … before and after the election. 'President Trump envisages a different role for America and the world, and that does involve a change.' However, Ms Wong said that Australians should have 'confidence' in the Albanese government's capacity to navigate global diplomacy. There have been tensions in the US-Australia alliance, exacerbated by past public criticisms of Donald Trump from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ms Wong when in opposition. In 2021, Mr Albanese labelled Trump's conduct 'anti-democratic' and accused him of inciting violence. Ms Wong herself said Trump 'undermined American democracy' and was willing to 'trash alliances and partnerships for personal political interest'. Such rhetoric has been flagged by experts as potentially damaging to bilateral ties at a time when regional security challenges require close cooperation. Relations have also been complicated by the cancellation of a planned meeting between Mr Albanese and Mr Trump at the G7 summit. Mr Albanese recently downplayed concerns over the strength of the US-Australia alliance, saying he was 'not worried' about relations with President Donald Trump. Speaking at Sky News' Australia's Economic Outlook forum recently, he insisted that a meeting with President Trump would take place before the end of the year. 'Well of course we will have meetings, there will be a range of meetings between now and the end of the year with President Trump,' he said.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Liberals present draft 'stability agreement' to Tasmanian crossbenchers as Labor wins 10th seat in Franklin
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has presented a draft "stability agreement" to newly elected independent crossbenchers as he seeks support for a minority Liberal government following Saturday's election. As counting continues, the Liberals have locked in at least 14 seats in the new parliament, the most of any party — but still short of the 18 needed for a majority. Labor has won at least 10 seats, after gaining the final spot in the electorate of Franklin, according to ABC chief elections and data analyst Casey Briggs. At least four independents have also been elected — previous MPs David O'Byrne, Kristie Johnston, and Craig Garland, as well as newcomer Peter George. Carlo Di Falco from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party also has a chance to gain a seat in Lyons. Mr Rockliff said he is seeking feedback from each on a draft stability agreement. "And I look forward to meeting with key independents over the course of the next number of days to ensure that I can get their feedback on how what I have presented as a draft can be further improved upon as well." Saturday's snap poll took place after Labor last month moved a successful no-confidence motion against Mr Rockliff, including in his ability to improve the state's soaring debt level. Mr Rockliff said his draft stability agreement would allow the co-development of parliamentary protocols and would feature a "multi-partisan budget panel". "So we can have good discussions prior to the budget and have everyone's input on that," he said. The agreement would also feature "ministerial consultation protocols" and a "crossbench liaison office". The ABC has contacted the elected crossbenchers for their response to Mr Rockliff's approach. Mr Garland, who has been re-elected in the seat of Braddon, said he was pleased to receive the draft agreement and was actively considering it. Earlier on Wednesday, he told ABC Radio Hobart the major parties needed to be open to collaboration if they wanted his support. "Well, there's a lot of talk, and then in the same breath, I hear [them say] 'We're not moving on salmon. We're not moving on native forest logging'. He said he wanted to be included in "budget repair" and the "development of policy". "Those two things, I think, are absolutely crucial with the talk of compromise and working together. "We have to be at the table to have input into that, I think." Other crossbenchers have not yet responded to the ABC. But on Monday, Mr George, who will represent Franklin, posted a video on Facebook in which he suggested the major parties needed to be more flexible in their approach with crossbenchers. "One area of concern is that Labor and Liberal seem to have drawn lines in the sand, saying we won't talk about this, we are going to insist on that," Mr George said. "Well, that's not how minority government works, that' certainly not how collaboration works. "So, a slight warning there, but we will deal with this down the track." A spokesperson said Labor was "working on a similar document but won't be releasing anything publicly before consulting with the cross bench and receiving their feedback". On election night, the party's leader, Dean Winter, indicated he would try to form a minority government if Mr Rockliff was unable to garner enough support from the crossbench.
