Peter Dutton edges out Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has edged out Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the preferred leader as recent polling shows support for Labor is decreasing on critical issues.

It’s the first time Mr Dutton has eclipsed Mr Albanese as the preferred prime minister in the Resolve Political Monitor, the surveys regularly conducted for the Sydney Morning Herald.

The findings published by the masthead show the Opposition Leader has gained a narrow lead over his opponent with 36 per cent of voter support compared to 35 per cent for Mr Albanese.

When asked how the prime minister was performing in office, 36 per cent of respondents said he was doing a good job while 50 per cent of respondents said he was doing a poor job.

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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has eclipsed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the preferred leader in recent polls. NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia

Meanwhile, Mr Dutton attracted praise from 42 per cent of voters while 40 per cent rated his performance as poor.

The surveys showed support for the Coalition remained steady at 36 per cent over the past month, but Labor’s primary vote fell to a three-year low of 28 per cent.

Notably, 40 per cent of voters canvassed for the poll ranked Mr Dutton and the Coalition the top choice to manage the economy while 24 per cent chose Mr Albanese and Labor.

On the topic of national security and defence, 42 per cent backed the Opposition leader while 23 per cent supported the prime minister.

When asked which leader would do a better job of keeping the cost of living low, 32 per cent of voters backed Mr Dutton while 25 per cent favoured Mr Albanese.

The results reflect the country’s growing frustration with soaring prices and the impact of consistent interest rate hikes.

When voters were asked to identify the most important policy issue, 54 per cent pointed to keeping the cost of living low.

Mr Dutton and the Coalition attracted a higher percentage of support on most critical issues. NewsWire / Damian Shaw Credit: News Corp Australia

Mr Dutton was favoured by 32 per cent of respondents as the safer hands for the job, while Mr Albanese held the support of 25 per cent.

However, both major parties held equal standing with backing from 32 per cent of the voters on the issue of jobs and wages.

Mr Albanese and Labor attracted more support on the issue of environment and climate, with 24 per cent of the vote in contrast to 22 per cent support for Mr Dutton and the Coalition.

The findings come after Mr Dutton refused to reveal key details of the Coalition’s nuclear power policy after declaring he would oppose a 2030 carbon emissions target at the next election.

The polling also revealed good news for the Greens, who gained two percentage points of support and lifted their primary vote from 12 to 14 per cent.