YouGov poll shows Albanese under pressure as Taylor moves ahead in preferred prime minister race
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A late-October YouGov poll shows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese losing ground on the preferred prime minister question to Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, while Labor’s primary vote falls to 25 percent amid worsening cost-of-living stress and public dissatisfaction.
A YouGov poll released by News24 Pulse indicates that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s primary vote has slipped to 25 percent, leaving Labor behind One Nation at 27 percent and only slightly ahead of the Coalition on 23 percent. The Greens received 13 percent and independent or minor parties 10 percent. On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor and the Coalition are tied at 50-50, while the government leads One Nation 54-46, underscoring how fragile the political balance remains.
For the first time since the 2022 election, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor edged ahead of Albanese as the preferred prime minister, with 41 percent of respondents choosing Taylor versus 39 percent for Albanese. > "For the first time since the election Anthony Albanese is behind Angus Taylor as preferred Prime Minister 39-41," said Paul Smith, director of public data at YouGov. He added that the shift is notable because the preferred prime minister question historically favours incumbents, a sign that even the advantage of office is being eroded by public frustration.
The poll was conducted between 27 October and 3 November, amid rising household cost pressures following the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to raise interest rates to 4.85 percent, an 18-year high. Treasury Minister Jim Chalmers attributed the economic strain to global volatility, including conflicts in the Middle East, and rejected claims that the government’s budget was the main driver of inflation.
Albanese also faced criticism for attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the Caribbean while the RBA considered further rate moves. Opposition treasury spokesman Tim Wilson said the trip demonstrated a lack of empathy for Australians, stating, "He’s skipping out to the Caribbean and leaving his ‘taxaholic Treasurer’ to front the media."
Satisfaction with the leaders’ performance remains low: 33 percent of voters expressed satisfaction with Albanese, while 62 percent were dissatisfied. Taylor’s satisfaction rating stood at 36 percent, with 48 percent of respondents unhappy with his performance.