Trust is turning into a toxic issue for Morrison and he has made a simple decision. The best form of defence is attack. Branded a liar on the international stage,he tells Australians they can trust him on the economy. Branded a liar in Parliament,he tells voters that Albanese is not being straight with them.
The next election could easily turn on whether this works.
Thelatest Resolve survey shows Morrison has lost more ground against Albanese on key measures of personal leadership.
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Only six months ago,when the government was riding high on a popular budget,Morrison had a lead of 24 per cent over Albanese when voters were asked which of them was preferred prime minister. Now the lead is just 11 per cent.
Asked which side was honest and trustworthy,voters gave Morrison and the Coalition a lead of 8 per cent in May. Now the lead is just 2 per cent.
The Prime Minister has also seen his net performance rating sink to minus 9 per cent. He has had a negative rating in the Resolve surveys before,but not this low. More voters now think he is doing a poor job compared to those who think he is doing a good one.