The government has tried to link NSW Labor to the industrial action through its association with the unions but the Resolve research suggests it is having little impact in voters’ minds.
Rather,NSW Labor has surged to secure an election-winning lead as voters abandon the Coalition following the John Barilaro trade appointment scandal and the federal election result for the Liberals in which the party lost heartland seats to teal independents.
Labor’s primary vote has hit 43 per cent – a 10-point increase since the 2019 election,while the Coalition’s has slumped to just 30 per cent – a massive 12-point drop since the last election.
The result,if replicated on March 25,would put Labor in majority government. The ALP needs to win at least eight seats to secure that majority.
Speaking on Sunday in Willoughby,now one of the Liberals’ most marginal seats,Premier Dominic Perrottet said it was clear that “the next election will be a very close election” but insisted voters would judge his government on its track record of delivery.
Despite the support for Labor,voters are not warming to either leader;Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns are equal on the preferred premier rating.
Both are on 28 per cent (a slight drop for Minns from 32 per cent in February when he overtook Perrottet as preferred premier) but crucially,44 per cent of voters are undecided.
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The survey of 1170 voters was conducted in August and September,which followed a particularly damaging three months for the government as it failed to sell its budget message amid the ongoing fallout from the trade appointment saga.
A Resolve Political Monitor survey last month revealed how damaging the Barilarotrade affair had been,most voters viewing it as a case of “jobs for the boys”.
Perrottet’s handling of the saga,which dragged on for 10 weeks,was also criticised by 45 per cent of voters,who felt the issue had been dealt with poorly.
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