Covid 19 coronavirus: Australian PM Scott Morrison's approval rating plunges into negative territory

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo / George Heard

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's personal approval ratings have plunged into negative territory amid growing frustration over a sluggish vaccine rollout and multiple Covid-19 outbreaks.

An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows the public's confidence in Morrison's handling of the pandemic has almost halved since April last year to 48 per cent.

But for the first time, more people – 49 per cent of those surveyed – say they are unhappy with Morrison.

It is the first time since March 2020 that the Prime Minister's personal approval ratings have fallen into negative territory. During the peak of the first wave, Morrison's personal support soared to 85 per cent.

Support for Morrison's handling of the vaccine rollout has also continued to drop, with 59 per cent of respondents claiming to be dissatisfied with the rollout.

Popular support for both the Coalition and Labor is locked at 39 per cent. If an election were to be held today, Labor would have the upper hand, with the two-party preferred vote remaining unchanged from the previous Newspoll at 53-47 per cent.

Australian Labor leader Anthony Albanese. Photo / Getty Images

However, Morrison continues to lead Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister. The latest Newspoll reveals Morrison dropped two points to 49 per cent while the Labor leader's support climbed three points but still lagged at 39 per cent.

Albanese's personal approval rating remains unchanged at 38 per cent.

The Newspoll was based on surveys of 1527 voters across metropolitan and regional areas.