CANBERRA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has maintained its lead over the opposition Labor Party in the latest Newspoll, while opposition leader Anthony Albanese's approval rating has sunk to its lowest level.
The Newspoll, conducted for News Corp Australia, showed no change in the headline numbers for the government, with the Coalition holding a two-party preferred lead of 51 to 49 percent.
The results were a boost for the government which has recently come under pressure over the economy and been criticised for its drought relief measures for farmers.
The news was mixed for Albanese who suffered a sudden fall in his ratings.
He recorded a two-point decline in his approval numbers, from 39 to 37 percent, compounded by a four-point rise in those who were dissatisfied with his performance as Labor leader.
It left Albanese with a net negative satisfaction rating of minus 7, which is the worst since he became the opposition leader.
However, he improved his position in the 'preferred prime minister' category, lifting his rating to 32 percent in the head-to-head popularity contest while Prime Minister Scott Morrison fell three points to 47 percent.
The results follow a week in which Morrison faced calls for a fiscal stimulus package in response to poor economic forecasts, while the Labor faced internal dissent over calls to rewrite its climate change policy.
Labor's tactical move to initiate a debate in parliament over economic management has thus far failed to resonate, with its primary vote of 33 percent also remaining unchanged since its last poll.
The numbers suggest the criticism of Morrison's response to the drought also had no impact on the Coalition's electoral advantage.
