3 Weeks Left Until Australian General Election... Opposition Party Leads Governing Coalition by 6 Percentage Points in Polls

Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The approval rating of Australia's center-right ruling Liberal-National coalition has been confirmed to be trailing the opposition Labor Party about three weeks ahead of the general election.

According to a poll released on the 1st by the Australian daily 'The Australian', commissioned to the polling agency Newspoll, the Labor Party was at 53% and the Liberal-National coalition at 47%, Bloomberg reported on the 2nd.

The Australian stated that if the current polling results hold, the Labor Party is expected to win about 79 out of 151 seats and form the government. The Australian general election will be held on the 21st.

Bloomberg assessed that the Reserve Bank of Australia's monetary policy meeting on the 3rd could pose a burden to the ruling coalition. The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to raise the benchmark interest rate for the first time in over a decade to curb inflation. Australia's first-quarter Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 5.1% year-on-year, marking the highest level since 2001.

The Labor Party is attacking the ruling coalition over rising living costs and low wages. In response, the ruling coalition emphasizes a strong economy and low unemployment rates.

In the preferred prime minister poll, current Prime Minister Scott Morrison received 45% support, ahead of Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who had 39%. However, compared to previous polls, Morrison's support dropped by 1 percentage point while Albanese's rose by 2 percentage points, narrowing the gap between the two candidates.

Another poll by Resolve recorded the Labor Party at 54% and the Liberal-National coalition at 46%.

The Liberal-National coalition, which won the 2013 general election and took power, is now challenging for a fourth consecutive term. In the 2019 general election, the coalition was trailing the Labor Party in polls until just before voting day but ultimately achieved a come-from-behind victory on election day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.