Anthony Albanese refuses to admit a glaring fact most Aussies already know

Anthony Albanese has allayed concerns he would lead the Labor Party to likely defeat at the federal election, in the wake of dismal opinion polls suggesting he is losing his grip on ‘Middle Australia’.

A Newspolls analysis from the last quarter of 2024 shows that voters aged 35 to 49, usually mortgage holders who determine many swing voters, are avoiding the Albanian government as elections loom next year.

When the prime minister was questioned at a press conference on Sunday about his declining popularity, he played down the issue.

“What I’m concerned about is helping fellow Australians. I have been underestimated my entire political life,” he told reporters on Sunday.

“I’m focused on making a difference to the cost of living, making a difference to the plans we have for the future.

“We have already announced a number of changes, including tackling intergenerational equity issues by canceling 20 per cent of HECS debt for people if we are re-elected.”

Mr Albanese also aimed his message directly at Australian families by talking about what Labor is doing with childcare.

“We have announced changes to ensure affordable child care, and we have announced billions in funding for child care infrastructure,” he said.

Support for Labor among the all-important 5-49 voting group fell to 31 percent in the October to December election period, down from 35 percent from the quarter ending in June and 33 percent from the quarter ending in September.

This has cut Labour’s lead in this demographic group, seen as particularly sensitive to cost-of-living and interest rate pressures, from 53 to 47 per cent six months ago, to now neck-and-neck with the Coalition.

The Coalition’s primary vote among this age group has risen to 37 percent.

Peter Dutton’s opposition is now leading in all age groups except among younger voters.

In this group, Labor has drawn voters from the Greens and has a two-party preference advantage over the Coalition of 63 to 37.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured with his wife Kirilly) has received some good polling news from Victoria

With the Prime Minister’s approval rating falling from 46 per cent in April to just 41 per cent in December, some Labor politicians are worried about their jobs. Sydney’s Pitt Street shopping center is pictured

The largest lead that the coalition enjoys among the age groups is 62-38 years for those over 65.

NSW and Victoria appear to be the states most likely to settle the next election, and neither bodes well for Anthony Albanese.

Victoria has seen a five per cent swing against the Albanian government, with Labor’s primary vote falling to 30 per cent since the 2022 election.

The Coalition’s primary vote share increased from 36 to 39 percent over the same period, meaning they have achieved a level tie in that state based on two-party preference.

Anthony Albanese’s approval rating as leader in Victoria has also fallen from 46 per cent in June to 41 per cent now.

Meanwhile, his disapproval rating rose from 48 per cent to 53 per cent in the same period, giving him a net rating of minus 12 in Victoria, which is the same as Mr Eutton.

The two-party battle in NSW has settled at 50-50, with both parties seeing their primary vote rise by two points: the Coalition to 40 per cent and Labor to 32 per cent.

Meanwhile, support for the Greens in NSW has fallen by two points to 10 per cent.

Labor has gained support in WA, with the two-party lead increasing to 54-46 from 52-48 last quarter.

Both the Coalition and Labor lost primaries in Queensland, with the LNP’s falling by two points to 41 percent, while Labor fell by one point to 29 percent.

The Coalition has a bipartisan lead in that state at 53-47, which is slightly weaker than the 54-46 it achieved in the last quarterly poll.