Australian government approval rating falls to new low: poll

The Australian government's approval rating continued its downward trend on Monday after the latest Newspoll revealed the opposition was now neck-and-neck with the government in the two-party preferred survey.

The results of the poll means support for the government has fallen to its lowest level since Malcolm Turnbull ousted former Prime Minister Tony Abbott in September last year, with half of the 1,800 respondents now preferring Labor's policies compared to those of the coalition government.

The coalition support has dropped three points since the Newspoll was last held in January.

Despite the concerning result for the government, Turnbull still leads the preferred Prime Minister poll, with 55 percent of the votes compared to just 21 percent for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, while the coalition still holds an 8 point buffer over the Labor in the primary vote (43 percent to 35), with the Greens and other parties holding the remaining 22 percent of votes.

The Newspoll came just months before a federal election is set to be held. Turnbull has previously hinted at an "August or September" election. However, it could be held as early as in July if vital legislation does not pass through the senate.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan said government MPs were "not focused on the polls". Instead, they were preparing for the election. Endit