Aust'n PM's approval rating below Opp. Leader one year after taking power: poll

A year after forcing Tony Abbott out of the position, Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has recorded a net public approval rating lower than that of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, the latest Newspoll has shown on Tuesday.

Turnbull, who ousted Abbott on Sept. 14 last year, narrowly won the federal election on July 2, however his net satisfaction rating among voters continues to slide while his dissatisfaction rating has more than doubled since he took the reins.

The coalition government remains locked at 50-50 in the two-party preferred vote, while it maintains a slender lead before preferences. The poll shows the Liberal Nation Coalition with 4 percent of the vote to Labor's 36 percent, while independents and the Greens make up the remaining 23 percent.

But Turnbull's personal approval rating has fallen below that of Shorten; 34 percent of voters are satisfied with Turnbull's performance as Prime Minister while 53 percent are dissatisfied, giving him a net satisfaction rating of -19.

Shorten's net satisfaction rating has come in at -17, two points ahead of Turnbull who on November 23, had a net satisfaction rating of +39 points.

Despite the negative outlook, voters still prefer Turnbull as Prime Minister compared with Shorten; 43 percent of voters prefer Turnbull at the helm over 34 percent who prefer Shorten. Endit