(Roundup) Aust'n Turnbull gov't less popular than Abbott gov't it ousted: poll

Malcolm Turnbull's coalition government is on Monday less popular than the previous Abbott government it ousted just over a year ago, according to results of the latest Newspoll.

The Newspoll showed the coalition's primary vote had fallen below 40 percent for the first time under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and was now lower than the approval rating held by dumped PM Tony Abbott when he was ousted by Turnbull in a spill motion last September.

As a result, the Labor opposition has surged ahead of the government in the two-party preferred terms, holding a four point, 52 percent to 48 percent lead over Turnbull's coalition after preferences (taken from the 2016 July election).

Despite the unrest, Turnbull remains the preferred Prime Minister over the Opposition Leader Bill Shorten - however his popularity has fallen from 64 percent to 44 percent - while the coalition's primary vote remains three percentage points above Labor's at 40 percent to 37 percent.

According to The Australian newspaper, the publication for which Newspoll is taken, other than Julia Gillard's Labor government in 2010, it's the fastest decline in primary vote popularity by a re-elected government in the Newspoll's 32-year history.

The negative result also comes despite controversial resignations within the opposition - including by disgraced Senator Sam Dastyari - and while Turnbull notably cited the 30 consecutive Newspolls that the Abbott government lost as the reason for forcing a leadership spill in September last year, his party members have rallied behind the embattled Prime Minister to turn the results around.

Coalition frontbencher, and Assistant Minister for Social Services, Jane Prentice said the result was not a reflection on Turnbull, who remains preferred Prime Minister, but on the Senate, which is struggling to push the government's agenda through the Parliament.

"I think the Prime Minister had a great two parliamentary weeks, so I don't think the polls reflect his performance in parliament," Prentice told Sky News.

"If anything perhaps they reflect uncertainty, particularly in the Senate, with how we're going forward."

Meanwhile the opposition has dug the boots into the government on Monday; opposition employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor said the results of the Newspoll were an accurate reflection of the "dithering, division and dysfunction of the government".

He said Australians had finally seen the "real" Turnbull and were not happy with his leadership.

"We kept saying we wanted to see the real Malcolm Turnbull reappear, I think we are now seeing the real Malcolm Turnbull and that may well be the reason why the polls are reflected in the way they are," O'Connor told Sky News on Monday morning. Endit