Australian PM deemed out-of-touch by voters: poll

Australia's Prime Minister is considered to be intelligent but has been deemed arrogant and out-of-touch with voters, according to the results of a poll released on Tuesday.

An Essential poll, taken for Guardian Australia, showed that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had taken a hit in the eyes of Australian voters; compared to a poll taken in September 2016, Turnbull was considered to be less of a visionary, down 5 percent to 30 percent.

He is also considered to be less trustworthy (down 3 percent to 36 percent) and not as good in a crisis (44 percent, down 3 percent), but 72 percent of voters believe he is intelligent.

Despite falling in a number of categories, Turnbull remains well ahead of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was ousted by Turnbull in September 2015, Essential Media's Peter Lewis said on Tuesday.

Abbott made headlines last week by declaring the government was "drifting towards defeat" with its current policies, but Lewis said the voters were more receptive to Turnbull compared to the former leader.

"Even with Turnbull's steady decline in personal regard, Abbott's numbers are significantly worse: net 20 percent higher on 'erratic', net 16 on 'aggressive', net 18 on 'narrow-minded'," Lewis told Guardian Australia on Tuesday.

"In terms of positives, Turnbull is up 10 points on 'vision', 10 on 'capability' and a whopping 21 points on 'intelligence'."

Meanwhile voters consider Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to be a hardworking leader (61 percent), intelligent (60 percent), while 48 percent of people think he understands the problems facing everyday Australians.

The Essential poll follows results of a Newspoll which were released on Monday. It said the Turnbull-led government trails the opposition in the two-party preferred terms, 45 percent to 55 percent, while the Essential poll has the government trailing Labor 47 percent to 53 percent. Endit