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Labor's core support surges among voters

A senior Liberal admits the latest polls are not good for the coalition and there's too much emphasis on issues that don't register with voters.

The Newspoll published in The Australian on Monday shows the coalition's primary support falling to 35 per cent while Labor's has risen to 38 per cent.

In two-party terms Labor leads 54 per cent to 46 per cent.

Bill Shorten's Labor is well up in the polls but he's still losing as preferred PM. Source: AAP

However, most voters continue to prefer Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister by 43 per cent to 33 per cent for Bill Shorten.

"I know a lot of politicians gild the lily, but I'm not one of those - they're not good," assistant minister Craig Laundy said of the polls on Sky News on Monday.

"I think they highlight the fact that we need to get our message through a lot more effectively than we have, and that is an economic narrative about the future of the country."


He said the "oxygen is being sucked up" by issues that did not register in areas like his Sydney electorate of Reid.

However, asked whether same-sex marriage was one of the issues not registering with voters, he disagreed.

Voters are continuing to desert the Turnbull government. Source: 7 News

Senator Pauline Hanson was slammed for her 'stunt'. Source: AAP

"The history books will show we did our best to adhere to an election promise and deliver something to the Australian people which they want, and that is a say ... in this decision," Mr Laundy said.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's controversial stunt involving wearing a burqa does not appear to have dented her party's prospects, with its primary vote rising one point to nine per cent over the fortnight.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is one of a number of MPs going to the High Court over their citizenship status. Source: AAP

The poll came after a week focused on MPs' dual citizenship and a debate over the legality of the same-sex marriage national survey - both of which are being assessed by the High Court.

Three Cabinet ministers, Barnaby Joyce, Fiona Nash and Matt Canavan, are now waiting for the High Court to decide if they can stay in parliament.

The government will argue that that was beyond their control, but the recent in-fighting over same-sex marriage hasn't helped the Coalition either,


Two-thirds will respond to gay postal vote

Two-thirds of voters say they will respond to the postal survey on same-sex marriage.

The latest Newspoll found 67 per cent of respondents "definitely will" vote in the poll, to get underway from mid-September pending a High Court challenge.

Fifteen per cent said they probably will fill out the ballot while three per cent are planning to abstain.

Support for same-sex marriage remains relatively unchanged from a survey last September, with 63 per cent of those polled saying they would vote 'yes' - compared to 62 per cent a year ago.

Nearly half of the 1675 respondents say they support the postal ballot, similar to an Essential poll last week.