Scott Morrison's major comeback after scolding over bushfire crisis
Scott Morrison has recorded the highest approval ratings for a national leader in more than a decade as he steers a path through the coronavirus pandemic, according to Newspoll.
The prime minister has the highest satisfaction rating since Kevin Rudd at the height of the global financial crisis in 2009, the poll for The Australian shows.
Mr Morrison leads Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese by 53 to 29 as the preferred prime minister.
The government has also returned to a dominant electoral position, rising two points to 42 per cent in the primary vote to Labor's 34 and leading Labor 51 to 49 on a two-party preferred basis.
The poll found wide support for the JobKeeper program, with 90 per cent of Coalition voters backing it, followed by 88 per cent of Greens voters and 84 per cent of Labor supporters.
Satisfaction with the federal and state governments' economic response to the crisis rose from 33 per cent to 47 per cent.
There are also early signs that the social distancing restrictions advised by the federal government and rolled out across Australia by state and territory leaders are starting to work. On Sunday, the daily national total of coronavirus cases once again dropped significantly.
Our focus throughout this #coronavirus crisis continues to be on protecting lives and protecting livelihoods - that means keeping Australians in jobs and businesses in business so when this virus has passed we can bounce back stronger on the other side.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) April 2, 2020
It’s a drastic change in fortune for the prime minister, who just months ago appeared to be losing the support of Australia thanks to his handling of the bushfire crisis.
Approval for Mr Morrison tumbled from 45 to 37 per cent in January, while Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese's rating leapt from 40 to 46 per cent.
It was the first time the Labor leader had led as favoured prime minister since the federal election.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
