Australia s Albanese takes the lead in polls as election race starts

CANBERRA – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has seen a jump in support for his government following the start of Australia’s election campaign, boosting the centre-left Labor Party’s chances of holding power in a vote scheduled for May 3.

A Newspoll survey released by The Australian newspaper on March 30 found that Mr Albanese’s government had pulled ahead of the opposition Liberal-National Coalition by 51 per cent to 49 per cent, its strongest result in nine months, with the Prime Minister’s personal approval rating also improving.

In the last survey in mid-March, Newspoll found Labor was trailing the centre-right opposition by 49 per cent to 51 per cent.

Polls by Resolve, YouGov and Redbridge found similar results in surveys published in recent days, the first tranche of polling released since Mr Albanese kicked off a five-week election campaign on March 28. The Australian leader is fighting to become the first in more than two decades to win consecutive terms in office, a symptom of the country’s long-running political instability.

With a slim majority of just a handful of seats, Mr Albanese has little leeway as he campaigns for a second term.

The government has been languishing in the polls for months, with Australians frustrated over a cost-of-living crisis sparked by sticky inflation and high interest rates. But following the first easing by the Reserve Bank of Australia in February, the polls have begun to turn in Mr Albanese’s favour.

While the 2022 election campaign that saw Labor returned to power revolved heavily around climate action, political integrity and Indigenous rights, the current one is all about voters’ hip pockets.

In a budget released last week, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced surprise tax cuts for every voter, reducing the lowest tax bracket to 14 per cent by 2027. The Coalition has said