Australian PM support at rock bottom

SYDNEY: Support for Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has hit rock-bottom, with satisfaction at her performance plunging to just 29 percent, a poll showed Tuesday.

The results were little better for conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott, with faith in his abilities also waning.

Voter satisfaction with Gillard, the country's first female prime minister, who wrested power last year in a shock ouster of Kevin Rudd, was down four points from 33 percent earlier this month in the latest Newspoll.

Dissatisfaction with her performance rose three points to 61 percent, with her rating as preferred leader equalling her lowest ever level at 38 percent, according to the survey of 1,147 people, published in The Australian newspaper.

Abbott fared little better with satisfaction at his performance falling three points to 36 percent. But he remains the preferred prime minister, by one point from Gillard.

On a two-party basis, the ruling Labor government is languishing at 43 percent to the coalition's 57 percent, meaning they would be swept from office if an election was called now, according to the Newspoll.

Gillard, and Labor, continue to struggle to convince Australians to embrace their plan for a pollution tax to combat climate change, while the issue of what to do with asylum seekers has been another major headache.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011