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The coalition Australian government has, for the first time since Malcolm Turnbull took over, fallen behind the opposition as preferred party to lead the nation, just months out from a federal election.
The results of the Newspoll, published in News Corp on Tuesday, showed that after preferences, the Labor party had edged ahead of the coalition by 51 percent to 49 percent. It's the first time the government has fallen behind Labor since Turnbull's successful leadership challenge last September.
However, the government still leads the primary vote - those before preferences - with 41 percent of Australians backing the government compared to 36 percent for Labor, while the Greens and other independents make up the deficit.
With Australians set to head to the polls as early as July, the government has work to do to secure its re-election, but Innovation Minister Christopher Pyne said the poll's results were not indicative of the ascendancy the government really has.
"If you look at the poll between who people want, Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten, Malcolm always leads Bill Shorten basically at two to one, at least two to one," Pyne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Tuesday.
Meanwhile coalition backbencher Ewan Jones said the polls always "tighten" heading into an election, and said there was nothing for the government to be concerned about.
"Things will always tighten up in an election year," he said.
But Labor Senator Sam Dastyari said the survey showed Australians had already grown tired of Turnbull's rhetoric.
"The honeymoon that Malcolm Turnbull first enjoyed when he became leader was never going to last," Dastyari told the ABC.
At the start of the year, the coalition held a six point lead over the opposition. Australians are set to head to the polls later this year.
