Voters think Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is the best candidate to manage Medicare, but still prefer Malcolm Turnbull running the economy, a new poll shows.
A Newspoll taken for The Australian shows the prime minister is considered more capable to manage the economy, national security, asylum-seekers, tax reform and interest rates, but Labor's Mr Shorten is the preferred manager for health, education and climate change.
The survey marks a turnaround for Mr Shorten from three months ago, when the same survey suggested voters thought Mr Turnbull was better equipped to manage the traditional Labor issues.
Labor has accused the government of penny-pinching over Medicare, as Malcolm Turnbull and his health minister admit they will not lift a freeze on GP rebates until the budget allows.
The federal opposition put health on the election agenda when Bill Shorten pledged a Labor government would lift the freeze from next January at a cost of $2.4 billion over four years.
