A concerted attack on Labor leader Bill Shorten and ramped-up concerns over blackouts appear to have paid dividends for Malcolm Turnbull.
The latest Essential poll published on Tuesday shows the Liberals and Nationals' primary vote rising one point each, while Labor has dropped two points to 35 per cent.
The 52-48 per cent two-party preferred result in favour of Labor is two points down on a fortnight ago, before federal parliament resumed for the year.
Mr Turnbull told colleagues at a partyroom meeting the coalition had had a good start after some difficulties earlier in the year.
The prime minister has spent much of the initial days of parliament targeting Labor over power blackouts in South Australia and denigrating Mr Shorten - who as a union boss was a frequent visitor to the corporate boardrooms of Melbourne - as a "sycophant" and "parasite".
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Trade Minister Steve Ciobo stepped up the personal attack in parliament on Tuesday, describing Mr Shorten as "counterfeit Bill".
Leader of the House Christopher Pyne added to the assault, accusing Mr Shorten of having travelled overseas with the millionaire Pratt family "pretending to be the workers' friend while actually selling them down the river".
Mr Shorten described the attacks involving a close family friend who died in 2009 as contemptible.
"Government members can throw all of the insults they want at me if that is all they've got left ... (but) to trample on a dead man's memory is beneath contempt."
While the coalition's stocks have risen, the prime minister has taken a hit with his personal disapproval rising to 49 per cent - the highest since he came to office - while his approval sunk to 34 per cent.
Mr Shorten's approval dropped to 30 per cent, while his disapproval rose to 47 per cent.
The opposition leader on Tuesday led Labor's attack on the prime minister after the government linked cuts to family payments and other welfare measures to more money for the national disability insurance scheme, which welfare groups have describe as "robbing Peter to pay Paul".
"Why is the prime minister holding the future of the national disability insurance scheme hostage to his cuts to families, carers, pensioners and young people?" Mr Shorten asked.
The bill appears set to fail with Labor, the Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team and Jacqui Lambie signalling their opposition, but One Nation in favour.
Mr Shorten told his caucus Pauline Hanson's party was "fast becoming a faction of the Liberal party".
This was borne out by the Liberals deciding to preference One Nation ahead of the federal coalition partner, the Nationals, in the West Australian state election.
The Nationals, in turn, put The Greens ahead of the Liberal Party in two upper house regions on Tuesday.
Social Services Minister Christian Porter, who hails from WA, said the Liberals and Nationals in WA operate in a "very idiosyncratic and different and unusual" set of circumstances.
Federal Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has questioned the WA preference deal, warning it could cost the coalition government in Canberra.
Nationals MP Andrew Broad on Tuesday urged his Liberal colleagues to show greater faith in the coalition.
"Our quest is always to do the right thing, not to do the thing that wins us seats," he said.
Attorney-General George Brandis, who represents Queensland in the Senate, said Senator Hanson was an "extremely pleasant person" who was entitled to be treated with courtesy.
