New polls appear to show the Barnaby Joyce scandal has had an impact on voters, with the coalition losing the ground it made up at the start of the year.
An Essential poll released on Tuesday shows the coalition's two-party preferred vote is at 47 per cent, compared to Labor's 53.
Another poll, released by ReachTel on Sunday, show the coalition at 46 per cent, and Labor at 54 per cent.
It means the gains the government made in climbing up to 48 per cent in the first Newspoll of the year three weeks ago have been wiped out by Mr Joyce's scandal.
The former Nationals leader resigned on Friday after 16 days of scandal over his affair with now-pregnant former staffer Vikki Campion, jobs she was given in political offices and his use of travel expenses.
Mr Joyce played down suggestions new leader Michael McCormack was just warming his seat under he came back.
"I never rule anything in or anything out, because otherwise later in life you look like a hypocrite ... (but) I don't expect to ever return," Mr Joyce told reporters on Tuesday.
The Essential poll also found 60 per cent of voters thought Mr Joyce should have resigned as leader.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull revealed he ordered an investigation of whether Mr Joyce broke the ministerial code of conduct, but it was canned when the deputy prime minister resigned.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said government MPs had spent the last three weeks fighting among themselves, while Labor was campaigning for new jobs and training.
"We are talking about real projects, real jobs, real sustainable jobs," Mr Shorten told caucus on Tuesday.
"We are determined to put TAFE back at the centre of vocational education."
