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Labor dismisses Turnbull poll 'sugar hit'

Labor says Malcolm Turnbull's major bounce in the polls is merely a sugar hit, as the new prime minister takes a strong lead over Bill Shorten.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

Labor says prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's major bounce in the polls is merely a sugar hit. (AAP)

Labor has dismissed the latest opinion poll showing a major turnaround in the federal government's fortunes.

Malcolm Turnbull's leadership has given the coalition an election-winning lead with 55 per cent of voters surveyed in the Newspoll rating him as preferred prime minister, a 34-point lead over Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

But Labor senator Sam Dastyari told ABC TV on Tuesday the results, published in The Australian, were just a sugar hit and he expects they will "come back down to Earth pretty soon".

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen also played down the poll, saying people shouldn't get too excited about the "first blush of newness" of a new prime minister.

"Obviously Labor has never taken the next election lightly or for granted. We've always felt we had to earn it. I don't think people should get too excited about the first blush of newness of a new prime minister," he told reporters in Sydney.


1 min read

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Source: AAP


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