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Qld Labor government in trouble: new poll

A new Reachtel poll shows support for the Labor government of Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has slipped and it could lose the upcoming election.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk may struggle to hold power, according to a new poll. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk may find herself out of power after just one term, with a new poll showing a surprise slump in popularity for her minority Labor government.

The Reachtel poll of 4000 voters, published in the Sunday Mail, shows the Liberal National Party opposition leading the ALP 52-48 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis.

Just four weeks ago, The Australian's Newspoll had Labor leading the LNP by 53 to 47 per cent of the vote after preferences.

But the primary vote for both parties has plunged, with Labor now on 32.1 from 37.5 per cent at the 2015 state election, and the LNP going from 41.3 to 30.6, the Sunday Mail reported.

Ms Palaszczuk's personal popularity has also taken a hit, with the Reachtel poll having her deadlocked with Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls as preferred premier 50:50.

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The Newspoll had her 10 points ahead of Mr Nicholls, who was treasurer during the unpopular Campbell Newman years, which ended in 2015 with one of the country's biggest electoral routs.

It has been widely speculated that the premier, who has been on annual leave, could call an election as early as this week for late October or early November.

Her government expires in January 2018, but an election can be held as late as May next year.

She has previously downplayed the likelihood of an early election.

"It is my intention to go next year. There's still a lot of work to do," she told reporters in September.

Despite the Reachtel poll results, Mr Nicholls would be hard pressed to get the LNP back into government without the support of minor parties, such as One Nation or the Katter's Australian Party.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation party has just one MP, former LNP member Steve Dickson, in this parliament.

But it polled 18 per cent support in the Reachtel poll, especially in the regions where it did well previously.

The Palaszczuk government currently has 42 seats in the parliament, the LNP has 41, KAP 2, One Nation one, and there are three independents.

Following a redistribution, Queensland will have four new seats taking the number of MPs to 93.


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