Essential poll: Australians losing faith in government handling of Covid

Scott Morrison is preferred PM of less than half of respondents for first time since April but still ahead of Anthony Albanese on 26%

Public faith in government handling of the coronavirus is on the decline, with voters in Victoria most likely to complain their state and federal governments are not working well together on the pandemic.

That is the conclusion of the latest Essential poll, released on Tuesday, which found Scott Morrison is the preferred prime minister of just less than half (49%) of Australians for the first time since April, but still ahead of Anthony Albanese on 26%.