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Jacinta Allan is still favoured by voters to lead the sate over Opposition Leader John Pesutto.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>The Age<\/cite><\/p>\n A year after the election and with a new premier in charge, Labor\u2019s primary vote now sits at 37 per cent \u2013 the same level of support it recorded on election day last year \u2013 and six points clear of the opposition.<\/p>\n The survey results show primary support for the Coalition is at 31 per cent, one point lower than it recorded two months ago \u2013 and below its primary vote of 34 per cent at the November election.<\/p>\n Jacinta Allan is sworn in as premier by Governor of Victoria Margaret Gardner at Government House.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Ian Currie<\/cite><\/p>\n Resolve director Jim Reed said Labor initially received a \u201cre-election honeymoon\u201d early in 2022, but a growing list of scandals and the departure of Daniel Andrews had seen voters peel away.<\/p>\n \u201cLabor maintains a decent vote lead under Allan, but they are now back down to their election result of last year,\u201d Reed said.<\/p>\n While Victorians continued to back Allan over Pesutto as preferred premier, the gap between the two leaders has narrowed significantly in the past eight weeks since Allan won the support of Labor\u2019s caucus to become leader.<\/p>\n The survey of 1093 Victorian voters was taken over November and December, with a margin of error of three per cent.<\/p>\n It showed 34 per cent of voters preferred Allan as premier compared with 22 per cent who believe Pesutto \u2013 who has now been in the job for a full 12 months \u2013 would do a better job.<\/p>\n But the departure of Andrews has seen a significant jump in the number of Victorians unsure which leader would be better at running the state with more than 40 per cent of voters unable to decide on a better leader.<\/p>\n \u201cThe opposition struggled to make a mark in Pesutto\u2019s first six months, or to even present a united front and get clear air, but have made some gains in the last few months. Presenting themselves as a viable alternative is critical because otherwise ex-Labor voters have shown a willingness to flow to minor parties and independents,\u201d Reed said.<\/p>\n The survey was compiled before the release of a damning Ombudsman\u2019s report into the operation of the public sector and the Suburban Rail project. Reed said those findings could further hamper support for the Allan government in 2024.<\/p>\n As part of its research, Resolve Strategic asks voters to explain the reasons for their vote, which found Coalition supporters were more likely to be motivated by disliking Labor than by supporting the opposition. Voters that backed Labor were also impressed by the government's unity and track record for delivering infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass handed down a scathing report into the politicisation of the public service on Wednesday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Luis Ascui<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cDan Andrews did a lot of good things, so I\u2019m willing to give Jacinta Allan a chance too,\u201d one Labor voter said.<\/p>\n By comparison, Liberal voters were critical of Labor\u2019s debt position and economic credentials.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like they [the Liberals] have a better handle on the economy and inflation,\u201d one Liberal voter said.<\/p>\n \u201cLabor has put us in a pile of debt and has no means to get us back out again,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n With both Labor and the Coalition recording primary votes in the 30s, and 32 per cent of voters willing to support other candidates, Monash University political scientist Zareh Ghazarian told The Age<\/em> that both sides had \u201chomework for the summer\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cVoters aren\u2019t as enthusiastically supporting Labor, but they are not willing to move their vote to the Coalition,\u201d Ghazarian said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the gap has narrowed, this is not an optimistic position for the Liberals, who need to do something to boost their primary vote.\u201d<\/p>\n Interviews with respondents also showed voters raised the Middle East, critical of Victorian Labor\u2019s response to the Israel-Hamas war. Allan initially refused to label the October 7 attack by Hamas as terrorism and then received a letter from thousands of Jewish community members calling on her deputy, Ben Carroll, to toughen their stance on the student strike for Palestine.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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