Labor and Coalition level at 50-50 on two-party preferred in YouGov poll

Labor has lost its two-party preferred lead over the Coalition for the first time since the last federal election, according to a YouGov poll discussed on 4BC Brisbane. The two sides are level at 50-50.

On primary votes, One Nation leads on 27 per cent, ahead of Labor on 24 per cent and the Coalition on 23 per cent. The Coalition's primary vote rose by two points. 4BC Brisbane's host noted it had been polling in the teens a month or two earlier.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remains the preferred prime minister. The host questioned whether that reflects growing support for the Coalition under leader Angus Taylor, or frustration with the government.

YouGov's figures show Labor's primary vote has fallen by more than 10 percentage points since the election. Support among working-class voters has dropped to 20 per cent. The host said this suggested Labor was losing touch with the working Australians it was founded to represent.

The host said many Australians were more concerned about cost-of-living pressures than the political contest. They named groceries, electricity, housing, insurance and interest rates. The host also stressed that Labor was not necessarily finished, because governments have recovered from worse positions. They added that a rise in Coalition support was only part of the task, because the party also had to persuade voters it deserved to govern.

Groom MP Garth Hamilton told the program he would not crow about the result, saying an election was a long way off. He said the Coalition was trying to listen to voters' concerns, including those of nurses, and was putting forward detailed policy. He pointed to its immigration policy, which he said even the ABC had acknowledged was thoroughly worked through.

Mr Hamilton said the Coalition had spent too much time focused on itself in the past. He said it was now more focused on Australia under Mr Taylor, and that this may explain any shift in support. He said the Coalition wanted to be seen as a credible economic manager and to take issues such as immigration and housing seriously.

Asked what Labor was doing wrong, Mr Hamilton said the government was showing hubris. He accused it of pursuing large-scale economic changes it had not taken to the election. He also said the government was refusing to rein in spending, while taking money from groups such as pensioners and veterans. He described Labor as the highest-spending government in 40 years and said that spending was driving inflation. These are his political claims, made on the program.