Australian PM's approval rating slips as parliament resumes

Canberra, Aug 30: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's voter popularity has fallen to a new low on Tuesday, while support for his Liberal National Party (LNP) coalition has also dropped since the July 2 general elections.

The Newspoll, which surveyed more than 1,600 Australian voters, coincides with the resumption of parliament, in which the 45th government is set to be sworn in later on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turnbull's problems begin at the top; the Newspoll revealed the Prime Minister's satisfaction level had fallen to 34 per cent - the lowest since he ousted former premier Tony Abbott from last September. 

His dissatisfaction rating has soared to 52 per cent, up 5 points from the July 2 election where he secured a narrow win.

For the first time since taking over the position, Turnbull's net satisfaction rating had fallen below that of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. 

Turnbull's net satisfaction rating came in at -18 points, 4 below Shorten's -14 points (36 per cent satisfaction and 50 per cent dissatisfaction).

As was the case prior to the election, the two-party preferred vote has the LNP government and the opposition Labour Party deadlocked at 50 per cent apiece.

With the resumption of parliament, the government is set to continue its push for a same-sex marriage plebiscite, budget savings reform and debate the future of the racial discrimination act.