The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

Preferred Prime Minister

11 Dec 2017

Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten?

  Total   Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Vote other   Nov 2017 Oct 2017 Sep 2017 June 2017 Mar 2017 Dec 2016 Jun 2016 Dec 2015
Malcolm Turnbull 42%   19% 80% 29% 35%   40% 42% 43% 39% 38% 39% 40% 54%
Bill Shorten 28%   55% 5% 51% 20%   28% 28% 29% 26% 26% 28% 29% 15%
Don’t know 31%   27% 15% 21% 45%   33% 31% 28% 34% 36% 33% 32% 31%


42% thought that Malcolm Turnbull would make a better Prime Minister (up 2% from last month), and 28% thought Bill Shorten would be better (no change). 31% did not know who would make a better Prime Minister.

The results were split by party, with 80% of Liberal/National voters saying that Malcolm Turnbull would be a better Prime Minister, and 55% of Labor voters saying Bill Shorten would.

Greens voters preferred Bill Shorten (51%) to Turnbull (29%).

49% of men prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 28% prefer Bill Shorten.

35% of women prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 27% prefer Bill Shorten.

Error: