Photo: Getty ImagesAustralia's conservative government is facing a huge electoral defeat as it heads into the final sitting of parliament ahead of a national election expected in May, a widely watched poll shows. Morrison's own approval rating gained 2 points, however, against Labor leader Bill Shorten, climbing to 44% from 35%. The poll came out as parliament returns this week from its summer break, with the minority government facing defeat on two issues due on the floor as it is dependent on seven independents to vote with it. The latest poll found 44% of voters opposed abolishing the tax refunds on dividend credits, down from 48% in December. The survey was conducted from February 7 to 10, with 1,567 interviews and a sampling error of 2.5 percentage points.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 11, 2019 01:18 UTC