Australians Want Turnbull to Stay as 30th Newspoll Defeat Looms

(Bloomberg) -- Most Australians want Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to stay in the job even as the government's poor ratings put his leadership under scrutiny.

A Fairfax/Ipsos survey of almost 1,200 voters published by Fairfax Media newspapers Saturday showed 62 percent of voters believe Turnbull should remain in the top job versus 28 percent suggesting he be removed. His lead over opposition leader Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister also increased to 52 percent from 48 percent despite the government trailing the Labor Party by four percentage points on a two-party preferred basis, according to the poll.

Speculation of a challenge to Turnbull's leadership has increased since the government lost its 29th successive Newspoll last month. He likely faces an uncomfortable 30th Newspoll defeat on Monday, a measure he used to successfully challenge former leader Tony Abbott for the role in 2015.

Turnbull has since highlighted his success in delivering economic leadership and a return to Cabinet-style government that were also central to his rational in ousting Abbott. Still, wages are stagnant and voters are facing record household debt.

READ MORE: Chinks in Economic Armor Leave Australia's Turnbull Vulnerable

Turnbull wants to cut company tax rates to 25 percent from 30 percent over a decade in a bid to increase jobs and wages. Support for the move among voters has increased to 49 percent from 44 percent a year ago, according to the Fairfax/Ipsos poll.

To contact the reporter on this story: Matthew Burgess in Sydney at mburgess46@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stanley James at sjames8@bloomberg.net, John McCluskey

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