<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>335873</docID> <postdate>2024-12-26 14:53:56</postdate> <headline>Victoria could be key election battleground: Newspoll</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-329537" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/20240820175865565801-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /></p> <caption>Both the Coalition and Labor are dropping primary vote support in Queensland, another key battleground state.. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><strong>Victoria could join NSW as a critical battleground state at the next federal election, according to the latest Newspoll analysis.</strong></p> <p>A swing to the Labor Party in WA at the 2022 election helped seal victory for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.</p> <p>The next federal election is due sometime in the next five months.</p> <p>New demographic and state-by-state Newspoll analysis published in The Australian on Thursday, shows that Labor could be bleeding support in Victoria.</p> <p>Two-party preferred support is now even at 50-50 in Victoria and NSW.</p> <p>While Labor's primary vote has plunged to 30 per cent in Victoria, the coalition's has risen from 36 to 39 per cent over the past three polling periods.</p> <p>The state Labor government in Victoria is unpopular.</p> <p>Mr Albanese spent Christmas Day in Darwin marking the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy which claimed 66 lives and severely damaged the city.</p> <p>His leadership approval rating in Victoria is also indicating a sharp nose dive to 41 per cent from 46 per cent in April to June, according to the analysis.</p> <p>The analysis shows Labor is gaining some extra support in WA.</p> <p>However, both the Coalition and Labor are dropping primary vote support in Queensland, another key battleground state.</p> <p>The Liberal National Party regained power at state level at the October election.</p> <p>The analysis says Labor is struggling to maintain the support of 35-49-year-old voters, many of whom have mortgages and are unhappy with high interest rates and cost of living pressures.</p> <p>Labor's two-party preferred lead in this age group has dwindled to equal footing.</p> <p>Opposition Leader Peter Dutton sought to capitalise on the country's economic woes in his Christmas message.</p> <p>"With everything costing more, many Australians had to make do with less," he said on Tuesday.</p> <p>The quarterly Newspoll analysis draws on regular Newspoll surveys between October and December with more than 3700 voters throughout Australia interviewed.</p> </body>