ALP primary vote returns immediately to somewhere near its 2010 election level after Julia Gillard's downfall
The coalition and the ALP, led by Kevin Rudd, are neck and neck in the lead up to the federal election, a poll shows.
On a two-party preferred basis, Labor would receive 49% of votes to the coalition's 51%, according to the first national Galaxy poll since Rudd's return as prime minister.
The poll, published in Sunday's News Limited newspapers, shows most voters think Rudd would be a better prime minister than Tony Abbott, scoring 51% to Abbott's 34%.
Rudd's ascension to the leadership immediately lifted Labor's primary vote by six points, to 38.
Abbott said he was not surprised at the result.
"I always have said winning government from opposition is like climbing Mount Everest," he told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.
"We've always said that the polls would tighten, they would have tightened under Julia Gillard, of course they have tightened under Kevin Rudd. That's what I would expect."
Voters backed the ALP's decision to replace Julia Gillard, with 57% saying it was the right move.
The poll also revealed Bill Shorten won the support of the public for his role in the downfall of two prime ministers, with most believing he made the right choices – 52% of voters backed his decision to withdraw his support from Gillard, while 30% believed Shorten did the wrong thing.