Guardian Essential poll: Labor loses ground in first week of campaign but remains ahead of Coalition

Morrison is campaigning on the risks of a change of government in an uncertain environment while Albanese is telling voters he represents safe change.

In responses to questions that test the salience of that messaging, just under half (48%) of respondents believe it is time for Morrison to go, while 34% say the Coalition deserves another turn. But 46% of respondents also believe Australia is currently going in the right direction, with 37% saying we are on the wrong track.

This latest data also suggests there is a gender gap when it comes to approval of the two leaders. Just over half of men in the sample (51%) approve or strongly approve of the job the prime minister is doing compared with 38% of female respondents.

When it comes to Albanese, men also lead women when it comes to approval of his performance (45% to 38%) but women are significantly more likely to be undecided about the Labor leader (23% of women do not have a view, compared with 11% of male respondents).

Conversely, more voters think interest rates, debt and unemployment would be higher under a Labor government. But more voters also believe a Labor government would deliver higher wages and more significant cost of living relief.