SYDNEY - Support for Labor is the highest it has been in more than a decade despite scandal dragging Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd back down to earth, a poll shows.
The Newspoll published in today's The Australian newspaper reveals Labor's two-party preferred support has risen three percentage points to 57 per cent -- its highest in Newspoll surveys since 1993.
The coalition has slipped three points to 43 per cent.
The poll was taken on March 2-4 at the height of the government's personal attacks on Mr Rudd over his meetings with disgraced former West Australian premier Brian Burke.
Labor's primary vote is the highest it has been since 2001, nudging up one point to 47 per cent, while the coalition's primary vote has slumped four points to 37 per cent.
The poll shows the Burke affair has soured Mr Rudd's honeymoon with voters, with his personal support dropping six points from its record heights to 62 per cent and his dissatisfaction rating climbing five points to 18 per cent.
Prime Minister John Howard's approval rating has dropped two points to 42 per cent while his dissatisfaction rating has risen three points to 49 per cent.
Mr Rudd has been pegged back slightly as preferred prime minister, slipping two points to 45 per cent as Mr Howard clawed back one point to 38 per cent.
Mr Rudd said he was not surprised his standing had been damaged by Mr Howard's "negative smear campaign".
"When people throw mud, mud always sticks a bit," Mr Rudd told the newspaper. "But I'm confident in this: when it comes to the Australian people making their judgement in the future, that's when they'll make it on the basis of their judgement of Mr Howard's character and my character."
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