Labor’s honeymoon not over: Albanese

But the Coalition said Labor was spinning because the result underscored the problem Labor had in Queensland. The Australian Financial Review understands Mr Albanese and Labor each had a net-negative rating in Fadden of about 20 per cent, while Peter Dutton had a net positive of about 4 per cent.

Although Labor never expected to win the seat, it suffered a 2.7 per cent two-party preferred swing against it on Saturday as LNP candidate Cameron Caldwell easily saw off Labor’s Letitia Del Fabbro by 63 per cent to 37 per cent.

The failure of Labor to make any inroads in Fadden has again highlighted the problems it faces in Queensland.

Labor, which has 78 seats in the 151-seat House of Representatives, holds just five of the 30 federal seats in Queensland, and needs to improve its standing there or risk being pushed into minority government at the next general election, due by early 2025.

Agriculture Minister and Queensland senator Murray Watt said federal Labor still suffered in his home state from the “stench” of its last term in government when it fell apart after years of infighting between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.

On Monday, the latest Newspoll published in The Australian was the latest to declare the government’s honeymoon was over after Labor’s primary vote fell to 36 per cent, the lowest level in the poll since the election at which Labor scored just 32.6 per cent of the vote.

Mr Albanese noted Labor’s vote was still a lot higher than it was at the election.

“When I have a look at the paper and then look at the figures, which people do, I sort of wonder where their headline comes from, but that’s up to the commentators to do that,” he said.

“I’ll stick with doing my job as the government will ... be making sure that we address cost of living pressures while not putting pressure on inflation, that we make sure that we give Australia a good government which is what they deserve that we govern in an orderly way.”

He said Labor’s history-defying win in the Aston byelection in April was of greater consequence than Fadden.

To stay in majority government, Labor needs to win seats in Queensland to potentially offset losses elsewhere, especially Western Australia where it is at a high watermark following a voter backlash against Scott Morrison and Clive Palmer at the last election, and support for Labor driven by the now-departed premier Mark McGowan.

Outside Queensland, Mr Albanese has already listed Labor’s target seats at the next election as Canning and Moore in WA, Sturt in South Australia, Bass and Braddon in Tasmania, Banks in south-west Sydney and Menzies in Victoria.