Labor’s primary vote has surged to its highest level since Kevin Rudd was removed as prime minister in 2010, a poll shows.

The latest Newspoll, conducted over the weekend, shows the ALP’s primary vote support surged up four percentage points to 39 per cent, while it’s also ahead on a two-party-preferred basis, 54-46.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has also drawn nearly equal support to Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister at 37 per cent, compared to Mr Abbott’s 38 per cent.

The government’s primary vote meanwhile dropped from 41 per cent two weeks ago to a post-election low of 39 per cent, the poll conducted for The Australian newspaper has found.

Primary support for the Greens fell from 12 to 10 and remained unchanged on 12 per cent for independents and others, the paper says.