Leading up to Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s tough budget support for the coalition plunged to its lowest level in almost four years.

A Newspoll conducted for The Australian newspaper over the weekend shows the Coalition’s support dropped five percentage points to 38 per cent – its lowest level since July 2010.

Satisfaction in Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s performance is down five points to 35 per cent, while dissatisfaction is up nine points to 56 per cent, the newspaper reports.

The unwelcome news for the coalition comes after the National Commission of Audit recommended severe cuts and a week before Treasurer Joe Hockey hands down his first budget.

Mr Abbott yesterday predicted voters would “thank us” in the long run for the tough measures predicted for the federal budget.

“You’ve just got to make hard decisions at a time like this, otherwise our country is doomed to years of economic stagnation … in the long run, the voters will thank us for doing what is absolutely necessary if Labor’s debt and deficit disaster is to be tackled,” he said on Nine Network’s Today program.

“No one ever said it would be easy … but we are going to do it in ways that are fair.”
Despite the Government slump, Labor failed to pick up support with its primary vote staying steady on 34 per cent, as voters migrated to the Greens and other minor players.

On a two-party preferred basis, Labor has scored an eight-point turnaround since the last Newspoll a month ago, and now leads the coalition 53 per cent to 47 per cent.

A Galaxy poll on Sunday also suggested flagging support for the coalition.

It found two party-preferred support for the coalition had plunged 5.5 percentage points since the September election.

– with AAP