Malcolm Turnbull’s popularity dipped slightly but there was worse news for Bill Shorten in the latest Newspoll.

Mr Turnbull’s approval rating as preferred Prime Minister dropped from 64 per cent to 60 in the poll, taken exclusively for The Australian, but it paled into insignificance given the Opposition Leader’s slide.

Mr Shorten’s approval level as preferred PM of just 14 per cent gives him the unwanted record of holding the equal-lowest rating for a Labor leader in the history of Newspoll – which goes back to 1987.

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Simon Crean also had a 14 per cent approval rating, in November 2003.

In a Newspoll last month, Mr Shorten had an approval rating of just 15 per cent – 2 per cent lower than his previous worst.

Former Labor leaders Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd both never sunk lower than 33 per cent in their approval ratings.

The fall in Mr Turnbull’s rating comes after Liberal Ian Macfarlane’s switch to the Nationals and amid questions over Mal Brough’s appointment as minister.

But Mr Turnbull’s approval rating as preferred PM still remains the highest of any leader in the last six years.

On a two-party preferred basis, the Coalition had 53 per cent of the vote, while Labor had 47 – exactly the same as it was in the last Newspoll.

The Coalition’s primary vote dipped one point to 45 per cent, compared to Labor’s 33 per cent.

On Mr Turnbull’s performance, 52 per cent were satisfied – a fall from 60 per cent in the previous poll – while 61 per cent were dissatisfied with Mr Shorten.

More than 1600 people took part in the poll, from last Thursday to Sunday.

– with AAP