CANBERRA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has downplayed the results of an opinion poll which showed that the governing Liberal-National party coalition (LNP) still trails the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the run up to the general election in May.
The latest Newspoll, released on Sunday night, revealed that the LNP trails the ALP 47-53 on a two-party preferred basis.
The result comes despite Morrison leading an all-out assault on Labor over its border protection policies over the last two weeks.
Acknowledging the hard work his party has to do if it is to win a third term in government in May, Morrison pointed out that voters think he is better suited to handle the economy as well as security than ALP leader Bill Shorten.
"The election is in May... and there is still a long way to go," he told Sky News Australia on Monday.
Newspoll's survey of 1,582 voters found that 52 percent chose Morrison as the leader best-equipped to manage the economy compared to 34 percent for Shorten.
Half of voters picked Morrison as being stronger on national security compared to 28 percent for Shorten.
