Abbott level with Shorten as preferred prime minister

Tony Abbott has drawn level with Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister but Labor continues to hold a two-party preferred lead over the Coalition, the latest Newspoll shows.

The poll conducted for News Corp Australia shows Mr Abbott's standing with voters has jumped to a seven-month high after the fifth consecutive rise in his personal approval ratings.

On the question of who would make a better prime minister, both leaders fell and are now tied at 38 percent, with Mr Abbott down two points and Mr Shorten down three points.

While Labor's primary vote has fallen to its lowest since October at 35 per cent, the ALP continues to hold a two-party-preferred lead over the Coalition, of 52 percent to 48 percent.

The Coalition's primary vote suffered a two-point fall to 39 percent.