Australia's preferred prime minister revealed in new poll

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull remains Australia's preferred prime minister – but with a few caveats, a new poll has revealed.

Fifty-one percent of participants in the Fairfax-Ipsos poll list Mr Turnbull as preferred prime minister, compared to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's 33 percent.

Mr Turnbull's performance approval rate however has dropped since the last poll, with 44 percent disapproving, up from 39 percent.

While Mr Turnbull might have the favour of Aussie voters where it comes to economic policy – a 67 percent vote favour compared to Shorten's 48 – Coalition's preference over Labor has widened 47 to 53 percent in regards to two-party terms.

A poll conducted in early April revealed party preferences tied at 50-50.

The government will continue to push company tax cuts when parliament resumes today.

It comes in the wake of a Senate vote last week legislating tax cuts of $144 billion over ten years.

The poll also found 64 percent of voters judged Mr Turnbull as being competent in foreign policy, against Mr Shorten's 45 percent.

Sixty-seven percent of voters said they believed Mr Turnbull was a competent leader, while Mr Shorten received a vote of 53 percent.

Mr Turnbull was rated as having a strong "vision" for Australia's future and being a strong leader by 52 and 49 percent of voters respectively, compared to Mr Shorten, who received votes of 44 and 41 percent.

On the question of which leader has the confidence of their party, 65 percent of voters have named Mr Shorten – while Mr Turnbull on the other hand received just 55.

Participants in the Fairfax Ipsos poll were questioned on a non-"either/or" choice basis.

The survey, which was conducted from June 20-23, involved 1200 respondents.

In a move to try to lock Pauline Hanson into rejecting the cuts, Labor tried to bring on debate and a vote, to stop any further negotiations with the government. 

But Ms Hanson said the government controlled senate business and she wouldn't be bullied. 

Labor said it was evidence One Nation could back down and, ultimately, support the legislation. 

The move was defeated when Ms Hanson and Centre Alliance voted with the government and other crossbenchers, to oppose the Labor tactic.