Guardian Essential poll: only 29% of voters support more public funding of election candidates

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are neck and neck in the popularity stakes but the Coalition appears to have retained an edge in two-party-preferred terms. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Less than a third of voters back increased public funding for political candidates to reduce reliance on donations, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.

The poll of 1,150 respondents is a major warning to the Albanese government, which is considering increasing public funding as part of a significant suite of electoral reforms to be introduced by mid-year.