The seven "teal" independents elected to federal parliament in May were swept in largely with the support of "tactical" Labor and Greens supporters, according to a new election study.
The Australian National University's (ANU) 2022 Election Study found near-record support for independent and minor parties, with almost one in three voters opting for a candidate not from Labor or the Coalition.
It also found while Anthony Albanese was the most popular candidate for prime minister since Kevin Rudd, Scott Morrison was the least popular since the ANU started measuring popularity in 1987.
The study is being launched in full in Canberra today.
The six newly elected "teal" independents — Allegra Spender in Wentworth, Kylea Tink in North Sydney, Sophie Scamps in Mackellar, Monique Ryan in Kooyong, Zoe Daniel in Goldstein, and Kate Chaney in Curtin — won seats previously held by the Liberals.
Most were held on comfortable margins and had been in Liberal hands for a long period of time.
The study found the seats were won largely by uniting existing progressive voters in the seats, who were willing to abandon Labor and the Greens to support an independent candidate, rather than turning the votes of "disaffected Liberals".
Of those teal voters surveyed by the ANU, 31 per cent had voted for Labor at the 2019 election, 24 per cent the Greens, and 18 per cent for the Coalition, with 23 per cent voting for others.
The report found the seats were largely won through "tactical" voters, with the primary intent being the unseating of the Liberal Party.
And it found such a high level of tactical voting was unusual compared to other international studies.
Scott Morrison the most unpopular party leader in decades
The study also measures the popularity of the major party leaders, finding moderate popular support for Anthony Albanese, but significantly lower support for Scott Morrison.
Mr Albanese was the most popular party leader in the election, outpolling Mr Morrison, Adam Bandt and Barnaby Joyce.
He was the most popular leader to take either major party to an election since Mr Rudd in 2007, who was the most popular leader in the election study's history.
The results were less flattering for Mr Morrison, who was the least popular leader in the study's history — just below Andrew Peacock, the Liberal leader at the 1990 election.
But according to the election study, most voters were more influenced by policy issues, with 53 per cent deciding their vote based on policy compared to 11 per cent on the party leaders.
