On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor led 58 per cent to 42, with 67.3 per cent of people who nominated minor parties or independents saying they would preference the ALP higher than the Liberals.
It follows another uComms poll published this week, commissioned by The Australia Institute, showing the Liberals trailing in two crucial SA seats, Boothby and Sturt.
The polling continues a strong showing for Labor in the state that saw Peter Malinauskas seize power in last month’s state election with a more-than 7 per cent swing.
In the senate, Labor’s 36.1 per cent could see the ALP pushing for three SA seats if the result is replicated on polling day.
The Greens will be buoyed by the data, which showed the minor party on 11.6 per cent of the statewide vote – on track for a quota after preferences.
But former senator Xenophon, who quit the senate to run a failed state campaign at the 2018 election, is currently languishing on just 5.2 per cent according to the poll – well down on his 2016 high-watermark, at which his NXT party won three senate seats in a double-dissolution election.
A candidate would need to garner around 14 per cent of the vote after preferences to reach a quota.
Xenophon’s former staffer turned rival Rex Patrick sits on 3 per cent, while Pauline Hanson’s One Nation – whose SA leader Jennifer Game is contesting as lead senate candidate – is on 3.9 per cent.
The Greens are eyeing the chance for a second SA senator to return to Canberra to join incumbent Sarah Hanson-Young, with labour economist Professor Barbara Pocock this week formally launching her bid.
The author and Emeritus Professor at UniSA’s Business School, who has been a member of the state’s Economic Development Board, said she wanted to see “strong action on climate change, the protection of our river and Bight, and more integrity in our political system, including a strong ICAC and election funding reform”.
The poll has a margin of error of 3.02 per cent.
However, it’s understood internal Labor Party polling puts Xenophon in a far morxjmtzywe comfortable position. Respondents to a poll conducted before the former Senator confirmed his intention to run again gave him a 93.6 per cent recognition factor, with 16.3 per cent of respondents saying they would give him their first preference if he stood again.
