The Resolve Political Monitor, conducted for the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, found 36 per cent of voters backed Mr Dutton as their preferred prime minister compared to 35 per cent who supported Mr Albanese.

This is the first time the opposition leader has taken the lead in the race for voter sentiment in this survey.

About 40 per cent of voters prefer Dutton and the coalition as economic managers compared to 24 per cent who prefer Albanese and the Labor Party, while 23 per cent ranked Labor and the prime minister as best to manage national security and defence compared to 42 per cent who favoured the opposition.

Though the primary vote for the coalition has remained steady at 36 per cent, the Labor Party's support fell from 29 to 28 per cent, its lowest in three years.

Despite the dire outlook, cabinet minister Tanya Plibersek insisted Labor's policies would help alleviate cost of living pressures.

"We're not focused on the polls, we're focused on doing the right thing for Australian people," she told Sunrise on Monday.

With AAP.