Hung parliament not on PM's mind as leaders battle for votes in east Melbourne

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declined to say how he would approach a hung parliament if the federal election was tight.

The first Newspoll since the official campaign shows One Nation support has crashed, giving the major parties a boost, as Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten target Source: AAP

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is not thinking about the possibility of a hung parliament as he takes his campaign to Melbourne.

The latest Newspoll shows the vote for minor parties and independents sitting on 22 per cent.

"Five weeks to go in the campaign, I am running this election campaign to form a Liberal-National majority government," Mr Morrison told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

He said voters should be wary of Labor's "cosy" links with the Greens.

"Labor and the Greens are as thick as," Mr Morrison said.

A number of high-profile independents are running in the election campaign, with six current lower house crossbench MPs recontesting.

The opinion poll also showed One Nation's primary vote dropping to four per cent, the lowest since 2016.

Mr Morrison defined trust as the key issue for the election, saying Australians' belief in the Coalition's ability to manage money has helped buoy its standing in the latest Newspoll.

The Coalition's primary vote has ticked up to 39 per cent - level pegging with Labor - in the poll published in The Australian on Monday.

For the Coalition that's the equal-best primary vote since just after the last election.

Liberal member for Deakin Michael Sukkar and Prime Minister Scott Morrison visit the landscaping business of Daisy's at Ringwood in Melbourne. Source: AAP

"What it's about at the end of the day is who do Australians trust to manage money," Mr Morrison told 3AW Radio when asked whether he was taking heart from the results.

However, the poll shows Labor maintaining its two-party preferred lead of 52 per cent to 48 per cent over the Coalition once preferences are taken into account.

That represents a 2.4 per cent swing against the Coalition based on the last election and a potential loss of 10 seats.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and wife Jenny arrive at a Liberal National Party campaign rally on 14 April 2019. Source: AAP

Mr Morrison enjoys an unchanged 11-point lead over Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister, the Newspoll shows.

The prime minister said Australians don't trust Mr Shorten because it is hard to get a clear sense of what he believes in.

"People have seen this bloke now for five and a half years, he's nothing new, and they've seen him flip and flop all over the place," he said.

"People agree with me and they disagree with me but they always know where I stand on issues."

But he was coy when asked if he likes his Labor rival personally, saying only:

"I'm sure we respect each other as fellow parliamentarians."

One Nation suffers after NRA scandal

The drop in One Nation support comes after it was revealed senior figures had met with powerful US gun lobby, the National Rifle Association. 

The Al Jazeera documentary also aired secret recordings of Pauline Hanson referring to a conspiracy theory about the Port Arthur massacre.  

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has come under fire for secretly-recorded comments about the Port Arthur massacre. Source: AAP

But preferences from the far-right minor party could prove crucial in tight contests in Queensland. 

Senator Hanson has reportedly ditched One Nation's previous decision to preference against sitting MPs, telling The Australian her party would take a "seat-by-seat" approach this election. 

Senator Hanson is expected to hit the campaign trail on Monday after keeping a low profile for the past two weeks due to a tick bite and appendicitis. 

That could help Liberal National Party MPs worried about holding their seats in Queensland. 

While the Liberal Party vowed to preference One Nation below Labor in the wake of the guns policy controversy, the decision does not bind LNP candidates.

Campaign moves to eastern Melbourne

Both leaders are campaigning in outer eastern Melbourne on Monday, as they target Liberal-held seats.

The prime minister is in Deakin to announce $154.5 million worth of road upgrades, as he bids to ensure Liberal MP Michael Sukkar holds the seat.

The Labor leader is also expected to campaign in the seat of La Trobe, held by Liberal MP and former police officer Jason Wood.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Deputy Leader of the Labor Party Tanya Plibersek. Source: AAP

He first met with workers building the West Gate Tunnel, and will later announce $250 million to cut urgent elective surgery waiting times in state public hospital systems.

That comes as the opposition fights back against government claims there is a $6 billion hole in funding for its promised plan to make cancer treatments more affordable.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says that claim was "so wrong it's scary".

But Health Minister Greg Hunt said Labor had not offered enough to cover the fees of many cancer specialists, based on the charges recommended by the Australian Medical Association.