Labor appears poised to lose the upcoming federal election, with last week’s rate cut failing to inspire voters.

About 55 per cent of surveyed Australians said they would preference the Coalition on a two-party basis, while 45 per cent backed Labor, according to the Resolve Political Monitor published in Nine newspapers on Sunday.

The results reflected a continued slide in support for the federal government despite the Reserve Bank’s rates decision, as six in 10 respondents said a cut would not change their vote.

Despite the polling, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton insisted the Coalition was the underdog going into the election campaign.

“Well, we remain the underdog in this election because a first-term opposition hasn’t won since 1931. This is the worst government since 1931,” he said.

Cabinet minister Mark Butler admitted it would be a tough election but said the choice between Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “couldn’t be clearer”.

“There will be a tsunami of polls between now and the real polling date … they’ll go up, they’ll go down,” he told the Today show on Monday.

“At the end of the day, we’re focused on putting a vision before the Australian people.”

Labor is hoping its centrepiece election promise could help turn the tides in its favour.

On Sunday, Albanese unveiled an $8.5 billion boost to Medicare, which would ensure almost all Australians could visit their GP for free.

Dutton quickly announced he would match the pledge with a $9 billion Medicare investment that included an already announced $500 million plan to boost mental health.

On Monday, Albanese dismissed Dutton’s stance as “thought bubbles”.

“These are all just thoughts, spontaneously out there,” he said.

“During an election campaign, when it’s held, this is what he will be held to account on, and not just being able to come up with these thought bubbles.”

The government insists Dutton cannot be trusted, claiming he tried to rip billions out of hospital funding and abolish bulk billing during his time as health minister.

But the Coalition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston brushed off the concerns.

“The federal government have been very clear that they’re going to use lies, distractions, distortions in this campaign,” she told ABC radio.

“We believe in providing support to the hospital system, and we believe that Medicare is a central piece of our primary care system.”

While money would  ensure the sustainability of free health care and potentially reverse out-of-pocket GP charges, Australian Medical Association president Danielle McMullen said not all general practices would return to universal bulk billing.

Regional GP services provider Hamish Meldrum said the funding would replenish GP health care deserts in regional and remote communities.

The Health Services Union said the plan would make an immediate difference for all Australians.

Australia’s bulk-billing rate plummeted to 20.7 per cent at the start of 2025, down from 35.7 per cent two years earlier, according to data released by health care directory Cleanbill in January.

-with AAP