Australia on Monday began voting two weeks ahead of election day, with surveys showing the opposition centre-left Labour Party extending its lead and Prime Minister Scott Morrison suffering a fall in his approval rating.

The Australian newspaper showed Labour leading 54 per cent- 46 per cent on a two-party preferred basis against the Mr Morrison-led Liberal Party-National Party coalition government.

Mr Morrison’s rating as the country’s preferred leader fell a percentage point to 44 per cent, the survey showed, leaving him narrowly in front of the leader of the opposition Anthony Albanese whose rating rose three points to 42 per cent.

Early voting began a day after a televised debate between Messrs Morrison and Albanese who at times yelled at each other, making it hard for either to make a point.

“Scott Morrison didn’t have anything to say except shouting. He only had smears and that smirk throughout it all,” Mr Albanese told reporters on Monday.

Female voters have turned to Labour as the party they believe would better manage worsening cost-of-living pressure, the survey showed, after surging inflation forced the central bank last week to lift its official cash interest rate.

If the coalition’s shrinking lead was replicated in the May 21 election, Labour could govern on its own, a survey for the Australian Financial Review showed, revealing higher living costs as voters’ top issue.

The coalition has a one-seat majority in parliament’s lower house.

Millions of Australians are expected to cast their votes in person over the next two weeks at over 500 early-voting centres nationwide.

About 40 per cent of the electorate voted either early or by post in the last national election.

Electoral commissioner Tom Rogers told ABC television he expected those numbers to increase during this election. 

(Reuters/NAN)