Attacks over Burke fail to dent ALP: poll

The Federal Opposition has opened up a huge lead over the Government in an opinion poll published in this morning's Fairfax newspapers.

The AC Nielsen poll has Labor leading 61 to 39 on a two-party preferred basis.

Labor leader Kevin Rudd's rating as preferred prime minister is up five points to 53 per cent, while Prime Minister John Howard's has fallen to 39 per cent.

More than 80 per cent of those polled said they did not care about the Brian Burke affair, despite nearly two thirds saying they believed Mr Rudd had been less than truthful about his meetings with the disgraced former Western Australian premier.

The poll of 1,400 voters was taken from Thursday to Saturday.

It suggests Mr Rudd's personal approval rating has risen three points to 67 per cent, while Mr Howard's has fallen three points to 46 per cent.

Labor's deputy leader, Julia Gillard, says the Government's attempts to attack Mr Rudd over the Burke affair have backfired.

"These polls are really telling the Government it's time to put down the mud bucket and pick up the tool box and start concentrating on the national interest," she said.

"All the Government's done over the last three weeks is throw mud."

Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane says he is not concerned by the opinion poll.

"The real test will be when we do go to the election and Australians have to think about Australia's future," he said.

Mr Rudd's approval rating of 67 per cent is a record for an opposition leader.