The latest Newspoll has the coalition regaining marginal ground against the opposition but still trailing Labor 47-53 per cent after preferences.

“I think that is fairly clear, but I have been here before, on more than one occasion,” Mr Morrison told reporters in western Sydney on Monday.

“Having spent pretty much since June locked up in various quarantines and other lockdowns in NSW and in Canberra, I am just pleased to be out and about talking to people.”

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese gained ground on Morrison as preferred prime minister, closing the gap to the closest margin since March 2020.

The Newspoll showed 46 per cent of those surveyed preferred Morrison as prime minister, down two points, while Mr Albanese gained four points to be at 38 per cent.

The prime minister, who spent most of last week touring battleground electorates in NSW and Victoria, spent Monday in the marginal seat of Lindsay in western Sydney.

Once a bellwether seat, Lindsay is held by Melissa McIntosh for the Liberals by five per cent.

13:41 15/11/2021
Economy | Wrap
PM issues warning on rising interest rates
By: Colin Brinsden, AAP Economics and Business Correspondent
Location: Canberra
Source: AAP

Clearly in campaign mode, he flagged economic management would be a key part of the coalition’s upcoming federal election campaign.

He warned interest rates could rise higher than necessary if the economic recovery was not managed properly.

“Otherwise you will see petrol prices go up, you will see electricity prices go up, you will see interest rates go up, more than they would need to otherwise,” Morrison told reporters.

“That’s why economic management is so important now as we come out of COVID – having secured our health through the pandemic, we now must secure the economic recovery.”

Albanese was also in Sydney on Monday, spruiking Labor’s pledge to build public transport infrastructure locally.

A federal election must be held by May 21, 2022.