Canberra: Australia's conservative opposition has closed on the government after blocking controversial carbon trade laws, but support for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd remains high, a poll showed Tuesday.
Support for Rudd's centre-left Labor fell two points to 55, while the conservatives rose two points to 45 after two weeks dominated by the defeat of carbon trade laws in the upper house Senate, a Newspoll in the Australian newspaper showed.
However, Rudd remained far in front of conservative opposition leader and former Goldman Sachs executive Malcolm Turnbull, with a favourable opinion rating of 66 per cent to 19 per cent, equalling Rudd's record showing of late July.
"Polls come and go, but there's only one that really counts," conservative lawmaker Michael Johnson said, pointing to elections expected late next year.
The conservatives joined with Greens and independent senators to block the emissions trade scheme, which aims to cut carbon emissions by between five and 25 per cent by 2020.
The conservatives warned of its impact on jobs and the economy while the Greens said it did not do enough to protect the environment.
Rudd could have the option of calling a snap election if the Senate rejects the emissions laws a second time in November.
The emissions laws were a key Rudd election promise and in part underpinned Labor's 2007 victory, which ended almost 12 years of conservative rule.
Turnbull wants an emissions regime delayed until the outcome of December global climate talks in Copenhagen and the United States decides on its own scheme.
