Queensland Premier Campbell Newman. Credit:Harrison Saragossi/File photo The latest Newspoll, published by The Australian, has shown support for the Queensland LNP government fell by five points since the last quarter, putting its primary vote at 44 per cent. Labor rose two points to 29 per cent, but the Greens were the big winners, rising six points to 10 per cent. But on a two party preferred basis, the LNP leads Labor 59 to 41 per cent, meaning if an election was held tomorrow, the government would still claim a resounding victory. The poll was taken before Kevin Rudd won the federal leadership ballot and before the state government announced MPs would get a $57,000 pay rise.

A week after Jeff Seeney, as acting premier, told journalists Crown law advice had suggested the government was acting contrary to the law by not passing on the increase, anger is still growing. At a union-led protest outside the Executive Building on George Street on Monday, Queensland Council of Unions president John Battams said he expected the government’s popularity would fall further. Mr Battams said the unions would “not forget” how the government behaved during the first half of its first term.

‘‘I can only imagine how much further they will dip in the polls,’’ he said. ‘‘On the one hand [the government is] demanding austerity by workers, and on the other hand paying themselves this huge pay rise.’’ Increasingly, anti-conservative commentators on social media are pointing to Queensland as an example of what an Abbott-led federal government would look like.

It was a point made during the height of last year’s Queensland public service cuts. The comments had died down, but have recently been reinvigorated by recent LNP decisions. Government MPs walking into their weekly cabinet meeting have insisted they are concentrating on “getting on with the job”. “I don’t really worry about the polls particularly,” Transport Minister Scott Emerson said. “I know there is a lot of work to be done. Our job is to just keep going with what we are doing and do the hard yards. “I don’t think anyone is happy ever with politicians getting more pay, but it is decided by a tribunal, it will be up to parliament to make the decision.”

Energy minister Mark McArdle wanted to make it “quite clear” that the government was working to get the state “back on track”. “And to be quite frank with you, polls don’t really interest me at all,” he said. Loading “The government has to obey the law, the law was quite clear and the other matter really lies with the parliament to make any changes it so desires.” The Together Union released information last week which showed the government had been advised in April 2012 – shortly after the LNP took power – to change the Queensland Parliament Act to sever the link between state MPs’ remuneration and that of their federal counterparts.