The prime minister, Scott Morrison, and the Coalition government are bleeding voter support according to the latest Newspoll.

Morrison still leads the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, as preferred prime minister 43% to 35%. However, his lead has been whittled down to eight points. His personal approval rating has fallen into negative territory, with 44% of voters dissatisfied and 41% satisfied with his performance.

The Coalition’s primary vote is back to the level it was a month ago at 36% – lower than the final Newspoll of Malcolm Turnbull’s tenure – and it trails Labor 46% to 54% on the two-party preferred measure, the poll published in the Australian shows.

The Greens’ primary vote has dropped two points to 9%, while One Nation is still on 6%.

Morrison has insisted he is focused on the job at hand.

“These things will bounce around, and that’s the case for all politicians, but it just doesn’t distract me from the job I have,” he told K Rock 95.5 on Monday. “You just get up and you hit it every day. You do the things you believe are important for the country every day.”

Morrison was due to visit the Great Ocean Road on Monday and was expected announce cash for upgrades at the Twelve Apostles and a new convention centre as part of a $154m injection for the Geelong and south-west region, the Geelong Advertiser reported.

The prime minister stayed well clear of Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy’s Liberal party state election campaign launch on Sunday, which was gatecrashed by protesters dressed as lobsters.

Guy will be hoping Victorians do not punish the Coalition at state level over the shenanigans of his federal counterparts in Canberra on 24 November.

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Last week’s the Guardian Essential poll found 59% of people surveyed believed the government Morrison led had not been refreshed by the blood-letting.

That poll put Labor ahead of the Coalition 53% to 47% on the two-party preferred measure.