The government he leads looks chaotic and self-absorbed. An atmosphere of decadence and depravity engulfs the whole of Canberra, particularly when you stir in questions over expenses entitlements together with the sex. Loading The policy agenda of the government has been drowned out. The government MPs’ main political strategy, to impugn the Leader of the Opposition’s reputation, doesn’t seem to be working, because the glass house they are standing in is so transparent they may as well be all walking around buck-naked. What’s more, the Prime Minister has received no credit for the attempt he made to control the situation - his announcement of the so-called “bonk ban” after the Joyce scandal had already run unstoppably downhill for several days. Turnbull’s effort to assert some moral authority has demonstrably failed. Any claim he might have had to being a protector of working women is shot. Remember that, in announcing the sex-ban changes to the Ministerial Code of Conduct on February 15, Turnbull said the code needed reform because it did not speak strongly enough for the “values of … workplaces where women are respected”. He said there was “a real gender perspective here” when you considered most bosses in Parliament House were men.

But Turnbull had an opportunity last week to put into action this respect for the working women of Parliament House, when his Jobs and Innovation Minister Michaelia Cash used parliamentary privilege to trash the reputation of a group of working (Labor) women. Turnbull passed up the chance, instead defending Cash, saying she was “bullied and provoked” into implying Shorten’s entire female staff are doing something inappropriate with the boss (at least that’s what she seemed to be implying). Minister for Jobs and Innovation Michaelia Cash during an estimates hearing at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The Newspoll published on Monday showed voters have rapidly lost regard for Turnbull.

In the last fortnight his approval rating has dropped three points to 37 per cent, putting him nearly on a (low) par with Shorten, who has an approval rating of 35 per cent. The two-party preferred vote, which is 47-53 per cent, has now been Labor’s way for 28 Newspolls in a row.

Turnbull is heading inexorably for the magic 30-consecutive-bad-Newspolls threshold he cited as justification for knocking off his predecessor Tony Abbott. Until now, Liberals could comfort themselves with the fact that Turnbull was seen as the vastly more prime ministerial man of the two leaders on offer.

But voters know that when you’re suffering from messy problems in your private life, your work suffers, and it’s hard for the government to convince anyone it is focused on governing when its own household, so to speak, is in such disarray. Turnbull’s attempts to distance himself from Joyce’s behaviour have won him no credit with voters, but they have strained the Liberals’ partnership with the Nationals, the integrity of which is central to the stability of centre-right government in Australia. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Turnbull has made political enemies of Abbott and now Joyce, and as enemies go, they are worse (and more comical) than anything a Mexican soap opera could invent. Both are excellent communicators, who possess the ability to straight-talk, which Turnbull lacks.

Both of them seem to have relevance deprivation, easy access to journalists, and a gift for self-publicity.

Both of them despise Turnbull for deep personal hurt he has done them, and neither has anything much to lose by speaking out against him. Meanwhile, the government seems intent on winning over voters with an economic narrative centred on company tax cuts. Voters will always trust the Liberals over Labor on economic management, but the trickle-down argument, that corporate tax cuts will produce wage increases and more jobs, is an esoteric one which requires some faith to believe. Voters’ distrust for Shorten is persistent. His background as a union deal-maker leaves him open to criticism that he sold out workers and was/is more pragmatic than idealistic in his political dealings. But it is going to be increasingly difficult for Turnbull to land a blow on Shorten now they’re standing nearly head-to-head. Twitter: @JacquelineMaley Follow Jacqueline Maley on Facebook