Scott Morrison may be the prime minister but more Australians recognise former foreign minister Julie Bishop, a new poll reveals.A new poll of more than 1,500 Australians has revealed almost one in four voters haven’t heard of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne
The Australia Institute conducted a survey of 1,536 Australians to find out which ministers were the most well-known within the community.
Two of the top five most recognised faces, Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne, are retiring at the next federal election proving worrisome for the Liberal government who are preparing for the impending polls.
Bishop, who is no longer a minister, has the most familiar face with 82 per cent of people knowing who she is.
This is compared to just 77 per cent of respondents knowing who the Prime Minister is.
Barnaby Joyce, who made headlines for his scandalous affair with staffer Vikki Campion, was next in line at 73 per cent.
Michaelia Cash became the best recognised woman in cabinet but only 33 per cent of respondents knew who she was.
The Australia Institute said that respondents on average only selected eight of the 27 options.
‘This research underscores what a loss Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne’s departures are for the Government,’ said Ben Oquist, executive director of The Australia Institute.
‘They are formidable political assets and seasoned media performers as evidenced by their consistently high recognition among the general public.
‘In particular, for Julie Bishop to still be more recognised than the current Prime Minister of Australia is unprecedented.’
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack was only recognised by 28 per cent of the people polled.
The research found Mr Morrison’s recognition increased only slightly despite taking the top job.
Ms Bishop’s recognition slightly decreased while Mr Joyce remained flat.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has increased but is still only known by 39 per cent of Australians.
The research was conducted between February 20 and March 4 2019.
Pictures: The 30 Prime Ministers of Australia