Zed Seselja is seen as an energetic Opposition Leader but his lack of experience appears to be discouraging voters from supporting him, a new Patterson-Canberra Times poll reveals.
The poll has found that the 31-year-old Liberal leader is losing ground in the race to become the next ACT chief minister.
The latest poll finds Mr Seselja's popularity has dropped over the past two weeks and Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, 57, has extended his slim lead over his young adversary.
Mr Stanhope is preferred as chief minister by 43per cent of the electorate, compared with 36per cent for Mr Seselja.
That's a four-point drop for Mr Seselja, but little of his lost support is going to Mr Stanhope who received only a one-point boost. Instead, an increasing number of voters are left wondering who they will support tomorrow.
The question of whether Mr Seselja was too inexperienced for the top job was the most polarising. One-third disagree with the notion, but 43per cent are worried about his experience. Even one in five Liberal voters think he needs more seasoning.
Sportingbet Australia has Labor at $1.22 to win tomorrow's ACT election, with the Liberals at $4.
Speaking at the National Press Club yesterday, Mr Stanhope said he was aware of the odds but was not being complacent.
''I like our odds with the bookies but I don't trust the bookies,'' he said.
Despite what the bookmakers say, Mr Seselja has turned an Opposition that spent several years fighting among its own ranks into a united force that is expected to challenge Mr Stanhope strongly.
But the four-point drop for Mr Seselja in the preferred chief minister stakes is bad news for him, particularly if it is backed up by other poll results to be published in tomorrow's Canberra Times that look at how the 17 Assembly seats are likely to fall.
Mr Seselja's popularity has fallen in every electorate, but most notably in Ginninderra, where Mr Stanhope picked up the most extra support.
Both leaders have lost ground in Brindabella, but Mr Seselja continues to hold a slight advantage there.
Importantly, pollster Keith Patterson said Greens supporters who are likely to decide who the next chief minister is still lean heavily in the incumbent's favour, ''with 52per cent suggesting that Jon Stanhope would be the better leader and only 20per cent opting for Zed Seselja''.
''It appears that there has been a slight softening in support for Zed Seselja as potential leader in the intervening period [between polls].''
Mr Patterson said Mr Seselja's greatest drawback was his ''perceived inexperience''.
''It would appear that he is regarded as energetic, capable and strong by clear majorities of those who are able to form a view. But his inexperience in the role of potential chief minister will probably hold him back, and may impact on voter attitudes when they are making their choices on voting day.''
The results come as Labor stepped up its assault yesterday over the Liberals' proposed savings, revealed on Wednesday when Treasury issued the major parties' election costings.
Mr Seselja rejected allegations he would slash capital works and sack up to 200 public servants, saying there would be no job losses under him.
''They are seeking to mislead the community and, given their record of dishonesty, I don't think the people will believe it,'' he said.
The poll, taken this week, also looked at how the electorate regarded Mr Seselja, just as the earlier survey examined perceptions of his rival.
Two-thirds of Canberrans view Mr Seselja as energetic, with only 9per cent disagreeing. This perception is also generally held by voters regardless of electorate or what party they back, although it is most pronounced among Liberal supporters.
Mr Stanhope is seen as a much stronger leader than Mr Seselja: 58per cent of voters attributed that quality to the Labor leader two weeks ago, compared with 42per cent for the Liberal this week. Mr Stanhope is also regarded as more capable, leading this category by 56 per cent to 50per cent. But this is also the characteristic on which Mr Stanhope's most polarises the electorate: 31per cent of Canberrans think he is not capable, while 17per cent feel that way about Mr Seselja.
The seat in which Mr Seselja scores the lowest ''capable'' rating is his own, Molonglo, where 48per cent believe he fits the description although this may just be due to the lesser support his party attracts in this electorate.