The federal government's standing with voters has dropped again, while Julia Gillard has lost her lead as preferred prime minister, a new poll shows.

Labor's primary vote stands at just 30 per cent, according to a Herald/Nielsen poll published in Fairfax newspapers.

It's a dip of 5 points since the last survey in December.

Support for the Coalition has risen 4 points, taking its primary vote to 47 per cent - its highest level since just after the carbon tax began in July 2012.

On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor's support is at 45 per cent, well behind the 55 per cent for the Coalition.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has also overtaken Julia Gillard in the preferred prime minister stakes, with his support leaping by 9 percentage points to 49 per cent compared with Ms Gillard on 45.

The national poll of 1400 voters found the gap between Ms Gillard and former prime minister Kevin Rudd has also grown, with Mr Rudd favoured by 61 per cent of respondents to just 35 per cent for her.

It comes as Mr Rudd rubbished suggestions on Sunday that he was planning another tilt at the ALP leadership.

He said there was no leadership stoush, reiterating that he and the Labor Party had full confidence in Ms Gillard's leadership.