Coalition extends lead in new Nielsen poll THE coalition appears to have extended its lead as the federal election campaign passes the halfway mark. The latest Fairfax-Nielsen poll, to be published on Saturday, shows Labor's primary vote has dropped two points in the past fortnight to 35. In contrast, the coalition's primary vote bumped up a point to 47 per cent. After preferences, this gives the coalition a 53 per cent to 47 per cent lead. The poll suggests the coalition is headed for a solid win on September 7, although the movements are within the margin of error.