Anthony Albanese has brushed off suggestions he should feel like a “fraud” accepting a global citizen award in New York as Labor grapples with its worst Newspoll result in more than a decade.

The Prime Minister was challenged at a UN press conference overnight after the poll showed Labor’s primary vote had fallen to 27 per cent, its lowest level since 2012.

“You will receive an award for being a global citizen. Don’t you feel like a bit of a fraud accepting this award when, at home, you screwed up the response to the worst massacre since Port Arthur?” The Nightly’s Latika M Bourke asked.

“In the polls, you are taking Labor to one point shy of Julia Gillard when you rolled her, and your net negatives are worse than Scott Morrison.”

Mr Albanese snapped back “no” before moving on to the next question.

The Newspoll was Labor’s worst result since April, 2012 — when Julia Gillard was prime minister before getting ousted by her party a year later.

This result is just one point above Labor’s lowest ever primary vote of 26 per cent in September 2011.

Mr Albanese’s own personal net approval slumped six points to a new low of -27. Despite the decline, he remained the preferred prime minister on 44 per cent, ahead of Pauline Hanson on 32 per cent and Angus Taylor on 24 per cent.

Cabinet minister Tanya Plibersek on Monday told Seven’s Sunrise that the results were “not great” but insisted Labor was focusing on issues that make “a real difference in people’s lives”.

“The polls are obviously not great, but we are not focused on the polling,” she told Sunrise.

“What we’re focused on is making a real difference in people’s lives, and we know that they’re doing it tough. Our whole focus is on relieving that pressure.”

The polling follows a troubled year for the PM marked by backlash to his contentious Federal Budget changes, criticism of his response to the Bondi Beach massacre and appearance on a controversial podcast.

His global citizen award is expected to be handed out in New York on Wednesday night local time by the Atlantic Council — a non-profit international think tank.

The accolade will honour his government’s work strengthening ties and security partnerships in the Pacific region, while acknowledging his the AUKUS pact.

The PM will be introduced by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape before he’s scheduled to deliver a speech about the challenges facing Australia.

Alongside world leaders, Mr Albanese could rub shoulders with celebrities — with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo and Canadian actor Keanu Reeves, famed for John Wick, also attending.

Mr Reeves will introduce fellow award winner Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali.

Despite his woes at home, Mr Albanese used his New York press conference to officially launch Australia’s campaign for a non-permanent, two-year seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2029 and 2030.

He insisted the gig on the body, which is one of six that is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, would give the Indo-Pacific middle power a stronger voice on decisions affecting the country and the region.

Under the slogan “we listen, we partner, we protect” the campaign is expected to focus on Australia’s support for Pacific nations, action on climate change, international law and the PM’s tech agenda on artificial intelligence, cyber threats and online safety.

“Australia’s voice on the council matters, so we can be a part of shaping some of the biggest issues we are facing the world and our nation over the next decade,” he said.

Australia belongs to the Western European and Others Group, or WEOG, and alongside Finland are so far the only candidates for the two upcoming vacant positions.

Australia can’t nominate itself and take a seat and must win the support of two-thirds of UN General Assembly members present and voting at the June 2028 election.

The PM said he expected support from Pacific countries and ASEAN neighbours, and talked up Australia’s ties with nations across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The Opposition called for transparency around the bid after the last diplomatic pitch had a multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded campaign.

Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume said while the Coalition supported broader international representation, which former Liberal foreign minister Julie Bishop had lobbied for, Australia needed to be responsible with the budget.

“The bid for a position on the UN Security Council was something that was started under Julie Bishop and the Coalition government. We’re pleased to see that the government has continued to pursue that,” she told News24.

“What we would call, though, for is transparency in that bid because let’s face it, this government doesn’t have a terrific record of how it uses taxpayer dollars.

“Certainly, we know that Chris Bowen’s failed bid for the COP has cost Australians an awful lot of money.”

Before travelling to New York for the leaders’ week, Mr Albanese had visited Apple’s headquarters in California to speak with Tim Cook about new child-safety features.

Mr Albanese had used last year’s UN General Assembly to tout his world-first under-16s social media ban and has pledged to use the 2026 forum to spruik his approach to AI and rollout of the Digital Duty of Care, which will offer an opt-out to algorithms.

The latest Newspoll was conducted between Monday and Thursday last week, when the government was locked in a migration policy battle with One Nation.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had announced Labor’s migration plan at the National Press Club on Thursday, with changes around student and working holiday visas.

The speech was seen as a response to One Nation’s harder line approach to immigration which had been announced just days earlier.

While Labor’s primary slumped in the poll, One Nation was the most popular party with 30 per cent of the primary vote. The Coalition remained at a steady low of 19 per cent.

It comes after One Nation claimed by-election wins in the Federal NSW seat of Farrer in May and State WA seat of Secret Harbour, and ahead of the Victorian State election in November, followed by the New South Wales poll in March next year.