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Polls taking their toll, Prime Minister? Malcolm Turnbull poses for smiling selfies despite Coalition falling behind Labor for the first time since he took over - but do these photos tell the real story?

Malcolm Turnbull posed for smiling selfies on the streets of Sydney
It comes after the latest polls revealed horror number for the Prime Minister
Labor holds a narrow 51-49 two-party preferred lead in the latest Newspoll
Mr Turnbull's preferred prime minister and approval rates also decreased
The poll is the first time Mr Turnbull has trailed since ousting Tony Abbott

By Daniel Peters and Liam Quinn For Daily Mail Australia and Aap

Published: 03:15 GMT, 5 April 2016 | Updated: 04:13 GMT, 5 April 2016

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull cheerfully posed for selfies on the street on Tuesday - despite his government falling behind in the polls for the first time since he took over from Tony Abbott last year.

Mr Turnbull and Senator Michaelia Cash enjoyed coffee at a trendy cafe near Sydney's Barangaroo before fronting media to talk about the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Smiles aside, Mr Turnbull was hesitant to field questions from media quizzing the latest disastrous Newspoll results - showing Labor leading the Coalition by 51-49 per cent.

'I will leave the commentary on matters like that to the commentators,' he told reporters.

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull cheerfully stopped to pose for smiling selfies in Sydney on Tuesday

Mr Turnbull put on a brave face, despite his government falling behind in the polls for the first time since he took over from Tony Abbott last year

Why so serious? Mr Turnbull and Senator Michaelia Cash enjoyed coffee at a trendy cafe near Sydney's Barangaroo before fronting media

Mr Turnbull cited the the loss of 30 Newspolls in a row as a reason for seeking the Liberal leadership back in September.

But these days he's not really into offering an opinion.

'(Commentary) is a line of work I used to do in my youth but am not doing it any longer.'

The commentary was left to his cabinet ministers who blamed last week's debate about income tax sharing with the states for the loss of voter support.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash insisted the government was dealing with difficult issues and sometimes things get 'a little bit messy'.

Innovation Minister Christopher Pyne said the poll was a reflection of the government's 'messy week', but stressed Mr Turnbull remained preferred prime minister, leading Labor leader Bill Shorten 48-27 per cent.

Mr Turnbull remains the preferred prime minister, leading Labor Leader Bill Shorten 48-27 per cent

'(Commentary) is a line of work I used to do in my youth but am not doing it any longer': Mr Turnbull was hesitant to field questions about the latest polls

Mr Turnbull and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash were at Barangaroo to talk about the Australian Building and Construction Commission

The opposition jumped on the poll saying it had a chance at winning an election that could be held as early as July 2.

'The honeymoon that Malcolm Turnbull first enjoyed when he became leader was never going to last,' Labor senator Sam Dastyari told ABC TV.

While Mr Turnbull may be a more articulate and charismatic person than Mr Abbott, voters would make decisions on policies, he said.

A separate Roy Morgan poll has the coalition increasing its support and now leading Labor on a two-party preferred basis by three points to 52.5 per cent.

Mr Turnbull has seen his preferred prime minister lead over Mr Shorten fall by 10 points, at the same time as his disapproval rate increased to 48 per cent

Labor and Bill Shorten (pictured) has pulled ahead of the Coalition, leading 51 per cent to 49 per cent in two-party preferred figures

Mr Shorten's (pictured) approval rate increased four points to 32, a new poll has found

The Coalition's primary vote also took a hit in the latest poll, falling to 41 per cent. Labor's count jumped two points to 36 per cent, while the Greens fell one point to 11 per cent.

The poll was taken from Thursday to Sunday after Mr Turnbull floated the idea of giving states some income tax-raising powers, and amid perceived tensions between him and Treasurer Scott Morrison.

The poll capped off a potentially troubling day for Mr Turnbull, after Kevin Andrews - a known supporter of Mr Abbott - said he was 'prepared' to challenge for the party leadership if the right set of circumstances presented themselves.

However, it wasn't all bad news for the Prime Minister, with the latest Roy Morgan poll - also released on Monday - offering a more positive outlook.

It shows the Coalition had regained the two-party preferred lead over Labor after gaining three points to sit at 52.5 per cent.

Malcolm Turnbull's Government fell behind Labor in the polls for the first time since Tony Abbott (left) was ousted, and just hours after Kevin Andrews (right) said he was 'prepared' to challenge for the leadership