Simon Benson From: The Daily Telegraph

This survey was conducted by Galaxy Research on the evenings of 27-28 September 2011. The results are based on the opinions of 500 voters. The data has been weighted and projected to reflect the population of Australia Source: The Daily Telegraph

Source: The Daily Telegraph

She seems impressed ... Kevin Rudd reads to children in Queensland / Pic: Jodie Richter Source: The Daily Telegraph

KEVIN Rudd appears to be the only hope left to restore the federal government's fortunes, with almost one in five people saying they would be more likely to vote Labor if he was leader rather than Julia Gillard.

As speculation continues to engulf the PM's hold on the leadership, an exclusive Galaxy Poll for The Daily Telegraph revealed 60 per cent of voters would prefer Mr Rudd to lead Labor, compared to 26 per cent support for Ms Gillard.

And in terms of winning an election, 68 per cent claimed he was Labor's best chance, with only 22 per cent backing Ms Gillard. The poll comes ahead of the expected announcement today by Treasurer Wayne Swan of a $2 billion revenue hit to the budget bottom line, putting the promise to return to surplus further in doubt.

The polls point to a shift in votes back to Labor if Mr Rudd regained the leadership. A return to Mr Rudd - who has recovered from recent heart surgery, during which he underwent a second aortic valve replacement - would set a precedent in government.

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John Howard was nicknamed "Lazarus with a triple bypass" after losing and regaining the Liberal leadership twice.

But he did it in opposition before going on to become prime minister.

But to restore faith with the community if he were to ever challenge, Mr Rudd would have to drop the Malaysia plan for asylum seekers, with almost 90 per cent of all Australians now opposed to it.

In a sign that the mood for change is hardening most within Labor's own support base, 64 per cent of Labor voters now concede that the former PM gave the party more hope than Ms Gillard, on 32 per cent.

The poll of 500 people, conducted nationally over Tuesday and Wednesday nights, revealed 28 per cent of voters said they would be more likely to support Labor under Mr Rudd compared to only 10 per cent saying they would be less likely.

With Labor's brand now severely damaged, however, 60 per cent of respondents said a change of leadership would not shift their vote.

The poll results come only a year after the election of the minority Gillard government and suggest that, despite being dumped as leader by his colleagues, voters might be prepared to give Mr Rudd a second chance. Even among Labor supporters, whose preference for Mr Rudd over Ms Gillard was only 57 per cent to 41 per cent, there was a resignation that he was the best chance to drag the government out of its poll slump and restore it to a winnable position.

But Mr Rudd would also have to commit to fixing some of the gov, ernment's policy disasters with little support in the community for the Malaysia people-swap deal for asylum seekers.

A crushing majority of Australians have rejected Ms Gillard's pursuit of the policy, with only 14 per cent of people polled claiming to support it.

Only 19 per cent of Labor voters supported it and only 10 per cent of coalition voters.

Almost half of those people surveyed preferred any other overseas processing solution, including Nauru, to processing in Australia.

As Ms Gillard celebrated her 50th birthday yesterday, there were few good tidings from Australian voters, according to Galaxy Research CEO David Briggs.

"Kevin Rudd is considered the best choice to lead the federal Labor Party by a wide margin," he said.

"Such is the popularity of Kevin Rudd that there is consensus between Labor and Coalition supporters, with both of the opinion he is now the best choice to lead the federal Labor Party."

In what might also come as a shock for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, coalition voters' support for Mr Rudd was overwhelming - with 75 per cent of them agreeing that he gave Labor the best chance of a victory.

Exclusive poll - Kevin Rudd could resurect the Labor vote | Perth Now