Kevin Rudd has a two-to-one lead as preferred Labor leader over Prime Minister Julia Gillard, according to a new poll.

The latest Fairfax-Nielsen poll shows the coalition leading Labor by 59 to 41 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, worse than polling when Mr Rudd was overthrown as leader a year ago.

The poll, published in Fairfax newspapers on Saturday, also had Opposition Leader Tony Abbott tying with Ms Gillard for the first time as preferred prime minister, with both on 46 per cent.

Ms Gillard's approval rating has dropped by six percentage points to 37 per cent, her lowest level since becoming prime minister.

The poll, taken ahead of Ms Gillard's first anniversary as prime minister, has 60 per cent of voters backing Mr Rudd as preferred Labor leader over 31 per cent for Ms Gillard.

Mr Rudd has fuelled leadership speculation only days out from the anniversary of his dumping as prime minister, but insists Ms Gillard will take Labor to the next election.

In one of a series of interviews ahead of the anniversary, Ms Gillard indicated it was Mr Rudd's political paralysis, rather than poor opinion polls, that led to her toppling him as leader.

"We had lost a sense of purpose and plan for the future," she told News Ltd.

"We didn't have a clear plan as to how we were going to deal with a set of difficult questions or a clear plan generally about where the government was driving towards.

"What I've done as prime minister is inject that sense of clarity of purpose."

Rudd leads Gillard as preferred ALP leader