The Labor Party’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek has edged ahead of her boss Bill Shorten in the popularity stakes for the first time.

Ms Plibersek has been rated by 23 per cent of voters as preferred Labor leader in a major opinion poll, two points ahead of Mr Shorten and 10 points ahead of Anthony Albanese.

Labor voters favoured Ms Plibersek 30 per cent to Mr Shorten’s 26 per cent, the latest Morgan poll found.

• Julie Bishop’s tough words for Indonesia president
• ‘I don’t regret a thing’: Putin
• Experts predicted Nepal quake

The poll result was reported while Ms Plibersek acted as opposition leader during Mr Shorten’s absence overseas for Anzac Day.

The deputy has used her brief stint as leader to push for same sex marriage.

Labor members should be forced to vote for gay marriage, Ms Plibersek told ABC Radio on Monday.

“It’s important for the Labor Party to say we don’t agree with legal discrimination,” the shadow minister told ABC Radio on Monday.

In the same poll, voters preferred Malcolm Turnbull (38 per cent) over Prime Minister Tony Abbott (12 per cent) and deputy leader Julie Bishop (27 per cent) as Liberal Party leader.

It was the lowest level of support for Mr Abbott in the Morgan poll since he took the leadership of the Liberals in December 2009.

—with AAP.