Kevin Rudd may have already won the policy debate on health reform ahead of tomorrow’s leaders’ debate, with new polling revealing more than half of voters back the government’s hospital plan.

The weekly online survey of 1000-plus voters from Essential Research — now featured each Monday in Crikey — shows 58% of those surveyed support the plan for a federal takeover of hospital funding, with only 12% opposing the move. The result mirrors a question from February which found 58 percent of voters like the idea of a federal takeover of hospitals.

Support for the plan is highest among Labor voters (79%), but the plan still has majority support among people who align with the Coalition (46%).

Meanwhile, the government has maintained its 12-point gap in the two-party preferred stakes, with Labor support holding from last week’s survey at 56% compared to the Coalition’s 44%.

And there’s little indication Rudd has fallen out of favour. In a head-to-head contest most voters would still back Rudd (50%) over Tony Abbott (30%) — with Rudd’s result only one point down from a December 21 survey. But Abbott has improved his standing from December, with a 5% increase in the number of people who prefer the opposition leader and a 5% decrease in those who said they were yet to make up their mind.

Rudd would poll better than Julia Gillard in an election, according to the Essential Research panel, despite recent whispering over when and if the ambitious deputy would push for the top job. Gillard would win a contest against Abbott — 47% believe she would make a better prime minister compared to Abbott’s 37% — but it’s a slightly lower number than Rudd’s 50% approval.

Shadow treasurer and failed Liberal party leadership candidate Joe Hockey performs no better than Abbott, with just 27% preferring him as PM against Rudd (53%).