Essential Research: bushfires, climate change and asylum seekers

A new poll finds respondents clearly of the view that not enough is being done to tackle climate change, but with opinion divided as to whether it appropriate to debate the matter in the context of the bushfire emergency.

The Essential Research poll series continues to chug along on its fortnightly schedule without offering anything on voting intention, with this week’s survey mainly relating to bushfires and climate change. Support for the proposition that Australia is not doing enough to address climate change have reached a new high of 60%, up nine since March, with “doing enough” down five to 22% and “doing too much” down three to 8%.

However, perceptions of climate change itself are little changed, with 61% attributing it to human activity (down one) and 28% opting for “a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate”. On the debate as to whether it was appropriate to raise links between climate change and bushfires, opinion was evenly divided – out of those who considered such a link likely, 43% felt raising the matter appropriate compared with 17% for inappropriate, while another 30% rated the link as unlikely.

A further question related to the issue of medical evacuations for asylum seekers, and here the situation is murkier due to the need to provide respondents with some sort of explanation of what the issue is about. As the Essential survey put it, the relevant legislation allows “doctors, not politicians, more say in determining the appropriate medical
treatment offered to people in offshore detention”. Put like that, 62% were opposed to the government’s move to repeal it, including 25% who believed the legislation didn’t go far enough. That left only 22% in favour of the pro-government proposition that “legislation will weaken our borders and result in boats arriving”.

The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1083.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,314 comments on “Essential Research: bushfires, climate change and asylum seekers”

Comments Page 18 of 27
1 17 18 19 27
  1. Cameron C. @ #846 Thursday, November 28th, 2019 – 8:10 pm

    It should be noted that Pauline Hanson didn’t vote against the anti-union bill through her own accord; she was eventually forced to do so by a combination of state electoral realities, and, more importantly, lobbying by the union movement (Solidarity forever!). As a small-business owner with dubious ethics at best, I just cannot imagine her adhering to workers’ rights on any moral or ethical basis.

    However, I find it deeply disappointing that Centre Alliance, who are considered by the lay public to be far more sensible, voted for the bill.

    Maybe it’s quite simple (Warning: some untested assumptions follow – but I think they’re pretty reasonable)

    Labor’s supporters are predominantly wage and salary earners (and benefit recipients)
    One Notion’s supporters are predominantly wage and salary earners (and benefit recipients)
    Jackie Lambie’s supporters are predominantly wage and salary earners (and benefit recipients)
    Greens supporters are predominantly inner city professionals (most of whom these days are salaried)

    Centre Alliance’s supporters are predominantly small business and traditional small c conservatives
    Liberal’s supporters are predominantly business and commerce oriented
    Nationals supporters are defined geographically more than anything.

    Back self interest every time.

  2. Torchbearer says:
    Thursday, November 28, 2019 at 8:47 pm
    When Gillard was in power, Abbott basically refused all pairs, including for conferences, international obligations, even for a very sick member at one stage.
    So stuff them. There is no ‘high ground’ in modern politics, it is a gutter fight to the death. And the ALP needs to get dirty.

    ___________________________________

    Dead right. The public don’t care for politicians who play by the old rules – that much has been proven by the tories winning three elections in a row.

    The coalition believe that anything is fair if it keeps Labor out of power. In fact, the rule of the Coalition since 2013 has been catastrophic for Australia on EVERY front and it is in the national interest to do everything to stop these bastards from inflicting their weird ideology any further on Australia. And by everything, that includes non-gentlemanly behaviour. Everything this bunch of bastards succeed in doing is not ever in the national interest.

  3. I don’t like agreeing with Nath about anything but I saw The Irishman on a big screen last night. Good but not great, a bit slow at both the beginning and end. Didn’t have Scorsese’s usual pacing. The main section, dealing with Frank and Hoffa was excellent though. I could see Hoffa in the Australian context being boss of a CFMEU that is militant but does deals with the Right.

  4. 3z

    So did Labor. Good on both of them. They provided the core strength in their unity that meant Hanson could make herself relevant by voting no.

  5. Angus Taylor didn’t want to go to the UN Climate Change conference next week because he wanted to make a positive contribution, he wanted to go to get away from the spotlight which is on him in federal parliament. So of course it was the right thing to do for Labor not to grant him a pair. I mean, this is a guy whose only contribution to the debate is to constantly speak about ‘energy security’ and ‘reliability of supply’ and who thinks the only answer to that is coal-fired power.

  6. Cat

    That is exactly the be tough on the LNP that Abbott did to Labor I was talking about and I for one am pleased Labor is denying the pair.

    Sauce goose gander.

    That’s fighting Tories

  7. Wow!

    The other more than mildly disturbing element of the week was Morrison’s preparedness to be sloppy and unrepentant about being sloppy in full public view, from the call to the police commissioner, to misleading the chamber on four separate occasions over the past couple of days – really quite brazen behaviour I haven’t seen in Canberra before.

    If Katharine Murphy hasn’t seen it before, that’s saying something.

  8. From my fleeting encounters with game theory, I seem to remember that the way to enforce better behaviour from you opponent is to hit back hard when they step out of line.

    Credible threats. Labor have moved beyond saying that they are going to play hardball (cheap talk), they are playing hardball.

  9. Dandy Murray @ #866 Thursday, November 28th, 2019 – 9:59 pm

    From my fleeting encounters with game theory, I seem to remember that the way to enforce better behaviour from you opponent is to hit back hard when they step out of line.

    Credible threats. Labor have moved beyond saying that they are going to play hardball (cheap talk), they are playing hardball.

    The coalition plays hard ball. Labor plays nerf ball 🙁

  10. No worries poroti. It is a remarkable speech.

    I will continue searching for tracks of his radio show. I reckon I know where to find them.


  11. guytaur says:
    Thursday, November 28, 2019 at 9:05 pm
    Cat
    Now is not the time for Green v Labor.

    A agree, it was a good day; leave it at that.

  12. In SA, Centre Alliance and the unions are always at loggerheads on anything to do with unions. As someone said, their supporters are mainly middle class workers who aren’t in a union.

  13. Pegasussays:
    Thursday, November 28, 2019 at 8:38 pm
    “In SA

    SA National Party facing deregistration unless it can prove it has 200 members by Friday
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-28/barnaby-joyce-calls-on-more-people-to-join-sa-national-party/11747548

    …four other parties had already been deregistered by the commission.

    They were the Dignity Party, the Liberal Democrats, Stop Population Growth Now and the Danig Party of Australia.”

    The Nationals in SA have been virtually invisible since Karlene Maywald supported the Rann Labor government about 10 years ago. I don’t recall them running in either the latest state or federal elections.

    A pity that Dignity got deregistered tho’.

  14. Player One @ #864 Thursday, November 28th, 2019 – 9:54 pm

    C@tmomma @ #860 Thursday, November 28th, 2019 – 9:46 pm

    Angus Taylor … who thinks the only answer to that is coal-fired power.

    Well, he’s hardly all by himself in that one, judging by the pro-coal Labor lobby here on PB … 🙁

    And what sort of coal are you specifically talking about, P1?

    Because I’ll proudly put my hand up to support Metallurgical Coal, until such time as it’s no longer needed and the plants are built to use alternative fuels.

    Have you got a problem with that? Because, if you have, then that’s just dumb.

  15. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    How Hanson deflated the cock government and its union -busting bill.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/government-s-union-busting-bill-defeated-in-the-senate-20191128-p53ezo.html
    David Crowe reckons this crossbench defeat suggests trouble for Scott Morrison on other fronts.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/crossbench-defeat-suggests-trouble-for-scott-morrison-on-other-fronts-20191128-p53f7o.html
    Phil Coorey describes the week just gone as Morrison’s worst since the election. He concludes by saying Morrison’s still prone to making errors and Cormann’s magic touch ain’t what it used to be.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/morrison-s-worst-week-since-the-election-20191127-p53er6
    Katharine Murphy agrees, saying that Morrison has no one to blame but himself. She really goes for the jugular here!
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/28/the-doofus-roll-call-scott-morrisons-worst-week-as-prime-minister
    Michelle Grattan also. She really dismantles the horror week.
    https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-own-goals-and-defeat-of-union-legislation-give-scott-morrison-a-horror-week-128018
    Sam Maiden joins in with the unanimous excoriation.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/11/28/pauline-hanson-pm-horror-week/
    Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has described France’s push to force Australia to adopt climate change targets in a planned trade deal with European Union as “unprecedented”. Birmo, this is just the beginning!
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-to-fight-europe-on-climate-demands-in-free-trade-deal-20191128-p53f3y.html
    Michael Pascoe tells us how, by the day, Josh Frydenberg’s crystal ball is turning darker.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2019/11/28/michael-pascoe-frydenberg-economy/
    Labor is playing hardball on Taylor, refusing to provide a pair to allow him to attend an energy summit.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-steps-up-attack-on-angus-taylor-refuses-a-pair-to-attend-energy-summit-20191128-p53f6f.html
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/28/labor-rebuffs-angus-taylors-request-for-parliamentary-cover-to-attend-un-climate-talks
    Stephen Bartholomeusz tells us why the Reserve Bank doesn’t want to do the unconventional.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/why-the-reserve-bank-doesn-t-want-to-do-the-unconventional-20191128-p53exc.html
    Paul Karp reveals that he Morrison government, through the agency of the horrible Michaelia Cash, appointed the former Liberal staffer Adam Boyton to the $500,000-a-year job of interim national skills commissioner through a limited tender.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/29/coalition-defends-giving-former-liberal-staffer-500000-job-through-limited-tender
    After the court ruling discrediting Robodebt Jenn Price says that it’s time for quiet Australians to ask for their money back. Loudly.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/quiet-australians-it-s-time-to-ask-centrelink-for-your-money-back-loudly-20191128-p53f1i.html
    On Robodebt the SMH editorial is scathing. It says that the government’s tactics were rather like the scams exposed during the Hayne royal commission into the financial sector.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/robo-debt-denies-legal-rights-of-poorer-australians-20191128-p53f5c.html
    And Judith Ireland reports that the Morrison government’s Robodebt bill could run to hundreds of millions of dollars, as it faces calls to provide welfare recipients with more information about how it will review old debt recovery decisions which relied on invalid methods.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/government-s-robo-debt-bill-could-run-to-hundreds-of-millions-after-landmark-case-20191128-p53ewl.html
    Paul Karp explains what the decision means for targeted welfare recipients. And the budget!
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/28/robodebt-the-federal-court-ruling-and-what-it-means-for-targeted-welfare-recipients
    Law professor Terry Carney examines what the government’s next stops will (or should) be.
    https://theconversation.com/robodebt-failed-its-day-in-court-what-now-127984
    The AFR details how Westpac became ground zero for compliance breaches. It’s a shambles!
    https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/how-westpac-became-ground-zero-for-compliance-breaches-20191128-p53f00
    Enjoy the big market gains now — they are essentially presaging a gloomy, even if not disastrous, economic decade to come writes Neil Irwin.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/your-portfolio-is-doing-great-that-s-bad-news-for-the-future-20191128-p53ete.html
    Elizabeth Knight says it’s rare to see investors trading in such an uninformed market. So large is the information vacuum that subscribing to take stock in Westpac’s current share purchase plan is tantamount to a crapshoot.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/westpac-investors-in-an-information-vacuum-as-bank-looks-to-raise-500m-20191128-p53f3l.html
    Despite claiming to be working on solutions to the koala populations devastated by bushfires, Sue Arnold reveals that our Government isn’t doing enough.
    https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/sussan-ley-workshop-reveals-ignorance-towards-bushfire-koala-crisis,13353
    A week after approval of its takeover of Bellamy’s, China Mengniu picks up a bundle of Australia’s best-known dairy brands … and some criticism as part of the bargain. Marcus Reubenstein reports.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/bellamys-1-43-billion-price-tag-doesnt-equal-an-australian-icon/
    The fired US Navy secretary has launched a scathing criticism of Trump.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/shocking-fired-navy-secretary-launches-scathing-criticism-of-trump-20191129-p53f8w.html

    Cartoon Corner

    What a Thanksgiving cracker from Davis Rowe!

    And he gives Porter’s premature hubris a run.

    Cathy Wilcox turns the tables.

    Jim Pavlidis is on the mark here.

    Matt Golding sees Hartzer off.

    Mark David and a floundering Morrison.

    Zanetti puts the boot into Folau.

    From the US



  16. Paul Barratt @phbarratt
    1h

    Morrison is about to discover a very special tipping point all of his own.

    Once people begin to wake up to the fact that he is a charlatan, everything he does will in their eyes confirm that judgement. They can’t unsee that lightbulb moment.

  17. lizzie @ #878 Friday, November 29th, 2019 – 6:23 am

    Paul Barratt @phbarratt
    1h

    Morrison is about to discover a very special tipping point all of his own.

    Once people begin to wake up to the fact that he is a charlatan, everything he does will in their eyes confirm that judgement. They can’t unsee that lightbulb moment.

    Yes, it’s like the moment people discovered that Tony Abbott was a zealous wingnut and Malcolm Turnbull was a waffler with no real ideas over and above flim flam. Everyone will start to see Scott Morrison’s actions through the prism of political calculation.

  18. Honestly,

    I don’t believe that the ‘Quiet Australians’ who ensured the Morrison government got re-elected, will turn against the government. Unless an economic catastrophe happens, resulting in a lot of these ‘Quiet Australians’ losing their jobs and homes.

    Even then, who knows what this government is capable of, in response to such an economic catastrophe.

  19. https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/sussan-ley-workshop-reveals-ignorance-towards-bushfire-koala-crisis,13353

    The major issues which need to be dealt with have been ignored. No moratorium on deforestation, mining projects or massive urbanisation development projects relevant to NSW and Queensland. No effort to address climate change impacts and the urgent need for protected refuge areas. No plans to deal with ongoing drought impacts.

    Most of the information considered by the workshop is already available.

    Welcome to the secret governments, where decisions are made by un-named bureaucrats at meetings convened by un-named entities.

    Australians have opened their pockets donating millions of dollars to wildlife hospitals and shelters in response to the catastrophic bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland.

    Unfortunately, it’s also been a perfect time for fraudulent money-raising schemes, taking full advantage of pitiful photos of burned koalas on social media. Thousands and thousands of dollars have been taken by these operators, a direct result of people failing to check the legitimacy of the fundraiser.

    Some shelters have reported that the money-grubbing lot have bought up medical supplies from wholesalers and are selling them back to shelters at a profit.

    Stephen Taggart, President of the NSW Beekeepers Association, told IA that beekeepers who went into the forests after the bushfires to check on hives were horrified by the sounds of animals moaning and screaming, especially at night.

    A quick check of Labor Party Shadow Minister for the Environment Terri Butler MP’s website revealed a brief press release on the bushfires saying:

    Recent bushfires across New South Wales and Queensland are seeing native wildlife being displaced at a concerning rate.

    …Terri Butler said the growing number of displaced animals, like koalas and sugar gliders, is putting increased pressure on local wildlife hospitals.

    That sums up Labor’s environmental concerns.

  20. Do these journos now believe that corruption is normal and unions are the worst? Seems so. Who taught them this? NewsCorp?

    @Scott_A_Moody
    12h
    The quality of Australian “journalism” on show now with the PHON presser. A “journalist” just asked if Hanson was “offered anything by Australian unions”?

  21. Tristo
    No one knows what this government is capable of, good or bad, desperate or cocky nor panic stricken.
    All we know is they don’t govern for all Australians and will protect the wealthy.
    The problem for the voters is how to react when it all goes to muck.

  22. Tristo,
    Tony Abbott was elected with the great goodwill of the people. He was gone before he had served one full term. Malcolm Turnbull was elected with the great goodwill of the people. He went out the back door as well.

    You can’t just see things in such black and white terms. Scott Morrison isn’t politically invincible and people can change their minds easily, given plain as day evidence before their eyes.

  23. Morning all

    Much thanks BK for latest news. Surprised re the union bill not passing.

    Currently have a serious health situation with my father, so have been playing catch up with the news. Such is life.

  24. Cat

    Yes. Especially when we know that Labor won the politically engaged. The unengaged voters the LNP won with are not rusted ons and are very prone to changing their minds.

    Its not invincible at all and all Labor had to do was stand on principle and watch the right destroy itself.

    A state of affairs I knew was possible. I hope Labor does it more often.

    Good Morning 🙂

  25. Morning all. Thanks BK. On the appointment of the ex Liberal staffer as skills commissioner, the nepotism implied by doshing out a $500k position in this manner seems par for the course after the AAT stacking. It obscures a second major problem: this Liberal appointee is completely unqualified for the role.

    “He has an impressive CV, with his most recent role being chief economist at the Business Council of Australia and was previously the Australian chief economist at Deutsche Bank.”

    Boynton’s “impressive cv” has nothing to do with skills training or education. Any number of PhD experts in this field could have been tapped for this role, to rebuild a sector that has been destroyed by previous policy errors. Yet no, they will put a mate in charge who has never worked in it.

  26. Socrates

    Labor and the Greens can describe the process very easily. Trumpian.

    Thats exactly what Trump has been doing. Corruption 101 mates before merit.

  27. @Goll

    If a severe recession or even economic depression happens in Australia. I can certainly see the Morrison government ramping up the authoritarianism, to the extent if say massive anti-government protests occur, then the Army could be sent into the streets in order to ‘deal’ with the protesters.

    @Cat

    Scott Morrison, in my opinion, despite he is awful at actual governance, is one of the most Machiavellian political operators, since John Howard. Although, I argue Morrison is even better at that than Howard ever was.

    The ability to turn what was supposed to be a massive defeat for the government, into one where the government actually gained seats is a testament to Morrison’s political skills. Therefore; it is a mistake that Labor was defeated by a ‘Muppet show’ as Mark Butler argues. Rather a lot of people were blind-sighted that Morrison was capable of being that skillful.

    There is also the fact both Morrison and Dutton have been building a police state for the last several years. Indeed, Morrison I believe is a much bigger danger to Australian democracy, than Donald Trump for American Democracy. Because in the right circumstances, Morrison can turn this country into an ‘illiberal democracy’ like Hungary is under Viktor Orban.

    I predict the Morrison government will be chucked out of power, by 2025 at the latest. However it might well be through a political revolution, rather than through the ballot box.

  28. Tristo

    I agree with your assessment but I hope that you are wrong on how far down the police state Morrison and company are willing to take Australia.

    I am not alone in agreeing with you.

    Scott Morrison’s improper intervention in the NSW Police investigation of the growing Angus Taylor scandal is yet another example of the police state that has been created in this country, by this government.
    Overstatement? This week alone has served up plenty of evidence. On Tuesday, the Federal Court confirmed that police raids on the Australian Workers Union in 2017 were unlawful. The raids had been carried out at the request of the government’s bespoke anti-union body, the Registered Organisations Commission, in an investigation initiated by Michaelia Cash with the help of News Corp, targeting Bill Shorten.

    https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/11/28/morrison-coalition-police-state/

  29. Guytaur

    Yes I agree the appointment is Trumpian in terms of the corruption. My point though was that it also shows the Liberals have no intention of fixing skills training. It will remain a basket case full of scams to get government funds that should be going to Tafes. And so our building industry, among others, will continue to be full of unskilled nongs who do not even know what a safe work practice is, let alone the difference between a flammable or fireproof panel.

  30. @lizzie

    What Morrison and Dutton have achieved, Donald Trump can only dream of. Also unlike Trump, the government has a fairly compliant media (apart from The Guardian).

    My American friends are shocked by how far advanced, authoritarianism has become normalized in the Australian political system.

  31. The court established that the AWU raid was unlawful, therefore our legal system works.
    Police state we are not. Hyperbolic much

  32. Have a good day all. I wonder what dystopian announcement Lord Morrison has in store for us on one of the last Canberra working Fridays before the break. On past form he will have some shockers to quietly put up on a website around 4.45pm.

  33. Victoria

    There are some things, such as arresting protesters, which seem to be allowed within the current rules. Even if they are later released without charge, it is a way of quelling protest.

    I’m sorry your father has health problems. 🙂

  34. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has described France’s push to force Australia to adopt climate change targets in a planned trade deal with European Union as “unprecedented”. Birmo, this is just the beginning!

    Birmo, you effing bullshit artiste.That the EU would one day take trade/tariff action on ‘carbon’ slack arses has been a given since at least the days of the CPRS

Comments Page 18 of 27
1 17 18 19 27

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *