Essential Research and Morgan: coronavirus, superannuation and trust in business leaders

Generally favourable reaction to the government’s handling of coronavirus, a big thumbs up to access to superannuation, and yah boo sucks to Murdoch, Palmer, Rinehart and Harvey.

The fortnightly Essential Research poll focuses, naturally enough, on coronavirus, with 45% rating the federal government’s response good or very good, and 29% poor or very poor. According to The Guardian’s report, it would seem the latter tend to be those most worried about the virus, as measured by a question on whether respondents felt the situation was being overblown, with which “one third” agreed while 28% thought the opposite.

Over the course of three fortnightly polls, the proportion rating themselves very concerned has escalated from 25% to 27% to 39%, while the results for quite concerned have gone from 43% to 36% and back again. The Guardian’s report does not relate the latest results for “not that concerned” and “not at all concerned”, which were actually up in the last poll, from 26% to 28% and 6% to 9% respectively. Further questions relate to trust in various sources of information, notably the government and the media, but we will have to wait for the publication of the full report later today to get a clear handle on them. Suffice to say that Essential still has nothing to tell us on voting intention.

In other findings, 49% said they wanted the opposition to fall in behind the government’s decisions while 33% preferred that it review and challenge them, and 42% now consider themselves likely to catch the virus, up from 31% on a fortnight ago. Seventy-two per cent reported washing their hands more often, 60% said they were avoiding social gatherings, and 33% reported stocking up on groceries.

We also have a Roy Morgan SMS survey of 723 respondents, which was both conducted and published yesterday, showing 79% support for the government’s decision to allow those in financial difficulty to access $20,000 of their superannuation. As noted in the previous post, an earlier such poll of 974 respondents from Wednesday and Thursday recorded levels of trust in various Australian politicians (plus Jacinda Ardern, who fared best of all); a further set of results from the same poll finds Dick Smith, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Andrew Forrest and Alan Joyce rating best out of designated list of business leaders, with Rupert Murdoch, Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart and Gerry Harvey performed worst. We are yet to receive hard numbers from either set of questions, but they are apparently forthcoming.

UPDATE: Full report from Essential Research here.

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.

5,145 comments on “Essential Research and Morgan: coronavirus, superannuation and trust in business leaders”

Comments Page 4 of 103
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  1. ‘Barney in Tanjung Bunga says:
    Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at 11:15 am

    lizzie @ #146 Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 8:11 am

    Ruston is saying “Just ring Centrelink and we’ll believe what you say.”’

    That is, until this is over and then we will revert to our mean. We will fuck you over once, twice and every single time.

  3. Internet explodes after Trump suggests reopening the economy: ‘He’s gonna kill a bunch of people’

    At his press conference on Monday, President Donald Trump suggested that everyone should go back to work quickly despite the continued spread of the novel coronavirus, saying “America will again, and soon, be open for business. Very soon.”

    His words triggered a furious response from commenters on social media.

    – “I need to risk your health to juice the stock market to win an election.”
    – And while the carnie barker talks his nonsense my HV staff 200+ nationwide are working without resources to protect themselves and patients. hows that for leadership?
    – This is not the time to toot your own horn. He is definitely not the right person to calm this raging storm.

    https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/internet-explodes-after-trump-suggests-reopening-the-economy-hes-gonna-kill-a-bunch-of-people/

  5. @samanthamaiden
    ·
    48s
    REALITY TV IDEA

    Every MP and minister should be forced this year to apply for welfare without a home computer

    Should sort them out at how frustrating and distressing it is

  7. Supermarket giant Coles has announced it is extending its dedicated “community” hour for the elderly and disabled to emergency service workers.

    Starting Thursday, from 7am the first hour of trade on Tuesdays and Thursdays will now be available to emergency services and healthcare workers who hold an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) card, have a workplace ID or are wearing their work uniform.

    That means doctors, nurses, paramedics, hospital and ambulance staff, police and firefighters can all access the exclusive shopping hour.

  8. Confessions:

    Our local Over 50s association has cancelled all its activities and social programs. Apart from the viability of the associaiton when this is all over, I’d imagine there are lots of older people who relied on the Over 50s for their social get togethers who now have nothing to keep them connected with others. How will they fare being socially isolated for months?

    I would suggest that the association would be in a great position to organise some online catchups, over a technology like Google Hangouts or Zoom. Lots of businesses under working-from-home conditions have moved Friday team drinks to video chat to maintain that human connection.

  10. Centrelink clarifications

    Partner earning threshold:

    Currently, if your partner earns more than $48,000 you will NOT be eligible for the coronavirus payments.

    The government is working to change that threshold to $75,000 but that change has not come in as yet.

    Getting a CRN:

    You DO NOT have to go into Centrelink. You DO have to get one over the phone and there are very, very long wait times. But you DO NOT have to physically attend a Centrelink office.

    Identity can be verified OVER THE PHONE. You DO NOT have to attend a Centrelink office to do that.

    Students:

    If you receive youth allowance, as a student or apprentice, you will receive the supplement after an amendment to the bill last night.

    Skilled visa holders:

    The government is working on what you can be eligible for, but at the moment, nothing has changed there.

    Already receiving Centrelink payments:

    You DO NOT have to do anything. It should be applied automatically.

  11. ” Every MP and minister should be forced this year to apply for welfare without a home computer”

    And without Parliamentary salary and benefits and without access to their assets or other income beyond maybe a small savings account ~ couple of hundred dollars.

  13. Karen Middleton
    @KarenMMiddleton
    ·
    4m
    Minister, have you actually changed the website so it no longer requires you to attend with proof of identity to complete the registration process? Bc otherwise you’re just shifting the queue from street to website & then to phone, likely with frustrating hours spent on each.

  14. I was just having a walk around in the gentle rain outside and I looked up to the trees and the sky and I thought to myself…I’m going to be one of those people who the history books look back on and say that, in 2020 in Australia people suffered through both a massive Global Heating-induced Bushfire catastrophe AND a Global Pandemic called COVID-19.

    Who knew, huh?

  17. I’m going to be one of those people who the history books look back on and say that, in 2020 in Australia people suffered through both a massive Global Heating-induced Bushfire catastrophe AND a Global Pandemic called COVID-19.

    And an economic depression.

  19. Zoidlord @ #163 Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 11:39 am

    Virus not from a lab:
    https://www-livescience-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.livescience.com/amp/coronavirus-not-human-made-in-lab.html

    So those who are racists please apologise.

    Zoidlord, we already knew the virus wasn’t made in a Chinese lab. What we DO know is the COVID-19 virus transmutated from an animal in a wet market in China, be it a bat, a snake, or a pangolin, and jumped across to humans. In China!

    Nothing racist about that. They’re just the facts.

    And if the Chinese didn’t like eating wild animals so much maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today. Just sayin’.

  20. Zoidlord

    Virus not from a lab:………….So those who are racists please apologise.

    The Chinese ones who blamed the US army ? Weibo would be a better place to post 😉

  21. a r @ #168 Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 11:43 am

    I’m going to be one of those people who the history books look back on and say that, in 2020 in Australia people suffered through both a massive Global Heating-induced Bushfire catastrophe AND a Global Pandemic called COVID-19.

    And an economic depression.

    Yeah, I forgot that. Maybe even the breakdown of Globalisation!?!

    We live in interesting times. 🙂

  23. Dandy Murray @ #166 Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 11:41 am

    TPOF et al.

    My speechie wife reckons Trump’s elocution is a sign he wears dentures.

    We already knew he was a total fake. 😉

    Though I would be interested to know if she thought Trump may have screw in implants instead. That’s what the rich get instead of dentures these days.

  26. For anyone who argues that the whole Corona Virus / Covid-19 was not a predictable event and that governments are doing as best as can be expected. Feel free to drop this in their lap.

    Dr Karl tweeted this (apologies if it’s already been posted).
    My understanding is that the reason why Singapore is doing so well is because they read this report and put in place a plan based on the recommendations.

  27. GoldenSmaug @ #106 Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 7:05 am

    Joanne Ryan MP
    @JoanneRyanLalor
    ·
    8m
    Centrelink have just confirmed to my office that you can only get a CRN (required to complete support application on myGov) either face to face or by phone. If
    @stuartrobertmp
    knew anything about the system!!! #COVID19Aus #auspol2020

    Yes, can’t use MyGov, so it’s either hours on the phone just to be disconnected or hours mingling with people.

    I just logged onto mygov. Checked the links to the ATO and Medicare. Both worked fine. I’ve got no idea what would happen if I had Centrelink linked on there and that’s probably what’s causing the delays and/or outages for others. Accessing the mygov portal though, no probs, no delays.

  29. C@tmomma @ #170 Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 8:45 am

    Zoidlord @ #163 Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 11:39 am

    Virus not from a lab:
    https://www-livescience-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.livescience.com/amp/coronavirus-not-human-made-in-lab.html

    So those who are racists please apologise.

    Zoidlord, we already knew the virus wasn’t made in a Chinese lab. What we DO know is the COVID-19 virus transmutated from an animal in a wet market in China, be it a bat, a snake, or a pangolin, and jumped across to humans. In China!

    Nothing racist about that. They’re just the facts.

    And if the Chinese didn’t like eating wild animals so much maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today. Just sayin’.

    Swine flu -pigs.
    Bird flu – chickens.

    Stop placing your cultural norms on others.

  30. To summarise Morrison’s pronouncements, it’s fair to say that:
    Morrison will bend his knees to pray for the economy while the Australian people are prey of the economy.

  31. ” Yeah, I forgot that. Maybe even the breakdown of Globalisation!?!”

    The re-emergence of Keynesian economics and the defeat of neoliberalism? Probably too much to hope for.

  32. BB
    “Diog, you seem to have gone a bit bolshie over the last few days.”
    Since I got a few emails from colleagues in Lombardy, I have developed a visceral loathing for doctors who will put their careers ahead of thousands of lives. I expect stupidity, laziness and lying from Morrison but it’s not acceptable from doctors. Shameful.

  33. C@t

    “Nothing racist about that. They’re just the facts.

    And if the Chinese didn’t like eating wild animals so much maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today. Just sayin’.”

    No, this IS racist…
    Just because you don’t understand you’re being racist doesn’t stop you being racist.

  34. GoldenSmaug,
    It has been calculated by Climate Scientists and others, probably for decades, that as a result of Global Heating, the increased population of the world, the destruction of the natural environment, and broad scale agriculture and depletion of natural resources, that the microbes that the web of life managed to keep in sensitive balance, would be catastrophically disturbed.

    And so here we are.

  35. A simple, progressive, regularly updated graphic that correlates the “Infections” curve against the “ICU capacity of our hospitals” curve, together with a projected date at which we become “just another Italy” (with text msg alerts as it changed significantly) would be a compelling front page for this app, followed then by localized user-defined “Areas of Interest” pages and maps.

    I’ve had similar thoughts. (without the graphic)

    Last night on the 7:30 report, and for the first time, I think I saw a graph showing Australia’s ceiling to be 45,000, the point above which our health system won’t cope. (But I’m not sure if I remember right.) So I thought to project the current curve (stubbornly exponential) to the date at which we reach 45,000. Hopefully that point in time will recede from us.

    Right now I get: 2020-04-07 2:06 AM (just under 14 days)

    ** It’s only an indicator. **

  36. I’ll say again

    If you are grouping an entire race/group/people into a clump and blaming them for the actions of some people, then you are being racist.

    And this is a dangerous and abhorrent way of thinking

  37. https://theconversation.com/urban-owls-are-losing-their-homes-so-were-3d-printing-them-new-ones-133626?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=bylinetwitterbutton

    Native to southeastern Australia, the powerful owl (Ninox strenua) is threatened and facing the prospect of homelessness.

    These birds don’t make nests – they use large hollows in old, tall trees. But humans have been removing such trees in the bush and in cities, despite their ecological value.

    Owls are lured into cities by abundant prey, with each bird capturing hundreds of possums per year. But with nowhere to nest, they struggle to breed and their population is at risk of declining even further.

    …
    Designers and architects often use computer modelling to mimic nature in building designs, such as Beijing’s bird’s nest stadium.

    But to use these skills to help wildlife, we need to understand what they want in a home. And for powerful owls, this means thinking outside the box.
    …
    Imagine an ecologist, a park manager or even a local resident who wants to boost local biodiversity. In the not-too-distant future, they might select a target species and a suitable tree from an online database. An algorithm could customise their choice of an artificial-nest design to fit the target tree. Remote machines would manufacture the parts and the end user would put the structure together.

    Such workflows are already being used in a variety of fields, such as the custom jewellery production and the preparation of dental crowns. It allows informed and automated reuse of scientific and technical knowledge, making advanced designs significantly more accessible.

    Our techniques could be used to ease the housing crisis for a wide range of other sites and species, from fire-affected animals to critically endangered wildlife such as the swift parrot or Leadbeater’s possum.

  38. @C@tmomma

    It’s not ok to be a hypercrite and racist at the same time when we have our own slaughter houses that we export live animals to 3rd world places like India.

  39. Barney,

    It’s the *wild* bit that is is the problem.

    Proper animal husbandry and herd/flock monitoring procedures pick up on these issues and allow for rapid and effective control measures.

  42. On the US Health System, with which we lived for 18 years and which I don’t think has changed much since our escape.

    It staggers belief but the US continues to charge for most testing

    snark: In the land of the free nothing is free.

    anger: It would be a shame if you get sick.

    hope: Some places are organised. In contrast with Qld, I was able to find health clinics in Washington State with only a few clicks. (William noticed.) By comparison with Qld the public information is well laid out, easy to navigate.
    https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/locations.aspx

  43. Dandy Murry

    I raise you mad-cow disease and anthrax.

    The problem is that virus’ exist… And sometimes they mutate and sometimes people get infected.
    This is not the fault of the ‘Chinese’ in any sense of the word.
    It may be that some individuals in China didn’t act fast enough. But again that’s not the fault of the ‘Chinese’

    It’s really not hard to understand and casual racism needs to be stopped.

  45. Diogenes:

    “Since I got a few emails from colleagues in Lombardy, I have developed a visceral loathing for doctors who will put their careers ahead of thousands of lives. I expect stupidity, laziness and lying from Morrison but it’s not acceptable from doctors. Shameful.”

    If it helps, yesterday I got a call from a long time friend who is a doctor in Sydney. A specialist with his own practice. I told him I was due for a non critical procedure today (ie colonoscopy); he counselled me to cancel, which I did. He said they have taken the same view in their practice – and are instead using their resources for essential matters only.

  46. Dandy Murray says:
    Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at 11:41 am
    TPOF et al.

    My speechie wife reckons Trump’s elocution is a sign he wears dentures

    ________________________________

    I’d back your wife’s expertise over my amateur speculation. Whatever it is, it’s ugly and not natural. I suspect he uses his hands so much to distract from people looking at his lying face.

  47. @jommy_tee
    ·
    2h
    TeamAustralia – a reminder that during this crisis the PM will be receiving fearless advice from “Lucky Phil” Gaetjens.

    Lucky Phil – the man who couldn’t find a rort in #sportrorts.

  48. lizzie says: Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at 10:12 am

    We also must not forget that The Murdoch did not want, under any circumstances, fibre broadband because it would ruin his crap Foxtel setup. And the LNP were more than willing to spread their cheeks to accommodate him.

  49. I read an interesting article on why virus outbreaks occur. There is a reason why people that have Coldsores, when put under stress, tend to have a breakout.
    The same goes for most animals, bats have a normally heightened body temperature when flying which means that twice a day they undergo the equivalent of a fever which tends to keep the virus in check.
    As they also have a high metabolism so viruses tend to mutate quickly.
    When a bat is put into a high stress situation the viruses tend to break out and get shed into the environment, being crammed into a case at the wet market in Wuhan being a high stress situation.
    Before we go criticising Chinese peasant eating habits, the Hendra virus in Queensland was just as deadly but thankfully was not zoonotic but could become that way. By encroaching on the flying foxes habitat we are putting them under stress.
    As for Swine Flu or Bird Flu, every day I see open trucks full of creates full of overcrowded stressed out chickens driving down the Bruce highway and the average industrial pig farm isn’t exactly a swine holiday home either.
    As global warming continues more and more habitats will be destroyed and more animal populations will come under stress. This isn’t a one in a hundred year event as much as a prelude to what may happen multiple times over the next decades.

  50. Eric Garland Retweeted

    Dr. Dena Grayson
    @DrDenaGrayson
    ·
    4h
    Police cars revolving lightBREAKING: A man DIED & his wife is in ICU after they ingested #chloroquine, one of the anti-malarials that
    @realDonaldTrump
    touted.

    Chloroquine/#hydroxychloroquine have NOT been proven effective against #coronavirus & can cause FATAL heart arrhythmias.

    Man dies after self-medicating with chloroquine
    PSA: Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are not approved for coronavirus.
    axios.com

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