As reported by The Guardian, Essential Research has unusually conducted a new poll just a week after the last. This effectively replicates last week’s suite of questions on coronavirus to tie in with an online forum later today involving The Guardian’s Katharine Murphy and Essential Research’s Peter Lewis.
The results show a sharp rise in concern since last week, with 53% now saying they are very concerned, after the three previous fortnightly polls had it progressing from 25% to 27% to 39%. Only 18% now say they consider there has been an overreaction to the thread, down from 33% last week, while 43% now think the threat has been underestimated, up from 28%. These results imply little change to last week’s finding that 39% thought the response about right, though we will presumably have to await publication of the full report later today for a complete set of numbers. The poll also finds overwhelming support for the restrictive measures that have been taken. The rise in concern appears to have been matched by a decline in skepticism about media reportage, which 42% now say they trust, up from 35% last week.
Also out today is a Roy Morgan SMS poll on coronavirus, showing 43% support for the view that the federal government is handling the crisis well with 49% disagreeing — a rather weak result by international standards (it is noted that a similar poll in the United Kingdom a bit under a fortnight ago had it at 49% and 37%). This poll finds an even higher pitch of public concern than Essential, in that only 15% believed the threat to be exaggerated, with fully 81% disagreeing. Relatedly, 80% said they were willing to sacrifice some of their “human rights” to help prevent the spread of the virus (evidently having a somewhat different conception of that term from my own), with only 14% disagreeing. The poll was conducted on Saturday and Sunday from a sample of 988.
UPDATE: Full report from Essential Research here. The recorded increase in concern about the virus is not matched by a change in perceptions of the government’s handling of it, which 45% rate as good, unchanged on last week, and 31% rate as poor, up two. There is also a question on concern about climate change, which refutes the hopes of some conservative commentators in suggesting it has not been affected by the coronavirus crisis: 31% say they are more concerned than they were a year ago, 53% no more or less so, and 16% less concerned. However, the number of respondents saying Australia is not doing enough to address climate change is down from 60% in November to 55%, with doing enough up one to 23% and doing too much up one to 9%. The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1086.
Danama Papers @ #45 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 6:48 am
Ah, i see KayJay has answered that question.
So, anytime between March 31 and April 17. Probably. Maybe.
p
It will be over by Christmas.
Danama Papers
Did they say what year though ?
The take away society (if your not served in three minutes society) has predictably jumped the gun!
The wage subsidy scheme is designed to be rorted. Free chips with every order or don’t forget your steakknives!
Australian business ethics and taxation policy are based on rorting, so somehow this scheme will be different?
The WSS has given a huge stimulus to both rorting and rampant inflation.
The refusal by the Morrisom government to totally lock down will result in extended agony for the general populace particularly the poor, homeless and jobless.
Enough evidence now exists to show the way. Pampering to business will be regretted, and will further extend the economic pain to come.
Our incredibly expensive border force will eventually be used to quell the dissatisfaction and physical hunger of a population not even slightly tolerant of any imposition or disruption to their lives.
How long before we have looting by the disenfranchised, alienated and scared?
How long before the 400 million in Indonesia or the 8 million in PNG decide to take a piece of the action in the massively underpopulated continent to their south?
The rich are behaving as if the pandemic is a poor persons disease. Get real.
It is a terrible time to be burdened with an absolute “knob” as a PM and the “flunkies” falling in beside him in generating this false sense of protection from the enemy and “we are doing our level best” for the people.
The world is hapless, catastrophes emerging daily, and the pandemic not into its second chapter.
How many expected to die in the good ole US of A?
I hope I’m hopelessly wrong in my assessment of the reality of humanity’s response to the pandemic.
Australia, the gambling centre of the world will enjoy the bright lights of the world’s pandemic poker machine and together with the Morrison government feed the beast and dream of the mega jackpot.
Dandy Murray says:
Monday, March 30, 2020 at 11:28 pm
Buce,
ADF personnel on field training and deployment do significantly more than 13 hour days for 5 straight.
Even shiney-bummed academics facing major conference deadlines do more hours than that for a week beforehand. It’s a mixed blessing that all the conferences have been canned.
———————————————————-
Yes. And you miss the point entirely by focussing on the hours.
You or they don’t face the uncertain possibility of contracting a deadly disease that will kill them within days, every time they go to work.
From lawyerly
[COVID-19 class actions on the horizon, expert says
The COVID-19 pandemic has opened the door to a host of potential class actions involving claims of government negligence, employment law, product liability and consumer law, one legal expert has said.]
As a time when Government is spending a lot of money, it is within its rights to pass laws affording itself immunity from these anticipated actions which have a history of meaning very modest sums to individuals and whopping sums to lawyers and overseas funders (who are no doubt looking for places to invest).
That is not so hard at the State level, but federally, trying to exclude rights of individuals, can come against the just terms for the acquisition of property provisions of s51(xxxi) of the Constitution (the Castle).
Shellbell
Speaking of lawsuits.
Fox news is being sued for false information re covid19
Not sure of the full details as yet. Could be reason why one of their hosts was given the boot recently
I’d imagine the $750 payment would be tomorrow as that would put it in the final quarter of the year.
“The Human Headline” has been touting his new book on Aunty (“Unfinished Business”), claiming he likes Morrison but isn’t keen on Shorten, that Hanson’s a strong woman, blaming her for losing his Senate seat – $25.90 now; $5.00 in a month or so.
Anyone watch fourcorners last night?
Want to know if its worth a look
There is a thread on Twitter which details the way in which employees can be disadvantaged.
One small summary:
C@tmomma,
I am sorry about your friend. She is a victim of what is called in slang STD – Sexually Transmitted Debt. It is also an form of abuse.
Your friend is not alone, by a long shot. And men get done too, when their partner keeps on taking out from the redraw facility until the accumulated interest causes extreme hardship. One poor bloke thought the house was paid off, but the wife had redrawn on the mortgage and put it down the pokies.
When he got a call from me to say his mortgage was in arrears he nearly died on the spot. I felt so sorry for him, he was older too. No wonder I left the bank collections call centre.
I am sure your friend will think of something, she sounds much more resourceful than me.
Oakeshott Country says:
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 9:03 am
The important numbers in NSW
In ICU 35
on ventilator 16
both showing a doubling time of 3-5 days but on small numbers
% not o/s or known contact ~ 12 (stable from yesterday)
—————————————————————-
Three more crew members from the Ruby Princess, lying off Botany Bay, have been taken to Sydney hospitals, presumably for ICU and ventilators. That makes six.
I know it sounds heartless, but are we going to sit and watch as more and more of the crew members in that petri dish (apologies Media Watch) come ashore and take up our precious ICU units and ventilators just as we are going to need them.
Barney in Tanjung:
[‘I’d imagine the $750 payment would be tomorrow as that would put it in the final quarter of the year.’]
From a reliable source, it has been paid today.
Shellbell @ #56 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 8:55 am
Yeah, nah. Nothing is acquired by the Commonwealth, real or personal.
Why the hell haven’t those Ruby Princess passengers been flown back to where-ever they came from, in the back of a RAAF transport plane? Get that bloody ship out of our waters.
Where the frekn hell is the Spud when he is needed?
If the Taxation Office is handling the $750.00 payments what’s to stop Scotty from Marketing from checking to see if there are any naughty non-tax payers and hit them up sometime in the future? Just a thought. I know the logistics of the exercise would tremendous but…
Unfinished Business: Life As a Senator
by Derryn Hinch would be pretty good as a fire starter and just think of the fun you would have as you tear the pages out one by one. Or you could use it to hit the person who gave it to you as a gift.
Mavis @ #59 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 8:57 am
Toilet paper will still be cheaper.
The trick is to ensure that the Commonwealth is a co-defendant cos they got the dinero.
beguiledagain:
Your comment from yesterday that a medal should be struck for front line health workers has merit.
Victoria @ #57 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 9:57 am
Eric Wemple, the Washington Post media critic, has entitled his column today simply, ‘Hannity Must Go’. Though I don’t think it will happen because he is a Protected Species in the Trump universe:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/30/hannity-must-go/
Stuart ‘My Bad’ Robert has this release:
Over $1.1bn in Australian government assistance for lower-income Australians will hit bank accounts today.
Minister for government services, Stuart Robert, said the first round of the $750 economic support payments will be paid automatically from today and progressively to eligible recipients over the coming weeks.
“From today, more than 6.8 million Australians will receive the first economic support payment,” Minister Robert said.
“The payment is providing immediate support to lower-income Australians, including pensioners, other social security and veteran income support recipients and eligible concession card holders.
“There’s no need to do anything to receive the economic support payment – it will be paid automatically to anyone receiving an eligible payment or concession between 12 March 2020 and 13 April 2020.”
The total first stimulus package is expected to deliver $4.8bn to households through the economic support payment. It is part of the Australian government’s $320bn economic support package for the coronavirus pandemic.
A second economic support payment will be paid to eligible people from 13 July 2020.
Repurpose the War Memorial to the Virus War Memorial?
poroti @ #53 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 6:53 am
Good point.
Victoria says:
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 9:58 am
Anyone watch fourcorners last night?
Want to know if its worth a look
—————————–
It was an excellent summary of the subject and a forensic examination of the incompetence of the Morrison government’s response from go to whoa.
‘fess,
I’ll let her know, though WA is a Labor state, so maybe not in NSW. 😀
I like 265 today.
It’s Time
The members of the class would have a right to sue the Commonwealth now. That right has been recognised by the High Court as property – Georgiadis v Australian & Overseas Telecommunications Corporation.
Excluding that right could attract s51(xxxi) issues.
C@t
I am forever hopeful that the karma bus will hit Hannity in my lifetime.
Puffytmd @ #62 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 9:59 am
Yes, it goes both ways, to be sure and it’s heartbreaking no matter who it happens to.
Hinch: The Human Footnote.
beguiledagain
Cheers. I will have a look at it
Boerwar says:
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 10:07 am
Repurpose the War Memorial to the Virus War Memorial?
————————————————
Can’t tell whether that’s a bit of irony.
But acknowledging the courage and bravery of those medical workers is considerably more justified than spending another $500 million on the Memorial to glorify the bravery of pilots at 30,000 feet who use technology to destroy unwitting targets on the ground.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/strewth/pollie-pay-cut-inevitable-says-nationals-mp-pat-conaghan/news-story/17eaa7752f474a9c228ef2f597fb0ccc
And so on —
Good day for mowing Newcastle.
27℃ top temperature expected. Mostly sunny. 🌞
[‘Not a licence to party’: Norman Swan tests negative for coronavirus.
The ABC’s Dr Norman Swan, a physician and health journalist of Coronacast fame, has tested negative for coronavirus after revealing he had developed symptoms yesterday.’]
Victoria @ #80 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 10:12 am
He’s just so glib and sleazy. The way he turns on a dime and does a volte face but still his followers believe every word he says! I wish I had that talent! 😆
Then again, maybe not.
If you are in a marginal seat you will start getting your payment today. Everybody else; whenever we get around to it.
The government has said several times “from the 31st March” , which does not mean “on” the 31st March. Would this government deliberately make it 1 April so as to put it in the next financial quarter, you betcha they would. We shall soon see.
C@t
He is a poor excuse 0f a human being.
He and his ilk on fox news have gone a long way to damaging the fabric of the US society
What I find gobsmacking about the Stuart Robert missive is that he says:
“From today, more than 6.8 million Australians will receive the first economic support payment,” Minister Robert said.
But then he also says:
“There’s no need to do anything to receive the economic support payment – it will be paid automatically to anyone receiving an eligible payment or concession between 12 March 2020 and 13 April 2020.”
Since when did the 12th of March come after today, the 31st of March!?!
Victoria @ #90 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 10:17 am
And Lachlan Murdoch is making it worse not better! I thought the radical Conservative Crony Capitalism would die with Rupert Murdoch but Lachlan is leaving him in the shade!
The ugly face of racism:
https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/asian-dog-you-brought-corona-here-young-women-racially-abused-spat-on-in-sydney-street/news-story/628e1cbadf94bfdd30fe6dfd4ebe81e8
Hopefully, Norman Swan will outline the process form symptoms, through organising testing and getting result (and where) so we better understand/appreciate it.
C@t
I think what he means is that if you become eligible for other payments during that period, this payment will also be paid.
Astonishing repurposing of a temporarily redundant resource:
“ https://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorsport/formula-one-teams-unite-to-fight-ventilator-shortage-20200331-p54fj2.html”
The design and engineering budgets of F1 teams is astonishing. Hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Even Williams and Haas – the two bottom teams – have annual budgets above $US150 million. Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes are all above $500 million pa. Each team has a factory that designs, tests and builds up to 20,000 new parts each year.
More Moir:
Just saying.
I have been feeling a bit, I dunno, not stressed but kind-of fatalistic about this, as far my personal self is concerned. I have a feeling that there is no other side for me in this pandemic. It is a bit of a strange feeling, and I am do not recognise it. Is it that I have been alone for two weeks, not one of my kids here, or hearing about people in the last third of their lives being triaged out of ventilators?
I mean I do not mind, better a youngster like my kids get a machine than me if worst comes to it.
But never in my life before did I stop trying to change the world for me, and everyone, and now I just sanguinely accept that it will all be curtains.
I mean, l lived with a sociopath and never knew which night would be my last. But I prevailed and went on to good things.
Now I just throw my hands up and say Kay Sera Sera?
Sorry bludgers, I am just musing.
Victoria @ #96 Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 – 10:22 am
I thought it was the 1st of March? But okay.