Essential Research: coronavirus and attitudes to China

A major souring in Australians’ attitudes to China but little change on coronavirus (at least since last week), according to the latest Essential poll.

Another week, another Essential Research coronavirus poll — this one focusing on attitudes to China, which have notably soured. As related by The Guardian, respondents were asked if they had a favourable or unfavourable view of China’s influences on Australian life, which produced a net rating of minus 30% on trade, compared with plus 1% last August, and a net rating of minus 40% for Chinese business operating in Australia, down from minus 21%. There were also scores of minus 26% for defence, minus 36% for politics and minus 9% for culture. Conversely, the United States scored net positive scores, albeit that these were quite a lot bigger for defence (plus 29%), business (plus 15%) and trade (plus 14%) than politics (plus 2%) and culture (plus 7%).

Asked which relationship would be more beneficial to strengthen, 42% favoured the US and 18% China, compared with 38% and 28% last August. Respondents had two bob each way on trade in that 53% thought Australia “needs to do all it can to avoid a trade war with China”, with 17% opposed, but 48% felt Australia should impose retaliatory tariffs, with 22% opposed. The poll found “more than half” believe China’s trade sanctions against Australia were motivated by the government’s call for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

The poll continued its weekly suite of questions on coronavirus, recording no change on the government’s handling of the crisis, which was rated positively by 73% and negatively by 11%. Levels of concern little changed on last week (79% either very or quite concerned, down one, and 21% either not at all or not that concerned, up one). A divide appears to be opening on restrictions, with higher responses for both lifting them as soon as possible (up five to 14%) and holding off (up two to 27%). The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1087; a full report should be published later today.

Note that below this post is a dedicated thread for the Eden-Monaro by-election, which you are encouraged to use if you have something specific to say on that subject.

UPDATE: Full report 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.

2,091 comments on “Essential Research: coronavirus and attitudes to China”

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  1. KayJay

    What mischief , pray tell, has BK been up to now ❓

    None.

    He was invoked, to once again, expose the hypocrisy and double standards applied by a handful or two Laborites to non-Laborites, particularly of the Greens persuasion.

  2. Bushfire Bill says:
    Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    ‘…
    No-one blamed them for the virus, but it is correct to point out they permitted it, by omitting to act in quarantining the virus, to be spread around the World.

    The Chinese know this. It’s why they are resisting a truly independent inquiry, and why they are threatening anyone who wants one with trade sanctions.’

    It has gone beyond threats, although the international bully boy is doing plenty of additional threats as well.

    Rural and regional economies in many areas of Australia are being smashed by Comrade Xi as we speak.

    The impacts will eventually be felt in the Inner Urbs. But by then they will be attenuated.

  3. Not too late for Premier to backflip away from this political kryptonite

    https://inqld.com.au/opinion/2020/05/26/not-too-late-for-premier-to-step-away-from-this-political-kryptonite/

    With all due respect to the journalist, that is an drama queen of an article. An opinion looking for a scandal.

    In the week that’s followed this very consequential use of September as a possible target date, Palaszczuk has by turns given herself some wriggle room and dug deeper into the hole she had opened up.

    She gave herself ‘wriggle room’ in the statement she first made. The statement was pretty simple – she will open the borders when the advice and considerations point to it being wise to do so.

    What is outrageous is the federal government sending out shock waves of bluster demanding otherwise – even by threatening and encouraging high court challenges. If the journalist (who I really do respect) wants a scandal he need look no further than that.

  4. The total health cost for the 2019-20 season was $2bn, four times higher than the second most severe season for bushfire smoke in 2002-2003.

    But – but – action on emissions might put power prices up.

  5. Bushfire Bill @ #296 Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – 12:07 pm

    How’s the dole application coming along, P1?

    Got those old tax returns in shape yet?

    You are a bitter and twisted person BB. And, as usual, wrong.

    Yes, we finally got the letter from Centrelink. In short, it turns out the reason my partner’s JobSeeker application was turned down was because I am on JobKeeper. In our particular circumstance, we cannot have both. So there is no point in appealing the decision with Centrelink, because it is not Centrelink who is at fault – it is the ATO. And yes, we did discuss it with Centrelink, who agreed it seems unfair, but said there is nothing they can do. It is a known – and very possibly deliberate – problem with the JobKeeper program – one that is ruling out some people in similar circumstances to my partner’s from getting either benefit.

    We have raised the issue with our local MP, who are getting many similar complaints, but there is little that can be done unless the government changes the JobKeeper eligibility criteria.

  6. Just one of the many hundreds of species of environmental weeds that have a massive detrimental impact on native species. Weeds are important foot soldiers in our Anthropocene Extinction Event.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2020-05-26/hudson-pear-biocontrol-insect-released-lightning-ridge/12271508

    For every weed species controlled there are hundreds out of control. The Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison governments made some serious cuts to funding weed control research.

    The question is this. Why doesn’t the article provide the absolutely critical elements of the bigger picture?

    The big picture is a massive and growing environmental shambles made worse by Coalition Government funding cuts.

  7. Simon Katich @ #305 Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – 10:28 am

    Not too late for Premier to backflip away from this political kryptonite

    https://inqld.com.au/opinion/2020/05/26/not-too-late-for-premier-to-step-away-from-this-political-kryptonite/

    With all due respect to the journalist, that is an drama queen of an article. An opinion looking for a scandal.

    In the week that’s followed this very consequential use of September as a possible target date, Palaszczuk has by turns given herself some wriggle room and dug deeper into the hole she had opened up.

    She gave herself ‘wriggle room’ in the statement she first made. The statement was pretty simple – she will open the borders when the advice and considerations point to it being wise to do so.

    What is outrageous is the federal government sending out shock waves of bluster demanding otherwise – even by threatening and encouraging high court challenges. If the journalist (who I really do respect) wants a scandal he need look no further than that.

    About the only valid point I think he made was regarding Hansen, and the potential of it giving her oxygen in the lead up to the election if she goes ahead with a HC challenge.

  8. Just saw Morrison saying how touched he has been by the thousands of letters to him telling of people’s suffering. 😡

  9. P1, I don’t think it is the ATO’s fault. They are just applying the rules. It is the rule makers that are at fault.

  10. More Tales of Dom

    Cummings began his lengthy statement sat behind a make-shift garden desk, as the sound of hell itself rang out in the background in protest.

    His statement had a heavy “dear diary” vibe and we learned that inside the mind of a self-defined genius is unbearably dull. His tale was relatable to any parent and it made me wonder whether we had perhaps been too quick to judge. Who among us has not transported a deadly virus a few hundred miles up the road to stay in the house in their mum’s back garden just in case we needed her to show us how to stick some fishfingers in the oven?

    Who hasn’t taken a stroll in woods owned by their father, adjacent to the cottage on their family’s estate? And who – I ask you – has not taken their family out for a drive to “test out” their eyesight because they were worried it was failing?

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/18474003.now-know-dominic-cummings-seen-strategic-genius/

  11. Just turned on to the the nauional press club and see Morrison reading his auto queue. Two thinks that struck me.

    Who is his speech writer?

    Why do I get a little bit of vomit in my mouth when I see him on TV?

  12. @HighCourtoAus

    Judgment will be handed down at 9.30am on 29 May 2020 in Brisbane by video-link to Canberra in Hocking v Director-General of the National Archives of Australia, and in Pickett, Mead, Mead, Anthony, TSM (a child) v The State of Western Australia

    Whitlam History

  13. Looking at ABS employment stats it is quite striking just what a lie it is to say that mining will solve our employment problems. That policy should be called Job Wisher rather than Job Maker.

    Mining generates a lot of cash for some (mainly foreign owned) investors. But in employment terms it has 1.7% of national employment – about the same as media and communications. By comparison construction (9.4%) is more than 5 times larger; even professional and scientific services (8.3%) is more than four times larger than mining employment.
    https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/EmployIndustry

    So all any “boom” in mining activity will do is generate cash. Then, in the unlikely event we actually tax that activity (most Australian and foreign owned miners here have been paying no tax for years) then that might help reduce the government’s debt. But it won’t employ people.

    All Scomo is thinking about is his own “problem’ of being seen to be a good economic manager by not having a debt. The economy could be a smoking ruin and he may be incapable of caring, let alone fixing it. He is not as dumb as Trump, but Scomo’s values are much the same.

    Labor and any “journalists” still in the country need to ask Scomo and Josh: 1. What is the unemployment forecast? 2. What is the forecast reduction in unemployment from Serf Maker? 3. What is the forecast employment to be created by Angus Taylor’s gas bonanza? 4. What does Treasury forecast unemployment would be if we did not do these policies? (I suspect it would be the same i.e. the policies make no difference.)

  14. The prime minister says he received more than 100,000 letters and emails from Australians during the pandemic, outlining their experiences.

    I bet he doesn’t admit how many were castigating him for his decisions.

  15. P1, you may know the answer to this question: Is the job seeker rule that you have encountered apply all the time? That is if one person gets it, the partner is not eligible.

    Supplementary question: Is the Jobkeeper in these circumstances more to take into account it has to support two people.

  16. Pegasus @ #216 Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – 12:19 pm

    KayJay

    What mischief , pray tell, has BK been up to now ❓

    None.

    He was invoked, to once again, expose the hypocrisy and double standards applied by a handful or two Laborites to non-Laborites, particularly of the Greens persuasion.

    Aha, I see. He does look at “The Australian” for useful items and sometimes includes such in his Dawn Patrol.

    I have been loading my brand new (second hand) laptop computer – with TV on in the background. The soft soothing tones of (I thought) a gentleman giving a religious sermon came on and was quite comforting – and then – and then – I looked up to behold (lo) Mr. Morrison talking about summat. If only the strains of “Rock of Ages” or other favourites had been included I would have been quite content to let the performance continue – but no my friend. TV off and time for lunch.

    Good afternoon all. ☕🍭

  17. mundo says:
    Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 11:48 am
    Andrew_Earlwood @ #226 Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – 11:15 am

    “ I wish Mike Carlton would come here to PB to talk with us instead of spending his days on Twitter. ”

    Who says he doesn’t already …
    If you know what I mean.
    _________________
    He would certainly fit the demographic here perfectly.

  18. Van Badham
    @vanbadham
    ·
    2m
    Scott Morrison quotes US union leader William Green in his speech.
    Green fought for higher income taxes, a legislated right for unions to organise, strong minimum wages, shorter working hours and wages Accords.

    Scott, you’re not William Green’s butt. #auspol #npc

    He’s gathering everyone to his theme. Much research by his minions!

  19. @BeindaJones68 tweets

    The biggest existential threat to Australia is #ClimateChange

    PM hasn’t mention this yet

    Candidate for #EdenMonaro Fiona Kotvojs & her hubby Alan Burdon, have an extensive climate change denial cyber footprint – so why has the Liberal Party endorsed her?

    #auspol #NPC

  20. We must not borrow from generations in the future from what we cannot return to them. This is as true for our environmental, cultural and natural resources as it is for our economic and financial ones. Governments, therefore, must live within their means. So, we don’t impose impossible debt burdens on future generations. That violates that important caring for country principle.

    So cynical, because all he really means is money, not ‘country’ at all.

  21. ‘It is a known – and very possibly deliberate – problem with the JobKeeper program – one that is ruling out some people in similar circumstances to my partner’s from getting either benefit.

    We have raised the issue with our local MP, who are getting many similar complaints, but there is little that can be done unless the government changes the JobKeeper eligibility criteria.’

    P1 that is crap, you should not have to be in that position and have to chase up local MP etc.

    Hope it works out sooner than later

  22. lizzie says:
    Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 12:37 pm
    Just saw Morrison saying how touched he has been by the thousands of letters to him telling of people’s suffering.

    That reminds of the phrase “Keep those cards and letters coming in”. Apparently it was used by the comperes of old radio or TV shows that were failing, to give the impression that the audience was much bigger than it was.

  23. @AmyReimeikis tweets

    Scott Morrison: “At some point, you’ve got to get your economy out of ICU.  You’ve got to get it off the medication before it becomes too accustomed to it.”

    Errrr, that is not how medication works. That’s morphine.

  24. When Morrison announces real funding that means free access to universities TAFE and increasing Apprenticeships I will take his training for work seriously

  25. “At some point, you’ve got to get your economy out of ICU.”

    Scotty’s decided to turn of the economy’s life support.

  26. Kay Jay

    What mischief , pray tell, has BK been up to now ❓

    I think (?) Pegasus accused him of having a pro-Labor bias.

    I know BK is very supportive of Centre Alliance, so I was somewhat suprised to hear this.

    Also BK, thanks again for your morning round up. I do not pick most links, but cause your summary and the title of the article give me a good flavour for that the article is about. I would never have time to put this together for myself.

  27. @imusing tweets

    he says “Fiona and I are social distancing” and laughs. Nobody else laughs. And that the “other curve” is jobs. His tone takes a radical pitch and volume turn, he is sort of half-screaming, that his government is a jobmaker. Theres the new slogan. Jobkeeper out, jobmaker in.

  28. Stephen Koukoulas
    @TheKouk
    ·
    42s
    I think the ballast on Mr Morrison’s boat is making it turn to the right and go around in every diminishing circles

    when I have set out a plan for future development, I have written conclusions based on investigation and facts, not little stories about a yacht race and some moral statements.

  29. lizzie

    Just saw Morrison saying how touched he has been by the thousands of letters to him telling of people’s suffering.

    Daughter works "in the city", so Sky News is on 24/7. she was so angry about him using these things for politics she rang me to ventilate (very quietly because everyone else in the office loves Morrison).

    Also, I read "Diet for a Small Planet" in around 1978. Borrowed it from a friend. Learnt all the basics about getting complete proteins from vegetable sources.

  30. PeeBee @ #322 Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – 12:44 pm

    P1, you may know the answer to this question: Is the job seeker rule that you have encountered apply all the time? That is if one person gets it, the partner is not eligible.

    No, most people with a partner who were both unable to work would either get two JobKeeper payments, or two JobSeeker payments, or perhaps one JobKeeper and one JobSeeker. Certainly, that is what we were led to believe – it just doesn’t apply in our particular case.

    Supplementary question: Is the Jobkeeper in these circumstances more to take into account it has to support two people.

    No, each JobKeeper payment is only intended to support one person. The annoying thing is that if we ran a company, we would be eligible for two JobKeeper payments. But we are not.

  31. Morrison has dropped Abbott’s Royal Commission strategy.

    No Integrity Commission. No AFP raids of union offices and the resulting red faces.

    @Paul_Karp tweets

    Morrison says govt “will not pursue a further vote” on Ensuring Integrity bill in the Senate – but govt position is still opposed to unlawful behaviour. #auspol #npc #ausunions

  32. lizzie @ #328 Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – 12:50 pm

    We must not borrow from generations in the future from what we cannot return to them. This is as true for our environmental, cultural and natural resources as it is for our economic and financial ones. Governments, therefore, must live within their means. So, we don’t impose impossible debt burdens on future generations. That violates that important caring for country principle.

    So cynical, because all he really means is money, not ‘country’ at all.

    Indeed. I hope someone in the media has the guts to point out this astonishing level of hypocrisy.

  33. Sabra asks “Have you met Unions, etc?”

    Morrison firmly. “Yes” Then continues: “We have hired the hall, set out the tables and we’re ready.”
    Bullshit on steroids.

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