Essential Research: leadership and COVID-19 approval ratings

A narrowing lead for Scott Morrison as preferred prime minister punctuates an otherwise stable picture in Essential Research’s latest set of leadership and COVID-19 performance ratings.

The Guardian reports the latest fortnightly Essential Research poll includes its monthly leadership ratings, which find Scott Morrison’s lead over Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister is now at 49-26, in from 55-22 last time and the narrowest it has been since early February. However, movements on leaders’ ratings are apparently more modest: Morrison is down two on approval to 64%, with his disapproval rating yet to be disclosed (UPDATE: Up five to 28%, so perhaps not as modest as that), while Albanese is steady on approval at 44% and down one on disapproval to 29%.

Fifty-nine per cent now express approval for the federal government’s handling of the pandemic, down two on a fortnight ago. The poll was conducted before Sunday’s announcement of extended restrictions in Victoria, but the small-sample breakdown for that state finds approval of the state government’s performance up three to 50%, compared with falls of two points in New South Wales to 57% and six points in Queensland to 66%. The WA government is up three to a new high of 87%, although at this point sample sizes get very small indeed: as with much else in this poll, we will have to wait for the publication of the full report this afternoon for numbers from South Australia. The latter figure aside, the following chart shows how the various governments’ favourable ratings on this measure have progressed since March:

Concerning COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care facilities, 41% now blame the providers, down a point on a fortnight ago, with 31% blaming the federal government, up three, and 28% blaming state and territory governments, down two. The poll finds 36% support for increasing the Medicare levy from 2% to 2.65% to fund improvements to aged care, with 32% opposed and 32% uncommitted.

Forty-nine per cent favoured a proposition that Google and Facebook should have to pay for news content, compared with 38% for the alternative that “it is not up to the tech giants to support media companies” (as per the wording in The Guardian’s report). The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1076.

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.

1,463 comments on “Essential Research: leadership and COVID-19 approval ratings”

Comments Page 28 of 30
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  2. Bonza says:
    Thursday, September 10, 2020 at 7:38 pm
    So today’s events have improved QLD Labor’s chances? Are those resignations a bad omen?

    There were federal libs/nats ministers did the same before the 2019 federal election ,

  4. Bonza:

    Thursday, September 10, 2020 at 7:38 pm

    [‘So today’s events have improved QLD Labor’s chances? Are those resignations a bad omen?’]

    Kate Jones’ resignation is a surprise. She’s very popular up here. But I doubt, as I think Bucephalus put it, it’s a sign of rats deserting…

  5. I don’t know enough about NSW politics to come to any conclusion, but what part if any does John Robertson’s appointment as chair of the Icare board contribute to this Lib/Nat schemozzle?

    Anyone with a sense of entitlement feel aggrieved that a Lib or Nat didn’t get the sinecure?

    And why give it to a former Labor leader anyway?

  6. A request of the collective intelligence of the Bludger Lounge. I have recently wanted to buy hi res music online. There are a myriad of sites all over the world selling downloadable hi-res music albums BUT I have been met with wall to wall messages from the big players saying they do not/can not sell to Australian customers. There seems to be stuff all of bugger all places that do and those that do have a very limited range of wares to sell.Why is it so ?

  7. what part if any does John Robertson’s appointment as chair of the Icare board contribute to this Lib/Nat schemozzle?”

    Little or none I would expect.

    And why give it to a former Labor leader anyway?

    No Liberal mate wanted it? A poisoned chalice?

  12. Stephen Spencer’s Tweets
    Stephen Spencer
    @sspencer_63
    ·
    5m
    Let the record show
    @abc730
    gave it a run 21 minutes in.
    @7NewsSydney
    and
    @10NewsFirstSyd
    led with the NSW Govt split.
    Quote Tweet

    Stephen Spencer
    @sspencer_63
    · 16m
    The NSW Govt just imploded and @abc730 doesn’t think it worth mentioning and @9NewsSyd runs it 2nd behind a Qld story? Nothing to see here. Move along…
    Stephen Spencer
    @sspencer_63
    ·
    16m
    The NSW Govt just imploded and
    @abc730
    doesn’t think it worth mentioning and
    @9NewsSyd
    runs it 2nd behind a Qld story? Nothing to see here. Move along…

  13. poroti @ #1356 Thursday, September 10th, 2020 – 7:56 pm

    A request of the collective intelligence of the Bludger Lounge. I have recently wanted to buy hi res music online. There are a myriad of sites all over the world selling downloadable hi-res music albums BUT I have been met with wall to wall messages from the big players saying they do not/can not sell to Australian customers. There seems to be stuff all of bugger all places that do and those that do have a very limited range of wares to sell.Why is it so ?

    Don’t tell anyone I said this to you but first word starts with ‘P’ and the second word starts with ‘B’. And I don’t mean Poll Bludger. 😀

  14. Scott
    We seem to be a digital pariah in the hd music online area . I’m baffled as to why. It is not piracy. The sites are legit , large companies ,charge a fortune 🙁 , the artists are getting their due.

  15. C@tmomma
    Ah, that takes me back. By golly did I download some good music from Pirate Bay . back in the day when it took 20-30 minutes to download a song IF you did not lose the connection 😆 However in this case piracy is a zero part of the deal.

  17. poroti
    Probably trying to force you to use a Murdoch service.

    VPN? Mozilla have a good extension. So long as they accept an Aussie Cc.

    Or stream? Tidal?

  18. You know how Trump’s Acting Homeland Security Secretary decided that he wouldn’t be briefing Congress about Russian interference in the 2020 presidential election? Well, here is what he and his 2IC have also been up to, per a whistleblower:

    WASHINGTON — Top officials with the Department of Homeland Security directed agency analysts to downplay threats from violent white supremacy and Russian election interference, a Homeland Security official said in a whistle-blower complaint released on Wednesday.

    Brian Murphy, the former head of the Homeland Security Department’s intelligence branch, said in the complaint that he was ordered this spring by Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of the department, to stop producing assessments on Russian interference and focus instead on Iran and China. That request, Mr. Murphy said, was routed through Mr. Wolf from Robert C. O’Brien, the White House national security adviser.

    Mr. Wolf later told him not to disseminate a report on a Russian disinformation campaign to denigrate Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s mental health because it “made the president look bad,” said Mr. Murphy, who warned that the actions in their totality threatened national security.

    In other instances, the department’s second-highest ranked official, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, ordered Mr. Murphy to modify intelligence assessments to make the threat of white supremacy “appear less severe” and include information on violent “left-wing” groups and antifa, according to the complaint, which was filed on Tuesday but released Wednesday by the House Intelligence Committee.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/09/us/politics/homeland-security-russia-trump.html

    These guys will do ANYTHING to get Trump re-elected. With Trump’s blessing.

  19. Rex Douglas
    Thanks but streaming is no probs. It is buying the files that seems to find us in the sin bin. Perhaps we have been selected as guinea pigs. Customer NEVER ‘owning’ the music to listen to off line ?

  20. Simon Katich says:
    Thursday, September 10, 2020 at 8:10 pm
    poroti
    Probably trying to force you to use a Murdoch service.

    ——————

    Yes, if there is no profit for Murdoch there is nothing for you

  21. Simon Katich
    I know you can get around geoblocking, I just wonder why there is a need for it to be done by Straya. Even teh Cherman classic music sites have said raus Australisch

  25. Tony Windsor
    @TonyHWindsor
    ·
    1h
    The NSW Premier has no choice..she will have to sack the Nationals or sack herself. This whole scenario shows once again that Barilaro is little more than a travelling billboard with little intellectual capacity to work logically in a Cabinet situation.
    #crywolf

  26. Poroti, is it Gerry’s GST?

    Amazon UK used to have good deals like free or reduced shipping. Now Australia is verboten!
    Amazon USA on the other hand is fine.

  27. Rex Douglas
    As it happens Qobuz was the last place I tried before posting. All good until I tried to buy an album. Wrong site. Qobuz message was “Qobuz is not yet available in your country.”.

  28. Kieran Gilbert
    @Kieran_Gilbert
    ·
    13m
    Then John Barilaro says he’s not going to blow up the government and they’re not going to walk away from their ministries
    Quote Tweet

    Kieran Gilbert
    @Kieran_Gilbert
    · 17m
    John Barilaro says the NSW Nats will meet again in the morning before deciding whether to quit and move to the cross bench – they’re not going to rush to a decision after Premier Berejiklian’s ultimatum

    Barilaro will capitulate

  29. Aqualung
    Your GST suggestion may have legs. These are downloadable files rather than CD/LP so not yet able to be ‘captured’ in the GST net.

  31. Tweets & replies
    Media
    Likes
    Stephen Spencer’s Tweets
    Stephen Spencer
    @sspencer_63
    ·
    1m
    Surely Barilaro has to resign? How does Gladys trust him? How do the Nats keep him as leader if he backs down? How do they keep him as leader if he destroys their government?
    Quote Tweet

    Alex Hart
    @alexhart7
    · 5m
    UPDATE Dep Premier @JohnBarilaroMP tells @SkyNewsAust he won’t blow up the Govt, could hit the pause button and come to compromise in next 2-3 weeks. Sounds like Nats backing down for now. #nswpol @7NewsSydney

  32. Australia is a small but lucrative market where oligopolies and monopolies rule, with restrictive agreements in force. It can be easily screwed over by suppliers, so it is.

    I understand that using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can hide your location. Don’t know much about it, don’t use streaming services.

  34. >Kate Jones’ resignation is a surprise.

    Indeed it is. Kate knocked off Premier Campbell Newman in his own seat (regaining the seat she held previously)

  35. The Nats will blink and bend the knee to Koala Killer. Super Barilaro Brus’s head may be offered in homage. Koala killer will revert to type and capitulate to the blackmailers as soon as the optics are right though.

  38. ————
    It can be easily screwed over by suppliers, so it is.
    ————
    Yep. Miele a good example. But there r heaps. Ask Gerry.

    Then peeps started to import containers for themselves. Freight companies decided to deal with them and the customs. Some were saving tens of thousands when building and fitting out and furnishing a house. Then EBay, alibaba and a bunch of middle men companies opened up (some specialising in just European kitchen appliances) and Gerry got mad. Then Gerry was forced to lower his margins. Then Gerry went feral.

  39. Wait. I thought it was Dan Andrews’ government that was going off the rails and he’d be challenged for the leadership etc etc.

    Don’t tell me Taylormade, Rex etc were wrong?! 😆

  41. Alex Hart
    @alexhart7
    UPDATE Dep Premier
    @JohnBarilaroMP
    tells
    @SkyNewsAust
    he won’t blow up the Govt, could hit the pause button and come to compromise in next 2-3 weeks. Sounds like Nats backing down for now. #nswpol
    @7NewsSydney
    8:30 PM · Sep 10, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
    14
    Retweets
    12
    Quote Tweets
    21
    Likes
    Paul Bongiorno
    @PaulBongiorno
    ·
    10m
    Replying to
    @alexhart7

    @JohnBarilaroMP
    and 2 others
    Good for
    @GladysB
    for now…but a lot of damage is being done to her government. She would still be better off with this rabble on the cross bench.

  42. The Nationals know that at the end of the day they need the Liberals at least as much as the Liberals need them. Divided, they are ruined. Together, they have a fighting chance to win…and winning in politics counts for a great deal if your goal is to govern.

  45. Does anyone know whose side 2GB is on?

    I got the impression it was Barilaro, for all the predictable reasons.

    Funny though, Barilaro is in no position to take over the Coalition leadership if he wins. So I guess there must be a traitor in the Liberal Party ranks egging him on.

    Interestingly, Adrian Piccoli (ex NSW Lib Education Minister) was on The Drum tonight, and he took Barilaro’s side, saying “We all love koalas and want to save them, but farmers losing 20% of their property value is too high a price to pay.”

    So I guess “love” has its price.

  46. The Tories in the UK admit they are breaking the law but it’s OK because its in “a limited and very specific way”.

    Everyone knows that that’s alright then!
    ———-

    The government has admitted that its plan to reinterpret the special Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland will break international law.

    The Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, astonished backbenchers when he told the House of Commons: “Yes, this does break international law in a very specific and limited way.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/08/government-admits-new-brexit-bill-will-break-international-law

  47. Non, I believe the country might be a better place if the Liberals were able to regularly form government on their own. There is nothing liberal or rational about the Nationals and the unholy alliance has sucked dry almost everything liberal and rational from the Liberal Party. Together they r a political and planetary cluster F that keeps winning elections.

  49. Confessions @ #1390 Thursday, September 10th, 2020 – 8:44 pm

    C@t:

    How’s the move going?

    We moved in to the new place yesterday and have continued moving more stuff over today. I can tell you that my whole body has been aching at the end of every day, even though I have tried to pace myself and get ahead of the curve. However, as yesterday was the day when we really pushed ourselves to the limit, and as it was raining all day and we went from 9am till 9pm last night, I found that I couldn’t get to sleep I was in so much pain! So I had to take a strong pain killer left over from my time in hospital just to get some sleep. Still, I’m loving where we have moved to, waterfront across the road from a peaceful bay.

    We still have lots of unpacking to do but it was worth it. Even if the move was forced upon us. 🙂

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