Newspoll and Essential Research coronavirus polling

Among many other findings relating to COVID-19, the strongest evidence yet that Victorians are unswayed by news media narratives concerning their state government.

The Australian today reports Newspoll findings on COVID-19 and leadership approval from Victoria and Queensland, which were targeted with expanded samples (608 and 603 respectively) in the poll whose main results were published yesterday:

• Daniel Andrews is up five points on approval from late July to 62% and down two on approval to 35%, whereas Scott Morrison is down six on approval to 62% and up seven on disapproval to 33%. Andrews is reckoned to be doing very well in handling COVID-19 by 31% (up four), fairly well by 31% (down three), fairly badly by 13% (down five) and very badly by 22% (up four), while Morrison is on 26% for very well (down five), 45% for fairly well (down one), 15% for fairly badly (up three) and 10% for very badly (up one).

• Annastacia Palaszczuk’s ratings are only modestly changed, with approval down one to 63% and disapproval up four to 33% as compared with the poll in late July, while Scott Morrison is down five to 67% and up four to 28% as compared with the poll in late June. Both leaders’ COVID-19 ratings are a little weaker than they were in late July: Palaszczuk records 32% for very well (down five), 36% for fairly well (down eight), 16% for fairly badly (up eight) and 13% for very badly (up seven), while Morrison has 34% for very well (down six), 43% for fairly well (up three), 13% for fairly badly (up two) and 7% for very badly (up one).

• The national sample was asked about the restrictions in Victoria and Queensland, which naturally required lengthy explanation (the framing of which seems reasonable enough). For Victoria, the results were 25% too strict, 61% about right and 10% too lenient; for Queensland, 37% too strict, 53% about right and 7% too lenient.

• The balance of concern is nonetheless moving away from “moving too quickly to relax restrictions”, down 20 points since mid-July to 56%, to “moving too slowly to relax restrictions and harming economy, jobs and mental wellbeing”, up 19 points to 39%.

Today also brings the fortnightly Essential Research poll, as related by The Guardian with the full report to follow later today:

• Respondents were in favour of both Scott Morrison’s handling of COVID-19 (a 61% approval rating, up two on a fortnight ago) and Queensland state border closures he wants lifted (66% support, including 70% among Queensland respondents). Forty-seven per cent of Victorian respondents approved of the state government’s COVID-19 management, unchanged from a fortnight ago, while the rating for the New South Wales government was up seven to 67%.

• Thirty-three per cent of respondents felt tax cuts for high income earners should be brought forward from 2022, as the government has signalled it will do, while 38% believe they should be scrapped and 29% believe the government should stick to the original timetable. Twenty-one per cent believe they would be an effective economic stimulus, compared with 41% for moderately effective and 38% for not effective.

• Asked which technology they preferred for future energy generation, 70% favoured renewables and 15% gas and coal.

The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1081.

UPDATE: Full Essential Research poll 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.

1,641 comments on “Newspoll and Essential Research coronavirus polling”

Comments Page 2 of 33
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  1. I watched the program last night. Not surprised that the campaign to get Dan has its tentacles everywhere.

    Paul Barry
    @TheRealPBarry
    ·
    9h
    Thanks
    Quote Tweet

    Auntie Angie VS Evil
    @IrritatedAuntie
    · 10h
    Wow, just watching Media Watch, apparently a lot of twitter sock puppet accounts are pushing the Dictator Dan hashtag.

    Some of them are posting the tag up to 200 times in several hours and are not even Aussie accounts.

    Watch it on iView

    #mediawatch #abc #Twitter #fakeaccounts

  3. Victoria:

    I don’t have a Twitter account, but I have noticed in the last few months in particular that I’ve had a significant increase in Instagram follow requests from people I’ve never heard of. Almost all of them have few followers and only a half a dozen or so posts on their account. I’ve also been added to groups on Insta by people I don’t know.

  4. Jess Panegyres
    @Jess_Panegyres
    ·
    1m
    Greg Bourne, former president of BP Australasia, said using coal and gas to make “clean” hydrogen was an “oxymoron”.
    “Creating hydrogen using fossil fuels is far from clean,” he said.

  5. KayJay

    With any luck I will be able to attend Mr. Creighton’s funeral where I will pretend sadness. I’m quite sure the friends and relatives of the virus dead in Victoria will be pleased to do the same.

    I’ll do my impression of this , spurred on by the thought of how many fellow Newscorpse orcs would be there.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI1nPd7hezM

  6. lizzie @ #55 Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 – 6:29 am

    Jess Panegyres
    @Jess_Panegyres
    ·
    1m
    Greg Bourne, former president of BP Australasia, said using coal and gas to make “clean” hydrogen was an “oxymoron”.
    “Creating hydrogen using fossil fuels is far from clean,” he said.

    Yep, we burn the coal to make the hydrogen and then ship it off to Japan and South Korea so they don’t have to.

  7. lizzie

    It’s utter bullshit and is it seems about the 3rd attempt to get the Narrabri gas project up and running. There must be some filthy rotten goings on behind the scenes around that project.

  8. Fess

    Not surprised to hear that.

    What does surprise me though is how many people get roped into believing what some accounts are promoting. Prime example the qanon crapola.
    I am confident that when Trump is kicked out on his behind, even if there will be serious civil unrest for a while, it will settle and qanon will be tamed.

  10. poroti
    Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 – 8:29 am
    Comment #56

    So if you chance to meet him
    While walking ’round the town.
    Shake him by his fat old hand
    And give him half a crown.

    His eyes will beam and sparkle
    He’ll gurgle with delight.
    And then you’ll start him laughing
    With all his blessed might!

    Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

    Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

    Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

    Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

    Dress for the occasion –

    Oh Any old iron? Any old iron?
    Any, any, any old iron?
    You look neat. Talk about a treat!
    You look dapper from your napper to your feet
    Dressed in style, brand new tile
    And your father’s old green tie on
    I wouldn’t give you tuppence for your old watch and chain
    Old iron, old iron!

  11. So fibre’s best after all? But it’s still a discriminatory policy.

    More than 700,000 businesses will be eligible for free upgrades to the government’s high-speed gigabit fibre broadband, to be rolled out in 240 business fibre zones across Australia. That includes 85 zones in regional Australia.

    The measure will be announced today at Port Macquarie and is part of NBN Co’s business fibre initiative, a $700m package for small to medium business to access superfast connection speeds.

    The government’s plan involves defining areas to be serviced around Australia as zones where fibre optic connections can be built into business premises. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the government would announce 130 zones on Tuesday with the remaining 110 announced in coming weeks. Rockhampton, Bunbury, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Mt Gambier and Devonport are among locations.

    He said the zones were designated areas where there was a density of businesses within a “reasonable distance” of existing NBN infrastructure. He said at Port Macquarie, a premises may be 1km to 5 km from existing fibre optic cable. “It (the fibre) might have to run for 500 metres, it might have to run for several kilometres,” Mr Fletcher told The Australian.

    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/nbn-co-pushes-business-fibre-initiative/news-story/0533a9f8f163862f6d5c6c488d96cb90
    not paywalled.

  13. I won’t labour the point but after reading the posts from last night, it’s apparent that BB’s visceral & irrational hatred of nath (and anyone who is seen to support him) does not emanate from him posting under two (or more?) identities; it’s predicated on nath’s response to BB’s – to call it at its very least – most unfortunate reference to his (nath’s) partner/wife, who is Asian or of Asian origin. Extremely poor form on his part, indicative of his very nasty, vindictive streak.

    ________________________________________________________

    Moving on to a more substantive matter, I’ve got the feeling that Kennett will lose his bet:

    [‘Former Liberal Premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett says he understands why the majority of Victorian’s are currently backing Labor Premier Daniel Andrews and his handling of the COVID-19 crisis in the state, despite himself being a vocal critic.

    A newspoll released published in Newscorp papers shows that 62% of Victorian believe Mr Andrews has handled the coronavirus crisis well.

    “I’m not surprised at all,” Mr Kennett said on Nine’s Today Show this morning. “When you have people in situations of stress they always look to their leaders to actually be able to guide them to a safe place.”] – SMH

  14. Interesting sidebar issue to the upcoming election in America:

    Federal judge extends ballot deadline in Wisconsin, citing state’s chaotic primary
    Lamenting Wisconsin’s tumultuous primary in April, a federal judge ordered the state on Monday to count mail ballots if they are postmarked by Election Day and received within one week, handing Democrats their latest victory in the legal battle over voting rules before the election.

    Judge William M. Conley of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin issued a preliminary injunction that also ordered the state to extend its online and mail-in voter registration deadline from Oct. 14 to Oct. 21. He said voters who requested but did not receive mail ballots must have the option of accessing replacement ballots online or via email between Oct. 22 and Oct. 29.

    “Election workers’ and voters’ experiences during Wisconsin’s primary election in April, which took place at the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, have convinced the court that some, limited relief from statutory deadlines for mail-in registration and absentee voting is again necessary to avoid an untenable impingement on Wisconsin citizens’ right to vote, including the near certainty of disenfranchising tens of thousands of voters relying on the state’s absentee ballot process,” Conley wrote in a 69-page opinion.

    The judge stayed his ruling for one week to allow for the defendants to appeal, writing: “NO voter can depend on any extension of deadlines for electronic and mail-in registration and for receipt of absentee ballots unless finally upheld on appeal.”

    The suit was brought by the Democratic National Committee against the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature, as well as the Republican National Committee and the state Republican Party, intervened.

    Asked whether the RNC planned to appeal the decision, spokeswoman Mandi Merritt said the party “continues to monitor this case and are weighing our appeal options.”

    “We won on appeal in this case in the primary and we expect to win on appeal again,” she said in a statement Monday.

    This spring, the Supreme Court intervened in the Wisconsin primary and overrode a plan by the Democratic governor to extend absentee voting for one week. The decision split the court 5 to 4 along ideological lines.

    The court also ordered that absentee ballots count if they were postmarked by the day of the election but received within a certain time frame.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/09/21/trump-biden-supreme-court-live-updates/#link-DHMRH3FMBNALDB6KIPIYHTX54I

  15. Victoriasays: Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 8:42 am

    PhoenixRed

    The trend is with us.

    ********************************************

    Dan is The Man 🙂

    Victoria has recorded a slight spike in virus cases with 28, and three more deaths according to Sky News.

    It comes after the state recorded just 11 on Monday – the state’s lowest daily tally since June 16.

    Melbourne’s 14-day average continues its downward trend, dipping to 34.4.

    It means the city could be on track to an easing of restrictions before the scheduled date in late October.

    Metropolitan Melbourne must reach an average daily case rate of between 30 and 50 cases over the preceding fortnight to trigger an easing of lockdown measures from September 28.

    The 14-day rolling average for regional Victoria is at 1.6 as of Monday.

    Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews the possibility of easing some restrictions as early as Sunday.

    “We are poised to take some significant steps, albeit they are safe and steady steps on Sunday,” he said on Monday.

    “We are in that 30-50 band and it looks like we are going to stay there. That is really very, very important.”

    Mr Andrews will front the media later on Tuesday.

  17. Adam Curlis
    @TAFEeducation
    ·
    12h
    King’s School in Parramatta has 11 cricket fields and a helicopter in the lobby. It qualified for #JobKeeper.

    We’re all in this together …

  18. Apart from the energy cost check out the amount of carbon compared to hydrogen in coal. So for every ton of hydrogen you’ll get ,for sub bituminous coal, about 15-20 tons of carbon which will be in the form of 50-70 ton of CO2 !!! Emissions free my astrolabe.
    .
    Chapter 7
    COAL
    …………………. On a weight basis, carbon is the predominant one. It constitutes about 60% to about95% of the total. For most coals of 90% or less carbon, hydrogen content is generally in
    the range of 5%;
    https://personal.ems.psu.edu/~radovic/Chapter7.pdf

  22. If, perchance your daughter is playing tennis v Tara (next door to Kings) and, further perchance, you are doing the 3k in May walking challenge, one lap of Kings will do it.

  23. You cant make this shit up

    Rick Wilson Retweeted
    Sarah Rumpf
    @rumpfshaker
    ·
    3h
    Well I wish I could say I’m surprised by this but that would be a lie. Woman shrugging #karma
    Quote Tweet

    Lachlan Markay
    @lachlan
    · 6h
    New: the pseudonymous managing editor of RedState has been trashing Fauci, Redfield, and the govt’s COVID response generally

    Turns out, his day job is a press officer at the National institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases—the agency that Fauci leads https://thedailybeast.com/redstate-covid-troll-streiff-is-actually-bill-crews-and-he-actually-works-for-dr-anthony-fauci?ref=wrap
    Show this thread

  24. 28 today. The key figure is that it was 42 at the same time last week for Victoria. The numbers will bob up and down a little. The trend is important…

  25. Barney in Tanjung Bunga & C@tmomma:

    As I said, and in keeping with the moderator’s post last night, I don’t wish to labour the point, and for my part, won’t. I’ve said my piece and will leave it there.

  27. Bushfire Bill
    “Whenever I don’t watch Q&A it is reported to be fantastic.

    When I do watch it, it’s shit.”

    I saw this comment last night, and didn’t have time to respond. BB, I couldn’t agree more – I have the same experience.

    But last night I got lucky. I missed Q&A – the “Liberal party insider” put me off. It appears I was spared a particularly dreadful episode.

  29. Kevin Bonham

    Much gnashing and wailing has been seen on the pages of the Australian already in response to this inconvenient result and much more will be seen elsewhere, but there’s a lot of overthinking going on. At the moment, most people really want to feel safe.

  30. Alan Sunderland
    @asunderland
    ·
    4m
    Replying to @damonTheOz and @australian
    I think it says more about the obsessions of some journalists than it does about the public when you complain that a pandemic – a pandemic – is being treated as a health crisis instead of a “political crisis”.

  32. Sorry if discussed, is it me or has the Morrison and Co Dan-bashing gone quiet the last few days…have they suddenly woke up and found it wasn’t working? Or are they regrouping for their next attack?

  34. It has disgusted me from the get go that the fiberals and the media have been politicizing the pandemic.
    At no time have they considered the health and well being of the citizenry
    This should never be forgotten.


  35. “Whistleblowers say contaminated soil used to make ‘turf underlay’ at Oran Park site, a development of 25,000 homes”
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/22/revealed-asbestos-contaminated-waste-found-landscaping-material-sydney-housing-estate-site

    @jommy_tee
    ·
    2h
    Gee bad luck for the Perich family businesses – named in this report and named in yesterday’s reports as the beneficiary of the $30m airport sweetheart deal.

  36. @TravisAllen02
    · 1h
    BREAKING: Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is expected to clear all three LMPD officers involved in Breonna Taylor’s death as early as tomorrow.

    Federal buildings here are boarded up. LMPD and the National Guard are mobilizing for war.

  37. The dude (and his missus) 2 doors over have a helicopter and occasionally uses it to commute, schmooze clients and annoy me and scare my chickens.

  38. Wonderful outcome with the lawsuit brought against Miranda Devine by Quaden Bayles’ family. As reported on media watch last night, Miranda had to apologise and broadcast it on twitter, along with being footed a 6 figure settlement sum.

    As Paul Barry said, next time, just apologise straight away (as she had been urged to do all along)

  39. lizzie @ #81 Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 – 7:19 am

    Alan Sunderland
    @asunderland
    ·
    4m
    Replying to @damonTheOz and @australian
    I think it says more about the obsessions of some journalists than it does about the public when you complain that a pandemic – a pandemic – is being treated as a health crisis instead of a “political crisis”.

    Writing about policy and corrupt behaviour requires facts and understanding, whilst writing about politics is often an adventure into creative writing.

  40. Some technical problems.

    Cheers, a.v

    ___________________________________________________

    I really can’t see four GOP senators abstain from voting or to vote against Trump’s pick of the next SCOTUS associate justice, certainly not Romney, who would most likely delight in the elevation of Amy Coney Barrett, and which would result in six of the court’s nine members being Catholics, all six of whom would be pro-lifers, opposed to the decision in Roe v. Wade. That said, if the Court was to overturn Roe v Wade, there will be a massive backlash, creating even deeper divisions in an already very polarised society. McConnell did not only end the filibuster in the Senate; he also reduced the numbers from 60 to 51 to confirm the appointment of a Supreme Court justice. Biden could appoint, say, another 4 justices but this didn’t go down well when FDR tried it. He could also impose a compulsory retirement age and/or reduce the term of a justice, but this could only be imposed on new appointments. Then there’s the argument that McConnell could be impeached though this I think would be unlikely. I think the US is in for a torrid time, even if Biden’s elected and the Dems remain in control of the House and win the Senate. It’s fortunate that the US doesn’t have a gun culture.

  41. Unlucky, or cursed?

    Boat missing for days off SA coast disappears again near Victor Harbor

    A second rescue operation is underway for a boat which was the subject of South Australia’s largest search operation a fortnight ago.

    Police said they received a call from a man — believed to be the boat’s owner Tony Higgins — about 5:00am saying the Margrel was taking on water near Granite Island, off Victor Harbor, south of Adelaide.

    Local police are searching for the boat, along with a rescue helicopter and sea rescue volunteers.

    The same boat ran aground on a sandbar over the weekend after Mr Higgins tried to come ashore to buy supplies.

    He eventually tied it to the Granite Island wharf but it is no longer there.

    The causeway to the island was closed yesterday because of winds above 100 kilometres per hour.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-22/margrel-disappears-after-call-to-police-saying-it-was-sinking/12688040

  43. Big A Adrian @ #89 Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 – 7:36 am

    Wonderful outcome with the lawsuit brought against Miranda Devine by Quaden Bayles’ family. As reported on media watch last night, Miranda had to apologise and broadcast it on twitter, along with being footed a 6 figure settlement sum.

    As Paul Barry said, next time, just apologise straight away (as she had been urged to do all along)

    Even better, next time, engage your brain before you tweet.

  48. The bots throwing shade on Dan Andrews had better get a wriggle on – c’mon Liberal Party Dirt Unit, get ‘em cranking out the virtual dirt quicker…

  50. Rex Douglas

    Yes. Andrews due to front the hotel inquiry tomorrow and newspoll result wasnt what the journos have worked so hard to achieve.

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