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”

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  1. Holdenhillbilly
    Fixed it for you 🙂

    …………………………………………………………….
    Kiwi Australian music legend Max Merritt has died in a Los Angeles hospital after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease.

  2. Mexicanbeemer

    The hotel quarantine program ended in June here in Victoria due to the outbreak that occurred. Inquiry set up to see where the weaknesses were that caused the problem

    In the meantime, there are approx 40,000 people that want to return to Australia. Nearly everywhere else in the world the virus is running rampant again,

    Have you seen Morrison pop up this week to explain what he is going to do about Australians stranded overseas?
    That is the real problem right now today,

  3. Victoria
    Lots of words without addressing the issue.

    We are seeing a series of people claiming ignorance which is just odd because some of them would know who was in charge and was making the decisions.

    It is BS and Andrews and the government needs to be better than that.

  4. Mexicanbeemer

    Hotel quarantine in Victoria ceased in June. That is a fact.

    What is going to happen to the 40,000 people that wish to return to Australia. Do you think Victoria should resume hotel quarantine in the CBD for returning travellers?
    Or do you think the Feds need to manage this, considering they are responsible for it anyway and they have all the resources.

  5. And on another point. The feds are managing the quarantine of soldiers coming to The NT from overseas.
    They should be doing something for its own citizens.

  6. Victoria
    That is fine but no one is owning the decision like being accountable. The lack of accountability from this government is becoming an issue whether you like that or not because no one is being fricken honest when a simple yep this person did that then did this which would clear the air.

  7. Mexicanbeemer

    Security guards were used in other states as well. Does it really matter who was responsible for the decision.
    The virus was not being taken seriously by the fibs. Morrison wanted the policy of people self isolating at home, which was happening in early March.
    I know because my niece returned from the US and had to isolate for 14 days at home.

  8. What could possibly go wrong ?
    ……………………………………………………………………..
    The treasurer on Thursday bowed to behind-the-scenes lobbying by the banks and said he would revoke the laws, which require lenders to make an effort to figure out whether would-be borrowers can afford to repay their debt.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/25/frydenbergs-move-to-dump-lending-laws-shortsighted-consumer-groups-say

  9. Victoria
    You are not addressing the issue.

    Why is no one in this state government being up front. It is making them look incompetent or shady when a simple outline of events would end the issue.

  10. Mexicanbeemer

    In all seriousness. Would it make any difference as to who organised hotel security. Security is arranged in all sorts of circumstances, but my view is that dealing with a highly contagious virus required a different type of quarantine. One that needed to be in an isolated place and the feds to be in charge of it.

  11. Mexicanbeemersays:
    Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1:40 pm
    Victoria
    You are not addressing the issue.

    Why is no one in this state government being up front. It is making them look incompetent or shady when a simple outline of events would end the issue.
    ___________________________
    VICTORY HAS A HUNDRED FATHERS AND DEFEAT IS AN ORPHAN

  12. Once again in NSW the pandemic plan was followed. Under the Public Health Act the Minister for Health directed the Commissioner of Police to take returned travellers to a health facility If unwell or a place of quarantine.

    https://legacy.legislation.nsw.gov.au/_emergency/Public%20Health%20(COVID-19%20Air%20Transportation%20Quarantine)%20Order%20(No%202)%202020_as%20amended_200807.pdf

    Under the pandemic plan some hotels were commandeered and fitted out as health facilities and some as quarantine. The NSW government called on the ADF for assistance in policing quarantine and also employed and supervised security staff.

    All very transparent with obvious lines of governance. This was not brain surgery

    On the evidence so far it is difficult to know who was in charge in Victoria. At one stage it was reported that Victoria police declined the job and Dan had an aversion to using ADF

  13. Mexicanbeemersays:
    Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1:40 pm
    Victoria
    You are not addressing the issue.

    Why is no one in this state government being up front. It is making them look incompetent or shady when a simple outline of events would end the issue.

    You know, that’s a bit hard to take when we’ve had years, or even decades, of such failing memories and other lame excuses from right wing politicians.

    Give us a break. The right wing moralising on purity in situations like this is vomit-inducing. You are in no position to lecture any politicians of the left.

    Yes, in an ideal world politicians of all stripes would answer honestly and with all the information they have. But the right surrendered that high horse when you sewed your stripes to countless liars over the decades.

    So, respectfully, spare us your faux concern here. Not a single member of ScoMo’s govt appeared at the Ruby Princess inquiry (don’t give me technicalities on why not).

    I’d probably get in trouble to tell you to shove your high horse where the sun doesn’t shine, but I guess I just did. Oops.

  14. OC
    Then you add and i don’t know where the story came from but Andrews wanted the quarantine near the airport but someone vetoed it.

    I’m not saying someone should be punished for making a mistake because mistakes are bound to happen but it would be good to see a clear timeline of events with who was making the decisions and why.

  15. And all Murdoch reports are to believed and accepted as gospel.
    Because the media in this country is so impartial and always accurate.
    And because the Coalition are always transparent, and made their ministers front every inquiry, including the Roby Princess inquiry.
    And pigs, and your faux concerns, can fly.

  16. Gene miles

    And what is even more laughable are those from NSW bragging about their superiority
    No thanks to the msm, but from a YouTuber comedian
    I am finding out just how corrupt the NSW govt is.
    It’s disgusting

  17. So basically the counter arguments come down to:
    1. Labor is always a better government than Liberal spivs
    2. Phew but what about Ruby Princess
    3. Yeah but the constitution says (even if the states disagree)

  18. Gene Miles
    How long have you been reading this blog?

    If you are new then i will go soft on you because no one here would confuse me for a right winger and i have been calling for Peter “border joke” Dutton to resign because of his failures on border security.

  19. Did my post end up being a precis of yours, Gene?
    I hadn’t read yours before I posted mine.
    Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered.

  20. MB
    Yes transparency requires that the line of governance be made clear.
    The enquiry hasn’t been able to get that information yet.

  21. poroti,

    There is the principle that people borrowing money should realise/understand that the Banks will want their money back. So putting more onus on individuals to be more responsible individually is not necessarily a bad thing.

    Also, technology has marched on and with the roll out of Comprehensive Credit Reporting throughout the industry, the Lenders have a more rigorous framework for identifying existing commitments of potential borrowers and also their behaviour over time. In the past the Banks relied on what people told them in the documents they provided.

    This is also true in the Vexed area of Customer Declared Living expenses. The technology now available allows the Lenders to identify actual living expenses sorted in to different categories quickly and reliably without having to rely on customer estimates.

    So, the Banks having more reliable information available to them means they are in a stronger position to measure risk and creditworthiness of individual applicants.

    Another area that will improve is in the area of Compliance which has become a clunky inconsistent mess with all the requirements placed on Brokers and Lenders. It’s time consuming, bureaucratic and often nonsensical to do. Borrowers wear the costs in the interest rates and fees that the Banks charge.

    Of course I will confirm again that I have an interest here as a Mortgage Broker.

  22. Victoria @ #1372 Friday, September 25th, 2020 – 2:05 pm

    Gene miles

    And what is even more laughable are those from NSW bragging about their superiority

    If you’re talking about PB, I would say that this has been absolutely not the case, and that posters have gone out of their way to express solidarity with Victorian bludgers.

    Had the boot been on the other foot, I’m not sure the same courtesy would have been extended.

  23. Beemer, I can only respond to the last argument you espouse.

    Are you suggesting a poster must consider every previous position ever adopted by you before responding to your most recent?

  24. Gene Miles
    That’s fine and that is why i asked if you were new because i am not coming to this to excuse Dutton or Morrison because they both should be sacked and kicked out of parliament. Both men have built their political careers on being tough on borders with part of the justification being that boat people need to be checked for possible diseases which is just irony when you look at how they have managed this virus.

  25. My main thought on the situation in Victoria and Melbourne in particular has been a sort of agnostic version of “there but for the grace of God goes NSW and Sydney”.

  26. Greensborough Growler:

    In relation to customer declared living expenses must a customer living with an incurable disease declare private costs relating to that disease? (which in that instance might be termed “not dying, living” expenses)

  27. marquelawyers
    @marquelawyers
    ·
    21m
    It’s been 2 days since Alan Tudge’s conduct was declared criminal by the Federal Court, and he is still a minister.

  28. In his statement, Daniel Andrews says he does not know who made the decision to use private security in it’s hotel quarantine program:

    Which means it must have been Professor Plum in the conservatory with the lead pipe.

  29. Victoria

    There was “planned maintenance” yesterday which they told us would end at 4pm, but the power was off until 9.30. Then this morning a tree fell across the line near me and power off again from 9am until 2.30 pm. There was a little sun this morning but now it’s cold and wet with thunder and I’m feeling mis.

  30. I would rather Andrews reject any future mandatory hotel quarantine program.

    Benita Kolovos
    @benitakolovos
    ·
    5m
    “My view as to the engagement of private security contractors in any future iteration of a mandatory hotel quarantine program will be guided by this Board of Inquiry’s findings and recommendations,” the premier says in his statement. Makes no view of his own.

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