Essential Research: Morrison approval and gender issues

A new poll finds an unprecedented gender gap opening up on prime ministerial approval.

Essential Research has seized the day in its latest fortnightly survey with new personal ratings for Scott Morrison, in addition to its normal montly reading (together with Anthony Albanese’s and the preferred prime minister rating) which came in the last poll. The results are broadly similar to Newspoll’s in finding Morrison down five on approval to 57% and up six on disapproval to 35%.

However, the real kicker is the accompanying gender breakdowns, which have Morrison steady at 65% approval and up two on disapproval to 30% among men, but down ten on approval to 49% and up ten on disapproval to 40% among women. This 16% gender gap on prime ministerial approval is twice as big as the Newspoll record from 1996 to the present, which came when Tony Abbott scored 42% among men and 34% among women in January-March 2014 (the biggest the other way was when Julia Gillard scored 38% among women and 31% among men in April-June 2011).

Further questions from the survey continue on this theme: presented with five propositions as to why there are fewer women than men in parliament, the most popular was that “political parties do not do enough to ensure gender equality in their organisations”, with which 63% agreed. Forty-eight per cent indicated support for gender quotas, with 36% opposed. Variations by party support were in the directions you would expect, but were not of great magnitude.

On other fronts, the poll finds respondents taking a mostly positive view of the causalisation of the workforce: while they were most likely to believe it was good for employers, at 65% versus 11% for bad, 46% felt it had been good for the economy, 42% for indivdual workers and 41% for the nation, compared with respective bad ratings of 19%, 29% and 26%. However, 84% expressed support for the right of workers to convert from casual to permanent employment after six months, with only 10% opposed, and 80% felt gig-based workers with regular hours should be recognised with permanent employment, with only 8% opposed.

For good measure, the poll finds 48% supportive for a republic and 28% opposed, although the question emphasises “a republic with an Australian head of state”, which tends to encourage a positive result. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1100.

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.

2,132 comments on “Essential Research: Morrison approval and gender issues”

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  1. Scott says:
    Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 7:00 am
    The Victorian Libs/nats every day says Victoria must follow Gladys gold standards in NSW

    Jodi McKay
    @JodiMcKayMP
    ·
    10h
    Here’s what happened today

    1. Lewd text messages involving the MP for Upper Hunter revealed
    2. Day two of the ICAC hearing into the MP for Drummoyne
    3. Ms Berejiklian referred to ICAC again for rorting grants and shredding documents

    Welcome to NSW, folks.

  2. Re Scott @6:45

    ”The latest corona virus outbreaks should put another nail into Morrison and his cronies election chances.”

    There’ll be a concerted campaign to attack and blame the Qld Government should the outbreaks take hold.

  3. The SmearStralian has this ‘Exclusive’ behind the paywall…

    ‘Andrews promoted after she made my life hell, says female staffer
    A senior Liberal adviser has taken stress leave from Karen Andrews’ office after claiming the new Home Affairs Minister bullied, humiliated and victimised her over a six-month period.’

  4. This proposed Labor policy on EVs is good, but there is a simpler and cheaper one that would be more effective. Extend the tax writeoff rules for all corporate and fleet purchases from 4WDs and Utes to include EVs, then start gradually winding back the former. Within 3 to 5 years a large number of EVs would start flowing to private buyers via the second hand market. Net impact on tax revenue would be zero, since corporate and fleet buys are already getting written off anyway, and the 4WD utes are all $45K+.
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-31/labor-promises-cheaper-electric-cars/100039794

  5. A NSW by-election could be on the cards…

    ‘The Nationals and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers are scouting for candidates as they brace for a byelection in the Upper Hunter after it emerged the sitting MP offered a sex worker $1000 for sex in NSW Parliament House.

    Labor would contest a byelection in the Upper Hunter and One Nation would also be expected to run, after its strong performance in the neighbouring seat of Hunter in the 2019 federal election.

    Senior Coalition ministers joined Deputy Premier John Barilaro in calling for the immediate resignation of Michael Johnsen on Tuesday after the ABC revealed Mr Johnsen also sent the woman lewd text messages and an obscene video while Parliament was sitting.’

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nationals-shooters-scouting-for-candidates-as-they-brace-for-nsw-byelection-20210330-p57fcl.html

  6. sprocket_

    ‘Andrews promoted after she made my life hell, says female staffer
    A senior Liberal adviser has taken stress leave from Karen Andrews’

    What else did the staffer expect from a ‘Karen’ 🙂

  7. It is only Wednesday, and Promo’s new women’s cabinet appointee stunt is unravelling faster than the botched vaccination rollout…. the detail in this Sam Maiden story is troubling.

    ‘Australian of the Year Grace Tame has slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison for elevating Liberal Senator Amanda Stoker, accusing her of endorsing a “fake rape” crisis tour and undermining survivors of sexual assault.

    The Queensland senator, who is regarded as a rising star among conservatives, was appointed to a new role as Assistant Women’s Minister in the frontbench reshuffle.

    But it is Senator Stoker’s campaign against “deeply flawed” disciplinary procedures at university for men accused of sexual harassment and rape that Ms Tame said was so concerning she should not be allowed anywhere near the portfolio.

    “The new Assistant Minister for Women is someone who previously endorsed a ‘fake rape crisis’ tour, aimed at falsifying instances of sexual abuse on school and university campuses across Australia,’’ Ms Tame said, during a discussion with Kerry O’Brien at a Griffith University event.

    https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/grace-tame-blasts-scott-morrisons-assistant-minister-for-women-amanda-stoker/news-story/c475bfbff619a63cee1492129e92e038

  8. A general election in NSW may be something the Liberals wouldn’t be too concerned about.

    They only need to lose a confidence vote on the floor to bring it on.

    Assuming the kerb crawler resigns – and the numbers are down one – how would a vote go?

  9. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has annointed Senator Anne Ruston as Minister for Women’s Safety, implying a new caring responsibility has been added to her portfolio of Families and Social Services.

    In fact, it’s no more than a branding exercise, giving a fancy title to a responsibility she’s had since she took over the portfolio in May 2019.

    Morrison should know as, when he had the portfolio himself in 2014-15, he, too, was responsible for women’s safety. As was Kevin Andrews and Christian Porter and Dan Tehan and Paul Fletcher.

    Between 2013 and 2019 these five men each had a turn at being social services minister and each was required to administer the national plan.

    That is the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022, a carefully designed program created by Tanya Plibersek, when she was minister for the status of women in the Rudd government, to develop a long-term strategy for addressing domestic violence and sexual assault.

    The plan was officially launched by Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2011, after being signed off on by all state and territory leaders. Social services minister Jenny Macklin, who had recently delivered the country’s first Paid Parental Leave scheme, was given the job of pursuing its unambiguous target: to achieve “a significant and sustained reduction in violence against women and children, during the next 12 years, from 2010 to 2022”.

    Before Labor lost office in 2013, the basic edifice had been put in place: the 1800RESPECT telephone helpline, Our Watch to raise awareness of domestic violence, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, or ANROWS, to provide the evidence base for policy development among other initiatives.

    The “significant and sustained reduction” in violence was meant to follow.

    It has not happened.

    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/anne-ruston-s-new-job-is-a-rebranding-of-her-old-job-but-the-time-for-political-tricks-is-over-20210330-p57f73.html

  10. grace pettigrew
    @broomstick33
    ·
    10m
    #RNBreakfast Fran tells Albanese that Morrison has announced a $1B guided missile program, to create jobs .. Albo says he announced that a year ago at the Eden-Monaro by-election

  11. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/mixed-history-for-some-female-ministers-now-promoting-gender-equality-20210330-p57fb9.html

    Senator Payne said on Tuesday the new ministerial taskforce — which also includes Mr Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and Finance Minister Simon Birmingham — was an important opportunity for women.

    Coffee – then advise daughters of impending opportunities ……☕☕

  12. Alastair Nicholson
    @alasnich
    ·
    14m
    A stinging article in today’s Age by Ross Gittins nails the Morrison Government’s attitude to Royal Commission recommendations including those of the Bank and Aged Care Commissions. This is to do nothing.

  13. Gazumped again!
    ___________

    Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Rob Harris outlines Anthony Albanese’s pitch to be “the PM for every Australian”.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/we-need-a-seismic-cultural-shift-albanese-s-pitch-to-be-pm-for-every-australian-20210330-p57fdv.html
    Katina Curtis explains how some of the women on Scott Morrison’s new ministerial taskforce have a mixed history of standing up for gender equality.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/mixed-history-for-some-female-ministers-now-promoting-gender-equality-20210330-p57fb9.html
    Paul Kelly says that promoting women in the Liberal Party isn’t enough, because the heart of the problem is its culture.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/pressure-on-coalition-women-to-set-the-pace/news-story/33b5ce8dffe370bba9b9479006018d57
    Scott Morrison’s dirt unit – the one that briefs the Prime Minister on gossip about press gallery bureaux but apparently not about alleged rape in a minister’s office down the hall – is worse than it seemed last week, writes Michael Pascoe.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2021/03/30/michael-pascoe-scott-morrison-mud-throwing/
    According to Paul Bongiorno, shuffling deck chairs can’t save a sinking ship.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/03/30/paul-bongiorno-ministerial-reshuffle/
    Anne Ruston’s new job is a rebranding of her old job, but the time for political tricks is over, argues Anne Summers.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/anne-ruston-s-new-job-is-a-rebranding-of-her-old-job-but-the-time-for-political-tricks-is-over-20210330-p57f73.html
    Cait Kelly writes that not even empathy trainers think courses will fix the culture in Parliament.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/03/30/empathy-training-parliament/
    The Australian tells us that a senior Liberal adviser has taken stress leave from Karen Andrews’ office after claiming the new Home Affairs Minister bullied, humiliated and victimised her over a six-month period.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/home-affairs-minister-karen-andrews-promoted-after-she-made-my-life-hell-says-female-staffer/news-story/b244816cdd17a297990df590af6a6b9f
    Peter Martin explains why the true cost of the government’s changes to JobSeeker is incalculable. He says the government does not learn from its mistakes.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7189489/the-incalculable-cost-of-ignorance/?cs=14258
    In quite a hit job on Morrison, Sean Carney reckons leadership is about more than being able to hold on to power.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/leadership-is-about-more-than-being-able-to-hold-on-to-power-20210330-p57fb4.html
    Daniel McCulloch and Matt Coughlan say that Scott Morrison’s attempts to drag his government out of crisis over the treatment of women have been obliterated by the disturbing behaviour of disgraced backbencher Andrew Laming.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7186571/coalition-torn-on-disgraced-andrew-laming/?cs=14350
    Local tech leaders are dismayed at Christian Porter’s appointment to the Industry, Science and Technology role, saying it shows how little importance the Coalition attaches to the portfolio.
    https://www.afr.com/technology/porter-appointment-to-tech-ministry-shows-portfolio-is-a-parking-lot-20210330-p57f7w
    Ben Butler writes that experts are saying at least 5,000 Australian companies will go broke in the next three months due to the jobkeeper wage subsidy ending and other factors including insolvency rules returning to pre-Covid settings.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/31/more-than-5000-australian-businesses-to-collapse-in-next-three-months-experts-say
    Only 22 per cent of Australians believe politicians act in the public interest, and just 27 per cent believe they prioritise voters over donors, highlighting a dangerous disconnect between electors and their representatives, writes Ronald Mizen. He is referring to the annual Next25 Navigator Public Interest Index showed Australians, on the whole, are deeply unhappy with their public institutions.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/clear-fail-for-the-political-class-faith-in-institutions-crumbles-20210330-p57f88
    The AFR thinks Brisbane is looking at an Easter lockdown extension.
    https://www.afr.com/companies/tourism/brisbane-faces-extended-lockdown-20210330-p57f5m
    Kate Aubusson refers to a world-first Australian report that says one in three Australian COVID-19 patients still has symptoms eight months after being infected, and neither age nor a mild bout of the virus is protective.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/sick-for-the-long-haul-one-third-of-covid-19-patients-have-symptoms-for-eight-months-20210330-p57fbl.html
    Australia has administered nearly 600,000 doses of the Covid vaccine, which is 3.4m shots short of a 4m dose target set by the prime minister, Scott Morrison, for the end of March, reports Naaman Zhou.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/31/missed-it-by-that-much-australia-falls-34m-doses-short-of-4m-vaccination-target-by-end-of-march
    Matthew Knott reports that the Morrison government has joined 13 other countries, including the Biden administration in the US, to express their “shared concerns” about the World Health Organisation’s report into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/australia-us-express-shared-concerns-about-who-coronavirus-origins-report-20210331-p57ffv.html
    Ross Gittins writing about the Hayne and Aged Care Royal Commissions says, “With Scott Morrison hit by a seemingly unending series of headline-making problems, his standard techniques for dealing with them are getting easier to detect. He sees them not so much as policy deficiencies to be rectified as political embarrassments to be “managed” away.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/banks-bad-guys-one-minute-put-upon-credit-providers-the-next-20210330-p57f6t.html
    Timn Jacks reports on a Victorian anti-corruption inquiry hearing that subcontractors working for a cleaning company that stands accused of bribing senior transport bureaucrats may have been “shell companies” that were headed by “dummy directors”.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/ibac-hearing-rail-cleaning-subcontractors-accused-of-being-shell-companies-20210330-p57f83.html
    Angus Thompson writes about a report finding that a $252 million grants fund handled by the Berejiklian government was deliberately devised to accommodate pork-barrelling, punish councils who objected to forced amalgamations, and win seats ahead of the 2019 state election.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/252-million-fund-designed-to-win-seats-and-punish-councils-inquiry-finds-20210330-p57f8p.html
    Alexandra Smith tells us that the Nationals and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers are scouting for candidates as they brace for a byelection in the Upper Hunter after it emerged the sitting MP offered a sex worker $1000 for sex in NSW Parliament House.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nationals-shooters-scouting-for-candidates-as-they-brace-for-nsw-byelection-20210330-p57fcl.html
    According to Mike Foley, Labor looks set to avoid internal controversy over its energy policy when its national policy platform is debated on Wednesday as it lays the ground for a battle with the federal government over environmental laws.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-heads-off-internal-energy-battle-builds-platform-for-environmental-attack-on-government-20210330-p57fal.html
    Anthony Albanese is promising to cut the prices of electric cars in Australia if Labor wins the next federal election.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/make-electric-cars-cheaper-labor-promises-tax-breaks-for-evs-battery-storage-20210330-p57f8y.html
    The Guardian has a more detailed look at this.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/31/labor-unveils-first-electric-vehicle-policy-since-coalition-said-party-was-waging-war-on-the-weekend
    Resurrecting Australia’s car industry, a path back to ‘full employment’, and a vastly more generous paid parental leave would be headline reforms under a Labor government, with the opposition saying the nation “can’t go back” to pre-pandemic rules, reports Josh Butler.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/03/30/labor-conference-2021/
    Chris Uhlmann has written a piece that lost me not too far in. See if you can make it to the end.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/an-australia-at-war-with-itself-is-ill-prepared-for-these-dangerous-times-20210330-p57f6j.html
    Australia will gain the capacity to make its own guided missiles in a $1 billion federal plan to build a new weapons facility with a global arms manufacturer, preparing for greater tensions in the region, writes David Crowe.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-to-build-its-own-missiles-with-1bn-guided-weapons-facility-20210330-p57fdm.html
    ANZ’s retail boss, Mark Hand, says restrictions on home lending are not on the regulatory radar but could be an option to slow down sky-rocketing property prices.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/anz-s-retail-boss-says-lending-curbs-not-imminent-20210330-p57f7e.html
    In a very clear explanation, Rachel Lane tells us that one of the biggest myths in aged care is that you need to sell your home to stump up the cash for an often-hefty Refundable Accommodation Deposit when moving into a residential care home.
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/you-don-t-need-to-sell-your-house-to-fund-residential-aged-care-20210329-p57f0w.html
    How many anti-vaxxers does it take to misinform the world? Just twelve, writes Arwa Mahdawi.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/30/how-many-anti-vaxxers-does-it-take-to-misinform-the-world-just-twelve
    These scientists tell us how seriously ugly Australia will look if the world heats by 3℃ this century.
    https://theconversation.com/seriously-ugly-heres-how-australia-will-look-if-the-world-heats-by-3-this-century-157875
    Chris Barrett writes that Kevin Rudd has joined with 45 former country leaders and foreign ministers from around the world in calling on the United Nations to intervene to stop the bloodbath in Myanmar, saying “we don’t have any other card left to play”.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/tipping-point-rudd-among-45-ex-leaders-calling-for-myanmar-intervention-20210330-p57fbt.html

    Cartoon Corner

    David Pope

    David Rowe

    Fiona Katauskas

    Peter Broelman


    Cathy Wilcox

    Mark Knight

    John Spooner

    From the US









  14. I’m confused. Who is in charge of administering the vaccine? The feds or the states?

    9News Queensland
    @9NewsQueensland
    ·
    22m
    Queensland has only administered 60 percent of their COVID jabs, meanwhile, health workers have been treating infected patients while unvaccinated.

    “They have done three-fifths of bugger all and they are holding this nation back,” says MP David Littleproud. #9News

  15. https://www.health.gov.au/node/18777/australias-covid-19-vaccination-policy

    The Vaccination Policy outlines that the Australian Government will have responsibility for, but not limited to:
    – selecting and purchasing safe and effective vaccines approved by the TGA
    – arranging the safe transportation of vaccine doses from suppliers to the storage and administration sites
    – prioritising at-risk population groups for immunisation, as advised by ATAGI
    – specifying the types of locations vaccination should take place.

    State and territory governments will each be responsible for developing their COVID-19 vaccination implementation plans, in line with the national COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and Australian Government expectations.

  16. Much appreciation BK.

    The article you included in today’s report regarding the myth regarding the sale of home for aged care is a timely one for my family.
    My parents are being assessed next week for aged care services. My father although older than mum and less mobile due to back condition, is as sharp as a tack. My mother on the other hand, after her recent fall is exhibiting concerning symptoms of dementia. We have been told that it will be sooner than later, when she will no longer be safe in the home environment.
    Sigh….

  17. Vic:

    It’s the feds who are responsible for identifying who is eligible for vaccines. As I understand it those people administering vaccines are in the first tranche of priority population groups and and are therefore eligible to be vaccinated.

    Perhaps the feds should make it mandatory that high risk workers are vaccinated, instead of optional.

  18. Fess

    Thanks. Agreed.

    I’m fed up with the feds always doing the buck passing,
    Their only purpose appears to be ensuring that public monies find a way into the private coffers of friends.

    Talk later.

  19. Thank you, BK

    ‘These scientists tell us how seriously ugly Australia will look if the world heats by 3℃ this century.
    https://theconversation.com/seriously-ugly-heres-how-australia-will-look-if-the-world-heats-by-3-this-century-157875

    Yep. Hell.

    China@28% contributes twice as much as the next contributor to this hell. Its contributions of filthy coal-fired CO2 emissions is now more than the rest of the world combined.

    And increasing.

    Looking back at the failure of W-E’s 50 years of diplomatic looking the other way, the key moment was picked up by Rudd when the Chinese finally laid it on the line that they were going to cook the planet, regardless.

    Rudd’s response? ‘Ratfuckers.’ He should have said, ‘Earthfuckers.’

    I blame the United States.

  20. Thanks BK for the Dawn Patrol.

    Chris Uhlmann has written a piece that lost me not too far in. See if you can make it to the end.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/an-australia-at-war-with-itself-is-ill-prepared-for-these-dangerous-times-20210330-p57f6j.html

    I tried – jumped to equally confused article …

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/china-s-letter-shows-australia-won-t-be-out-of-the-diplomatic-freezer-20201118-p56fqr.html

    and back. Mr. Uhlmann writes in a circuitous fashion eventually disappearing up his own glossary. I’m no wiser for his efforts.

  21. States are responsible for planning and implementing vaccinations within their state.

    It also makes no sense to give a state government a pass for switching off their brain and relying on the Federal government to tell them that it would be sensible to priorities frontline workers dealing with covid.

    That’s not to say the Federal government shouldn’t also properly identify priority targets, just that they are *both* responsible.

  22. I expect that there would be stockpiles of vaccines. They wouldn’t be jabbed into someone’s arm the minute they roll off the delivery van. Whether 40% is excessive I don’t know. What percentage of the vaccine have NSW, where rollout is proceeding at a snail’s pace, used? SA? Tas?

  23. In fact, whether 40% is true, I don’t know. What credibility has that number? Zero if it was spoken by someone in the Morrison Government or one of their propaganda outlets.

  24. Well considering the first and second jabs are meant to be from the same batch, wouldn’t part of the “stockpile” reflect this?

  25. If we had enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone (the Federal government’s responsibilty), then arguably we should just be rolling it out as fast as possible. We don’t, so whether you stockpile or not is simply a question of strategy. Holding on to provides future flexiblity.

  26. The UK haul of cartoons:
    Steve Bell on Boris Johnson’s new £2.6m press briefing room:

    Dave Brown’s Covid Memorial Wall:

    Patrick Blower on the Global Pandemic Response:

    Christian Adams on the same subject:

    Patrick Blower on Restrictions Easing (with apologies to David Hockney)

  27. The current overall limit on vaccination rates is manufacturing. Queensland could rush through their current stockpile and then they’d run out and they’d be back to waiting anyway.

  28. We are both in Group 1b for Covid Vax.
    I just checked and our GP is in the list of providers – but no appointments available.
    Probably only got allocated 50 doses and used that very quickly.

    At least progress in that they are in the list now, which they were not last time I checked.

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