Essential Research: leadership ratings and COVID management

Downward motion for Anthony Albanese and the Berejiklian goverment in the latest Essential poll.

First up, note that below this post is a review of recent happenings in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany by Adrian Beaumont.

Now to the fortnightly Essential Research poll, which includes the pollster’s monthly leadership ratings. Scott Morrison’s position has not further declined since last month, with his approval down one to 50% and disapproval steady on 40%. However, Anthony Albanese, who has long done relatively well out of this pollster in consistently recording net positive ratings, has taken a seven-point tumble on approval to 34%, while his disapproval is up three to 38%. The change on preferred prime minister is more modest, with Morrison’s lead out from 46-28 to 45-26. The effects of all this on the BludgerTrack trends can be observed here.

The stabilisation in Morrison’s personal ratings are not matched in the regular question on the government’s response to COVID-19, which has approached net negative territory for the first time with an eight-point drop in good to 38% and a four-point rise in poor to 35%. The Berejiklian government’s good rating of 47% is down seven points on what was already its worst result last month; the Victorian government is up five to 54%; and the Queensland government is down two to 60%. The Western Australian and South Australian ratings of 82% and 73% are off unreliably small samples, but both are well in line with their long-term averages.

Respondents in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia were asked about the lockdowns in their states, the survey period having begun before the Queensland lockdown. Fifty per cent of New South Wales respondents felt the government had not locked down hard enough, compared with 11% for too hard and 39% for about right. By contrast, 71% of Victorian and 85% of South Australian respondents felt their governments had it about right. However, there is some evidence of a shift in attitudes in Victoria in that more felt the lockdown too harsh (23%) than not harsh enough (6%). The respective results in South Australia were 6% and 9%, a difference well within the margin of error.

The poll sample had two bob each way on lockdown support: 47% believed the federal government was doing enough compared with 37% for not enough and 6% for too much, yet 66% supported the return of JobKeeper with only 11% opposed. The lockdown protests of the weekend before last had 18% support with 67% opposed (which is at least more favourable than the numbers reported from New South Wales by Utting Research). The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1057.

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.

1,202 comments on “Essential Research: leadership ratings and COVID management”

Comments Page 21 of 25
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  3. These are the same new Sydney ferries where people cannot stand on the top deck when the ferry goes under two bridges near Parramatta.

    The current problem relates to internal reflections from the windscreen when sailing at night.

    Gladys may have been Transport minister when the order was placed.

    Exclusive

    New Sydney ferries to only operate when the sun is up

    Sydney’s problem-plagued River-class ferries will only be able to operate during daylight hours when they enter service more than a year late. (SMH)

  10. Dr Stephen Parnis (fmr AMA VP): “This Variant spreads like a bushfire.”

    Another bushfire Morrison has been unable to do anything about.

  12. c/- The Guardian

    “Victoria may stop international flights in order to house Victorians in hotel quarantine.”

    That NSW is still taking 50% of this OzWide is quirky. Presumably we would barely know ATM if there are quarantine leaks a-happening.

  13. How long will it be before China offers some of its vaccine to poor struggling Australia?

    I’m being at least partly serious here. An opportunity for some diplomatic one-upmanship on China’s part.

  15. Thrilled Melissa Wu finally medals (apology for using a noun as a verb) – let her carry the flag at the closing ceremony.

  17. Difference to NSW?

    The settings are the same as what ended about a week ago

    Payments are available for those who may miss a shift to be tested – $450

    People ordered into isolation or close contacts will be paid $1500 for the 14 days

    A business package will be announced tomorrow

  19. Dan doesn’t muck about.
    If only the country had more leaders like Dan.
    Tells it straight.
    Snap lockdown State-wide!
    That’s the way you do it!
    Money for casuals (and your chicks for free – did I type that out loud?), HQ to be used for homeless or to assist isolation.
    For a man with a broken back he sure has a spine.
    Answers all questions – never runs.

  21. @Diane_in_SA
    ·
    1h
    When journalists ask Morrison about his very close friendship with this man, will they also ask about his other dodgy mate, the QAnon follower who ‘housesits’ at Kirribilli? Questions the Gaslighter-in-Chief avoided by being at the G7 ….

  22. GG
    “Apparently, Morrison is furious that Gladys redirected vaccines from marginal Federal seats.”

    Seriously, imagine squandering all those valuable vaccines on safe ALP seats in southwestern Sydney! No wonder our mate Scotty is spitting chips.

  25. Brian Houston

    How fortunate he is in the USA after being allowed to go preaching in Mexico! I wonder how high level the tipoff was?

  27. Losing icons like Brian Henderson does hit home and I get the sadness in NSW with his death.

    Had the same impact in Vic when Brian Naylor was lost in the Black Saturday inferno.

  28. Morrison’s little edifices slowly starting to crumble. Well done Senator Patrick.

    “For almost 40 years Australians have had a legal right under the Freedom of Information Act 1984 to access information relating to intergovernmental meetings, subject only to a test of public harm. Last year Prime Minister Morrison tried to take that right away. He did not ask the Parliament to change the law, he just declared that National Cabinet to be part of the Federal Cabinet and as such exempt under the Cabinet secrecy exemption of the FOI Act.”

    “That arrogant declaration has now been overturned.”

    “Justice White’s critically important decision clarified the foundations of Cabinet Government and shows that the Prime Minister must operate within the well-established conventions of responsible government and the law.”

    “Mr Morrison cannot just make things up as he goes along to suit his political interests and convenience.”

  29. Shellbell

    If Samantha like, I could twitch my nose and magically be somewhere else, this is where I would like to be on Friday night.

    https://cairnscalendar.com.au/event/wow-australia-spinifex-gum-with-marliya-choir/

    Yes please!

    We got to go to Cairns for the first week in June, and stayed just near the performing arts centre. Beautiful city, and warm. And a very interesting arts culture.

    Came back to Sydney, house not heated in a week, and it was freezing. Colder than I remember Sydney in a long time. Took 24 hours to warm back up.

    I still think that was the week when Sydney’s luck ran out. Before that our sunny winter’s days did quite a bit to keep us safe. Went to Ikea at Tempe three days after getting back – too cold to do anything else – Ikea was packed – and we had friends coming from the Blue Mountains for a sleepover and decided a few new bedclothes were in order. So, it seemed like a good day to do indoor things.

    The day after we went, Wed 16th, Ikea Tempe was a “Close contact site, 14 days quarantine”. Missed it by that much. But we cancelled out get-together planned for the next weekend 🙁

    Still, we will always have Cairns. Sigh.

  30. B.S. Fairman @ Thursday, August 5, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    Nine Entertainment Co has Costello’s hand on the tiller. So a more pertinent question is what is the game being played…

  31. Dr Darren Saunders
    @whereisdaz
    ·
    3m
    As good a day as any to remind everyone that this current outbreak came from not having a system in place to make sure people regularly exposed to infectious incoming air-crew were vaccinated, adequately protected, and regularly tested.
    Insane, unforgivable.

    ***
    Think about the relative cost and ease of setting up that system, compared to what we’re all dealing with now.

  32. The daily Pollyanna report by michael from Menzies House:

    “Through 13 million doses yesterday and a record 221,859 for the day. Still needs to climb further.”

    What we actually need is a TARDIS to take the roll out back to the beginning of May – those numbers would have been a bare pass mark THEN.

    NOW? Those numbers reflect a looming catastrophe when Delta was now likely beaten us.

  33. Apparently, Tingle has a Fauci interview on her final night in the chair tonight!

    Laura Tingle
    @latingle
    My last night filling in for
    @leighsales
    on
    @abc730
    . I’m talking to Dr Anthony Fauci, epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely on the latest lockdowns &
    @bridgeyb
    on a big (not necessarily satisfactory) day for First Nations Australians on Closing the Gap & a Voice to the Parliament

  34. Q: Thrilled Melissa Wu finally medals (apology for using a noun as a verb) – let her carry the flag at the closing ceremony.
    Agreed- but we have a lot of high performing athletes to choose from!

  35. So Houston Jnr. is finally issued with a notice to appear in court in October over the alleged failure to report Houston Snr’s sexual assault of boys in the ’60s & ’70s.*

    The questions that need answering are: why has it taken so long; why was the older Houston allowed to continue preaching in Canberra after laicization; and, when did Houston, B’s second-best friend Morrison become aware of the matter?

    That’s not to imply that the PM is expressly or impliedly guilty of anything; it just goes to his choice of a friend, who, inter alia, was denied a security pass to the White House. If this wasn’t a red flag, I don’t know what it would take to unfriend a man who allegedly attempted to protect his paedophile father.

    In NSW, for example:

    [‘Failing to report information to police without a reasonable excuse will be an offence punishable by up to two years imprisonment. The penalty will be five years if the person has accepted any benefit in exchange for failing to report.’]

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/19/sex-abuse-victim-pursues-hillsongs-brian-houston-over-crimes-of-his-father

  39. Shellbell @ #1014 Thursday, August 5th, 2021 – 5:31 pm

    Thrilled Melissa Wu finally medals (apology for using a noun as a verb) – let her carry the flag at the closing ceremony.

    There will be very few at the closing ceremony. The athletes have to leave the village within two days of their final event. That’s Saturday, so she may be on a plane by then.

  45. Ouch: NSW woman, 34, becomes Australia’s seventh AstraZeneca-related death

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-05/nsw-woman-becomes-australia-seventh-astrazeneca-related-death/100354032

    Spent half an hour on phone with son before his AZ dose this afternoon. Went through all the risks, and he went ahead with it.

    I hope people who have AZ are being enough information to know when to seek medical help: i.e the symptoms of thrombocytopenia.

    Any information from medicos very welcome, but from what I have read, thrombocytopenia is relatively easily treated if picked up. Picking it up relies on people being told to look out for symptoms such as blurred vision (among other things), and getting a quick test to make sure they do not have it. Or getting them fast treatment if they do.

  46. Savva opined this morning the murmuring rumour that Greg the Lyin’ Hunt has had enough, and will retire at the next election.

  47. C@tmomma says:
    Thursday, August 5, 2021 at 5:18 pm
    They have chosen another pretty locale for their press conference in Victoria.

    They are the gardens at the back of Parliament House

  48. sprocket
    “Savva opined this morning the murmuring rumour that Greg the Lyin’ Hunt has had enough”

    The feeling is mutual. So opine I.

  50. Player 1
    We would only get Sinovac to make AZ look good.
    .
    Chilean study shows variations in success of COVID-19 vaccines

    In April, the same study found that CoronaVac (sinovac)was 67% effective in preventing symptomatic illness, 85% effective in preventing hospitalizations and 80% effective in preventing deaths,

    Pfizer’s vaccine was 87.7% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in the same period, 98% effective in preventing intensive care admission and 100% effective in preventing death, Araos said.

    AstraZeneca’s was 68.7% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in the same period, 98% effective in preventing intensive care admissions and 100% effective in preventing death, Araos said.
    https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/sinovacs-covid-19-vaccine-585-effective-preventing-illness-chile-real-world-2021-08-03/

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