Essential Research leadership ratings and end-of-year review

Scott Morrison’s personal ratings maintain a downward trend, as the government scores middling ratings for its overall performance for the year.

Essential Research has published its final fortnightly poll for the year, which includes its monthly leadership ratings. Scott Morrison is down two on approval to 46% and up two on disapproval to 44%, his weakest numbers since the onset of COVID-19 and a continuation of a downward trend since March. Anthony Albanese is steady on 40% approval and up one on disapproval to 36%. Essential’s numbers for both leaders are consistently more favourable than those for other pollsters. Morrison’s lead on preferred prime minister is down from 44-28 to 42-31, the narrowest it has been all term.

The federal government’s ratings for COVID-19 response have deteriorated after a three-month improving trend, down six on good to 41% and up seven on poor to 32%. The equivalent results for the states record a one point drop in the New South Wales government’s good rating to 54%, an eight point drop in the Victorian government’s rating to 43% and a three point drop for Queensland to 57%. The Western Australian government is up four to 78% and the South Australian government is down three to 57%, with due caution to the tiny sample sizes in these cases.

Respondents were asked about the Coalition’s performance on various matters since it came to power in 2013, and were interestingly given the opportunity to indicate whether the issue was important or unimportant to them in addition to evaluating the government’s performance. Its worst results came for handling sexual assault and misconduct, with 35% from the 50% who rated it poorly considering it an important issue, and handling of corruption allegations, rated likewise by 35% from 49%. However, the government now records neutral ratings on the vaccine rollout and is rated very favourably for the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

As it does at the end of each year, the pollster asked if had been a good or a bad year for various actors, with the federal government deemed to have had a good year by 34% and a poor year by 38%. Thirty-eight per cent considered it had been a good year for them and their family compared with 23% for poor; 37% rated their personal financial situation favourably compared with 30% for unfavourably. As usual, large companies and corporations were deemed to have done best of all, at 52% for good and 21% for poor. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of around 1000.

Another poll worth noting is a Western Australian survey for Painted Dog Research, published today in The West Australian, which found more respondents considering the state’s recently announced opening up date of February 5 to be too soon (36%) than too late (18%), with 46% deeming it right. Mark McGowan was credited with a 77% approval rating, down from 88% in a previous survey in February. The poll was conducted Monday and Tuesday from a sample of 811.

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.

2,431 comments on “Essential Research leadership ratings and end-of-year review”

Comments Page 2 of 49
1 2 3 … 49

  1. Lars

    The evolution of Voices is easy to follow and is all on the public record.

    They developed the format over successive Indi campaigns, and have been active in promoting it in other electorates.

    It’s only a mystery if you haven’t been paying attention.

  3. ”
    Morrison’s lead on preferred prime minister is down from 44-28 to 42-31, the narrowest it has been all term.
    ”

    Although 1 in 3 Australians currently consider Albanese to be preferred PM (A metric I usually consider dubious because ours is representative democracy unless more than half the votes for the party are based on the person leading the party like Indira Gandhi and Modi in India) the trend is in right direction for a person with small target like John Howard leading up to 1996 election.

  4. ”
    Mark McGowan was credited with a 77% approval rating, down from 88% in a previous survey in February. The poll was conducted Monday and Tuesday from a sample of 811.
    ”

    Can any PBer from WA explain why McGowan approval ratings dropped by 11 % points albeit from Putinistic and Xi levels? 🙂

  7. “I thought that Bandt would be announcing that Putin and Xi have flunked Greens’ Peace Studies 101.”

    ***

    Never fear Boerski, your prayers have been answered! Everyone’s new favourite Foreign Minister Comrade Baerbock is on the job!

  8. ”
    bakuninsays:
    Wednesday, December 22, 2021 at 7:48 am
    The Xen/Centre Alliance vote in Boothby at 2016 election was 20.66% vs Labor’s 24.52%. With no CA candidate running at 2019 election every contesting party had a positive swing. Labor was the major beneficiary picking up 7.70%, Greens 3.78%, Liberal 3.50%, the rest to minor parties.

    Jo Dyer running as a Teal is likely to fill the gap left by absence of a Xen/CA type candidate.
    ”

    Jo Dyer should have thrown her hat in Sturt ring.

  12. “3763 in NSW:”

    ***

    Wasn’t it around 3,000 yesterday?? 700+ in one day! The stupidity of opening up now and lifting mask mandates is unbelievable. The entire state will end up infected the way we’re going.

  14. Last Tuesday in NSW:

    A growth of 134 people in hospital and 19 in ICU. Those numbers and the number of deaths will increase with such a large caseload.

    I expect that the growth in cases is baked in for at least a few more days minimum because there have been no rule changes, but I expect personal behaviour will bend the curve down below the expected doomsday scenario, however Xmas family gatherings, last minute shopping and church services will bend the number skyward once more.

  18. ”
    Two years ago, on 16 December, MP Michael McCormack, the then Deputy Prime Minister, was appointed Acting Prime Minister whilst the country burned. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s whereabouts were unknown and despite predictable and growing outrage over a number of days, his office refused to confirm his where he was. Rumours swirled that he was holidaying in Hawaii. His office denied them.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/abscondment-day-a-reminder-of-morrisons-uselessness,15877
    ”

    “I don’t hold a hose, mate”

  20. One of Australia’s former highest ranking medical professionals has slammed the person responsible for leaking the “worst case scenario” Covid-19 modelling.

    Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth labelled the leak of the Doherty Institute’s extreme predictions to national cabinet “without context” a “gross injustice to the Australian people”.

    It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his chief medical officer downplayed experts’ predictions Australia could record up to 200,000 Covid-19 cases a day by late January.

    The modelling, released by the Doherty Institute ahead of Wednesday’s national cabinet meeting, is based on low-to-medium restrictions being in place.

    https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/omicron-cases-could-reach-200000-per-day-without-stricter-covid19-measures/news-story/0b0b56b1dddbb5c40c485be12f7e0d3e

  26. So it seems that the electorate may have more than just two choices for the next election:

    Labor + Independents/Minors = ok climate policy, ok government
    COALition + Independents/Minors = ok climate policy, crap government.
    Labor = crap climate policy, ok government
    COALition = crap climate policy, crap government

    Clearly, we are not quite there yet, and it may end up being too little too late.

    But even so, it is a promising development.

  27. Holdenhillbilly @ #70 Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 – 8:14 am

    Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth labelled the leak of the Doherty Institute’s extreme predictions to national cabinet “without context” a “gross injustice to the Australian people”.

    They can say that, but the leak is never the actual problem. Secrecy is. Without secrecy, we’d have the full context.

  29. What a surprise. Not. Dr Nick Coatesworth was sent out as lackey to the Morrison government to earn his political spurs and criticise The Doherty Institute modelling.. 🙄

  31. Morrison will announce that the States have to lift their game.

    This after announcing that all was open, and everyone could return to doing normal things – personal responsibility of course.

  32. Ven @ #NaN Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 – 8:55 am

    ”
    Mark McGowan was credited with a 77% approval rating, down from 88% in a previous survey in February. The poll was conducted Monday and Tuesday from a sample of 811.
    ”

    Can any PBer from WA explain why McGowan approval ratings dropped by 11 % points albeit from Putinistic and Xi levels? 🙂

    I’m not from WA, though I lived there for 15 years and my kids were born there, so, close enough. 🙂 What I would say is that some people are pissed off that the borders aren’t open for Xmas family reunions. People are fickle like that.

  33. P1

    I’m not sure why you’re investing so much blind belief in the indies.

    They may have ambitious climate targets, but there’s no indication that they understand the work needed to achieve these.

    They are very likely – given their naivete and lack of political understanding – to sign up to a good intention and then baulk at the steps needed to implement it.

    Helen Haines, for example, thinks that the solution is households going renewable – which, even if they all did, would tackle less than 20% of emissions.

    Her other pet climate policy involves penalising alternative energy providers (it’s not her intention, of course, but it’s the logical consequence of her policy).

    And I’m not sure – I can’t find one, and I can’t find any reference to one on her site – that she actually has a target.

    The whole point of indies is that they are not united. Just because one of them has an ambitious target for tackling emissions doesn’t mean that every single one of them does.

    Which means that incoming governments can pick and choose the independents who support the target they’re comfortable with, rather than being forced to go beyond what they were going to do anyway.

  35. Essential Research polls results:

    So far…. so good.

    Keep working hard, everybody, if you truly want to get rid of Scomocchio and his morally and economically bankrupt Neoliberal-Conservative government. Reassured by the support from the mainstream media, the Neoliberal-Conservatives never give up!

  38. Ven,

    Boothby ticks all the boxes for “Voices of” – kick out a Lib and deprive Labor of a seat they need to form majority government. What more could an alliance seeking BOP ask for?

  39. I was just in Coles. I had my mask on. My son didn’t. About 2/3 of the Coles workers did. Bit of slippage in the shoppers. The ones without were in the ‘They think they’re bulletproof’ demographic of 20-40 year olds.

  41. bakunin @ #NaN Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 – 9:46 am

    Ven,

    Boothby ticks all the boxes for “Voices of” – kick out a Lib and deprive Labor of a seat they need to form majority government. What more could an alliance seeking BOP ask for?

    You gotta say, if it happens, and that’s a big IF (there’s a Black Ops campaign against them to come from the Coalition), then you can count on Australia finally getting a FICAC with teeth, integrity legislation when it comes to Women, and a Climate Change package that is meaningful.

  42. Morrison mangling his way through his daily self aggrandisement:

    Morrison:

    As I think people have seen, everything from jobkeeper to the Covid disaster payment, the support we provide to pharmacists and GPs for the vaccination program. I mean, we pay the states to deliver the vaccines, I do not know if people know that.

    RACGP president Dr Karen Price:

    Many practices are operating on wafer thin margins, and some are actually losing money on the vaccine rollout.

    (guardian live stream)

  44. Maybe the WA poll found a bunch of cricket tragics upset that McGowan wouldn’t bend on quarantine rules for a Perth Test.
    The way things are going was a good move

  45. C@

    Yep.

    I was given my first name because it was my father’s pet name for my mother, who was a keen swimmer when they met.

    He told her it meant ‘little fairy fish’.

    She loved it so much it’s engraved on their engagement ring.

    Turns out it means ‘sprat’.

  46. Morrison:

    As I think people have seen, everything from jobkeeper to the Covid disaster payment, the support we provide to pharmacists and GPs for the vaccination program. I mean, we pay the states to deliver the vaccines, I do not know if people know that.

    They’re doing a fucking time-consuming job! Over and above their normal day job. Of course they should be paid! 😡

  50. ItzaDream

    Don’t tell anyone but am I once every few years kind of person when it comes to musicals. This would have been the third for 2021.

    Plus I don’t like the Lyric theatre much.

Comments Page 2 of 49
1 2 3 … 49

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *