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  • Feb, 2021

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    State government response to Covid-19

    Q. How would you rate your state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?

    TOTAL: Good 15/02 01/02 30/11 16/11 02/11 05/10 21/09 07/09 24/08 10/08 27/07 13/07
    NSW 72% 71% 76% 75% 68% 65% 67% 57% 59% 61% 62% 63%
    VIC 59% 61% 60% 59% 55% 45% 47% 50% 47% 49% 53% 49%
    QLD 76% 78% 72% 71% 69% 69% 68% 66% 73% 68% 67% 69%
    SA 79% 80% 70% 76% 77% 81% 81% 74% 65% 72% 76% 79%
    WA 88% 80% 83% 82% 81% 83% 84% 87% 84% 86% 82% 77%
    • As Victoria entered a snap 5-day lockdown, the rating of the VIC government dropped to 59% (from 61% earlier this month).
    • Positive rating of the WA government has increased to 88% (from 80% earlier this month). This is the highest rating in the last six months.
    • Positive rating of the QLD government has fallen slightly to 76% (from 78% earlier this month). Ratings of the NSW and SA government remain virtually unchanged at 72% and 79% respectively.
  • Feb, 2021

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    Better leadership during Covid-19 – PM vs state leader

    Q. Who do you think has demonstrated better leadership qualities throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia?

      TOTAL: All states
    Prime Minister Scott Morrison 30%
    TOTAL: State Premier / Chief Minister 52%
    Don’t know 19%
    Base (n) 1,109
    • The majority of people (52%) think their state leaders have demonstrated better leadership qualities throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia than the Prime Minister.
    • About a third (30%) think the opposite is true – that the PM has performed better than state leaders and 19% don’t know.
    • The pattern of people thinking their state leader has demonstrated better leadership qualities throughout the pandemic than the Prime Minister is consistent across each state. This is most apparent in WA where 76% think their premier, Mark McGowan, has demonstrated better leadership than Scott Morrison.
    • Note: Due to small base sizes results for ACT, TAS and NT are not shown.
      TOTAL: NSW TOTAL: VIC TOTAL: QLD TOTAL: SA TOTAL: WA
    Prime Minister Scott Morrison 29% 34% 32% 29% 19%
    State Premier / Chief Minister 44% 49% 55% 50% 76%
    Don’t know 27% 17% 13% 21% 5%
    Base (n) 338 297 225 91 107
  • Feb, 2021

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    Attitudes towards Craig Kelly controversy and Scott Morrison’s leadership

    Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about Liberal MP Craig Kelly sharing Covid-19 misinformation (e.g. advocating unproven treatments, claiming vaccines cannot be trusted, comparing masks to child abuse)?

    TOTAL: Agree Total Federal Voting Intention
    Labor TOTAL: Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
    Scott Morrison has shown poor leadership in how he has responded to Craig Kelly’s behaviour 41% 52% 32% 52% 47%
    Craig Kelly is more interested in sharing Covid-19 misinformation and building his media profile than representing his constituency 56% 60% 58% 70% 56%
    Craig Kelly’s behaviour is undermining Scott Morrison’s leadership by contradicting the Prime Minister on Covid-19 facts 57% 61% 60% 63% 55%
    Base (n) 1,109 359 428 101 131
    • Over half (57%) agree that Craig Kelly’s behaviour is undermining Scott Morrison’s leadership by contradicting the Prime Minister on Covid-19 facts and over half (56%) also agree that Craig Kelly is more interested in sharing Covid-19 misinformation and building his media profile than representing his constituency.
    • Greens voters are more likely to agree with these two statements than other voters. Minor and independent party voters are the least likely to agree.
    • 41% agree Scott Morrison has shown poor leadership in how he has responded to Craig Kelly’s behaviour. Labor and Greens voters are more likely to agree with this statement than Coalition and minor and independent party voters (52% and 52% to 32% and 47% respectively).
  • Feb, 2021

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    Views towards federal vs state government responsibility to manage Covid-19 hotel quarantine system

    Q. Which of the following statements about Australia’s international borders and the Covid-19 hotel quarantine system for returning travellers is closest to your view?

      Total Federal Voting Intention
    Labor TOTAL: Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
    It should be the federal government’s responsibility to protect Australia’s international borders and manage the hotel quarantine system 62% 63% 59% 57% 67%
    It should be each state governments’ responsibility to quarantine travellers returning within their borders and the federal government should be left out of this 38% 37% 41% 43% 33%
    Base (n) 1,109 359 428 101 131
    • More people think it should be the federal government’s responsibility to protect Australia’s international borders and manage the hotel quarantine system, than those who think it should be each state governments’ responsibility to quarantine travellers returning within their borders (62% to 38%).
    • The view that this should be a federal rather than state government responsibility is consistent across all voting intentions.
  • Feb, 2021

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    Attitudes towards Covid-19 pandemic and reopening Australia’s borders

    Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia and our national borders?

      TOTAL:  Agree TOTAL: Disagree   Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Unsure
    I want things to return to how they were before the Covid-19 pandemic 71% 8%   45% 26% 19% 7% 2% 2%
    I don’t think I could stand another lockdown 43% 29%   24% 19% 25% 18% 11% 3%
    After the vaccine has been rolled out, Australia should slowly and safely reopen its borders 67% 11%   31% 36% 17% 6% 4% 5%
    We should keep our borders closed until the pandemic is under control globally 71% 12%   43% 28% 15% 7% 5% 3%
    • While 7 in 10 (71%) agree that we should keep our borders closed until the pandemic is under control globally, 67% agree that after the vaccine has been rolled out, Australia should slowly and safely reopen its borders.
    • 7 in 10 (71%) agree that they want things to return to how they were before the Covid-19 pandemic.
    • 43% don’t think they could stand another lockdown. About a third (29%) disagree and a quarter (25%) neither agree nor disagree with this statement.
  • Feb, 2021

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    Biggest Covid-19-related risks for employees

    Q. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which of the following risks do you think employees are currently the most vulnerable to?

    Please rank each of the following from biggest risk (1) to smallest risk (6).

    TOTAL: Biggest risk (Ranked 1)  Total Employment Status
    In paid employment Not in paid employment Retired
    Having less job security 36% 34% 40% 35%
    Working in unsafe conditions 20% 18% 24% 19%
    Being exploited by employers (e.g. being expected to work unpaid overtime, working long shifts) 16% 16% 15% 15%
    Not receiving a pay increase 10% 12% 6% 13%
    Not getting paid fairly 10% 11% 8% 7%
    Having limited opportunities for career progression 9% 9% 6% 11%
    Base (n) 1,109 552 259 255
    • Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, having less job security is seen as the biggest risk for employees by over a third (36%) of people.
    • Working in unsafe conditions is seen as the next biggest risk (20%), followed by being exploited by employers (16%).
    • Those not in paid employment are most likely to rate job security (40%) and unsafe conditions (24%) as the biggest risk to employees.
  • Feb, 2021

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    Views towards 2050 net zero emissions target

    Q. In a recent speech, Scott Morrison stated Australia’s goal is to “…reach net zero emissions as soon as possible, and preferably by 2050”.

    However, the Prime Minister did not formally commit to this goal or specify how the federal government plans to achieve it.

    ‘Net zero’ carbon emissions means a situation when Australia’s carbon emissions become less than or equal to the amount of carbon we are removing from the atmosphere.

    Which of the following is closer to your view?

      Total Federal Voting Intention
    Labor TOTAL: Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
    We need to set a target for when we will get carbon emissions down to ‘net zero’, and worry about setting dates for reductions along the way later 32% 36% 31% 38% 33%
    It is more important that we set realistic targets for reducing our emissions by 2030, than having a target date for achieving net zero 58% 57% 57% 62% 50%
    We shouldn’t have targets for reducing carbon emissions 9% 7% 12% 1% 17%
    Base (n) 1,109 359 428 101 131
    • Most people prefer the government to set concrete targets for reducing emissions, rather than setting a target date for achieving net zero emissions in the future.
    • Over half (58%) of people think it is more important that we set realistic targets for reducing our emissions by 2030, than having a target date for achieving net zero. This is the prevalent view across all voting intentions.
    • Just over a third (32%) think we need to set a target for when we will get carbon emissions down to ‘net zero’, and worry about setting dates for reductions along the way later. 9% think we shouldn’t have targets for reducing carbon emissions.
  • Feb, 2021

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    Support towards excluding agriculture from 2050 net zero emissions target

    Q. The deputy PM Michael McCormack says agriculture could be excluded from the new 2050 net zero emissions target because regional Australia is still recovering from drought, bushfires, flood and the Covid-19 pandemic, and this target will “…hurt regional Australia”.

    To what extent do you support or oppose this proposition to exclude agriculture from the new 2050 net zero emissions target? 

      Total Federal Voting Intention
      Labor TOTAL: Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
    Strongly support 17% 10% 26% 8% 22%
    Somewhat support 27% 31% 29% 21% 17%
    Somewhat oppose 17% 19% 15% 18% 17%
    Strongly oppose 15% 16% 10% 30% 20%
    Unsure 24% 24% 20% 22% 23%
    TOTAL: Support 44% 41% 55% 29% 39%
    TOTAL: Oppose 32% 35% 25% 48% 37%
    Base (n) 1,109 359 428 101 131
    • More people support excluding agriculture from the 2050 net zero emissions target than those who oppose this proposition (44% vs 32%).
    • About a quarter (24%) are unsure.
    • Compared to other voters, Greens voters are the most likely to oppose this exclusion (48%) and Coalition voters are the most likely to support it (55%).
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