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

Q. When do you think governments should start to ease the restrictions on travel and gatherings to allow offices, shops, restaurants, other workplaces, and public spaces to start operating again?

• People are becoming increasingly open to easing the lockdown restrictions – now just over a quarter (27%) believe it’s too soon to consider easing restrictions and 20% say that the government could ease restrictions by the end of June.
• Labor and Greens voters (33% and 35% respectively) are more likely to say it’s too soon to consider easing restrictions than Coalition and other voters (23% and 20%).

Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with these statements about the suggested COVIDSafe app?

• Less than half agree that they are confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects (45%) and not misuse that data (44%).
• 55% agree the app would help limit the spread of Covid-19, 48% agree it would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions and 39% would be comfortable being in close contact with others who don’t have the app.
• 47% are concerned with the security of their personal data if this app was on their phone.

Q. To what extent do you support or oppose the following actions the government could take if future clusters of new infections appear?

• Three-quarters of participants (77%) support restricting any travel to or from geographic areas with infection clusters, another 67% support increasing fines for people found to be breaching the existing restrictions and 63% support returning to restrictions on physical distance, movement and work types nation-wide.
• Participants over 55 are more likely to support geographic restrictions around infection clusters (90%), increasing fines (76%) and returning to previous restrictions (72%), than those aged 18-34 (64%, 60% and 55% respectively).
• Labor and Coalition voters are more in favour of the government implementing these measures (aside from making downloading the COVIDSafe app mandatory), than Greens or other party voters.
• Participants are polarised in their support of mandatory downloading the COVIDSafe app if new clusters appear (38% support, 38% oppose) – Coalition voters are most likely to support this measure (47%) than all other voters (31%).

Q. You may be aware that there is a special commission of inquiry into the docking of the Ruby Princess cruise ship during the Covid-19 outbreak. Many people were involved during the decision-making process, to varying degrees.

At the end of the day, who do you think is most responsible for the decision to dock the Ruby Princess?

• A quarter of participants say no one person or group is most responsible for the decision to dock the Ruby Princess (26%) but an equal amount (25%) say the New South Wales Health public officials are most responsible. One-fifth (18%) believe that the ship’s captain and medical officers are most responsible.
• Men (29%) and those over 55 years old (29%) are more likely to say New South Wales Health public officials are most responsible, compared to women (22%) and 18-34 (21%).
• Coalition voters are most likely to say the ship’s captain and medical officers are most responsible (22%) compared to other voters (16%).

Q. Last weekend Kristina Kenneally, a NSW senator, called for the federal government to reduce the number of temporary migrant worker visas permitted after the Covid-19 outbreak. She argues that Australian businesses should prioritise training and hiring Australians for roles, rather than seeking temporary workers to fill skill-shortages.

To what extent, do you support or oppose this idea of “Australia first” hiring?

• Kristina Kenneally’s “Australia first” hiring approach is supported by 67% of participants; women (70%), those over 55 (78%), Coalition (75%) and other party voters (82%) are more likely to support this approach than men (64%), 18-34 year olds (52%) and Greens voters (50%).

Q. Temporary migrants include people on skilled worker visas (which are used to cover jobs where there are skill shortages including engineers, nurses and scientists), most New Zealand citizens living in Australia, and international students.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

• More than half of participants agree with any of the statements about temporary migrants – except without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages (48%) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (41%).
• Retirees are more likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (67%), Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (52%) and it’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries (63%) than other participants (51%, 39% and 49% respectively).
• Similarly other or independent party voters are most likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (75% v 55% all other voters) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (57% v 41% all other voters).
• Coalition most likely to agree without temporary migrants, Australia would face skill shortages (57% v 44% all other voters).
• Greens voters are least likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (40% v 59% all other voters), Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (22% v 45% all other voters) and it’s realistic to expect temporary residents who lose work in Australia to go back to their home countries (32% v 57% all other voters).
• Participants who support Kristina Kenneally’s “Australia first” approach more likely to agree that businesses should hire Australian citizens where they can, even if they’re not as skilled as candidates who are temporary migrants (68%) and Australia would be better off if we had fewer temporary migrants (52%).

Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Scott Morrison is doing as Prime Minister?

• The Prime Minister’s approval rating has increased for the fourth straight month, reaching 64% from 39% at the start of February.
• Approval of the Prime Minister among is at 92% of Coalition supporters, with 46% approval among Labor voters, 38% among Greens voters and 62% of all others.