Federal government response to Covid-19
Q. Overall, how would you rate the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
15/02 | 01/02 | 30/11 | 16/11 | 02/11 | 05/10 | 21/09 | 07/09 | 24/08 | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | |
Very poor | 5% | 4% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 6% |
Quite poor | 7% | 11% | 8% | 9% | 10% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 10% |
Neither good nor poor | 19% | 19% | 19% | 18% | 24% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 21% | 20% | 20% |
Quite good | 42% | 42% | 41% | 41% | 39% | 39% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% |
Very good | 27% | 25% | 26% | 26% | 22% | 21% | 21% | 18% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 24% |
TOTAL: Poor | 12% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 18% | 18% | 19% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 16% |
TOTAL: Good | 69% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 61% | 60% | 61% | 59% | 61% | 63% | 64% | 64% |
Base (n) | 1,109 | 1,092 | 1,034 | 1,010 | 1,063 | 1,066 | 1,081 | 1,076 | 1,068 | 1,010 | 1,058 | 1,054 |
- Rating of the federal government’s handling of Covid-19 has increased to 69% since last month, the highest rating in the last six months.
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.
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 |
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Download this week's ReportEssential Report
Two Party Preferred:
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Confidence in Labor government handling of Covid-19 pandemic
- Satisfaction with speed of Covid-19 vaccine rollout
- Party most responsible for slow vaccine rollout
Essential Tags
Recent Comments
