Essential Report
Download this week's Report
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.
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.
Federal government response to Covid-19
Q. Overall, how would you rate the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| 01/02 | 30/11 | 16/11 | 02/11 | 05/10 | 21/09 | 07/09 | 24/08 | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 | |
| Very poor | 4% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 4% |
| Quite poor | 11% | 8% | 9% | 10% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 10% | 8% |
| Neither good nor poor | 19% | 19% | 18% | 24% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 21% | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Quite good | 42% | 41% | 41% | 39% | 39% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 43% |
| Very good | 25% | 26% | 26% | 22% | 21% | 21% | 18% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 27% |
| TOTAL: Poor | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 18% | 18% | 19% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 12% |
| TOTAL: Good | 67% | 67% | 67% | 61% | 60% | 61% | 59% | 61% | 63% | 64% | 64% | 71% |
| Base (n) | 1,092 | 1,034 | 1,010 | 1,063 | 1,066 | 1,081 | 1,076 | 1,068 | 1,010 | 1,058 | 1,054 | 1,079 |
- Rating of the federal government’s handling of Covid-19 is stable at 67% from the last time this was measured in Nov’20, with 67% rating the handling of the pandemic very or quite good.
State government response to Covid-19
Q. How would you rate your state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| TOTAL: Good | 01/02 | 30/11 | 16/11 | 02/11 | 05/10 | 21/09 | 07/09 | 24/08 | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 |
| NSW | 71% | 76% | 75% | 68% | 65% | 67% | 57% | 59% | 61% | 62% | 63% | 70% |
| VIC | 61% | 60% | 59% | 55% | 45% | 47% | 50% | 47% | 49% | 53% | 49% | 65% |
| QLD | 78% | 72% | 71% | 69% | 69% | 68% | 66% | 73% | 68% | 67% | 69% | 64% |
| SA | 80% | 70% | 76% | 77% | 81% | 81% | 74% | 65% | 72% | 76% | 79% | 79% |
| WA | 80% | 83% | 82% | 81% | 83% | 84% | 87% | 84% | 86% | 82% | 77% | 75% |
- Positive rating of the NSW government has dropped to 71% (from 76% at the end of November).
- Positive rating of the QLD government has increased to 78%, the highest rating we’ve seen in the last six months.
- The rating of the Victorian government is still the lowest rating of states at 61%.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Download this week's ReportEssential Report
Two Party Preferred:
Labor
47%
Coalition
44%
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
- Better leadership during Covid-19 – PM vs state leader
- Attitudes towards Craig Kelly controversy and Scott Morrison’s leadership
- Views towards federal vs state government responsibility to manage Covid-19 hotel quarantine system
Essential Tags
2PP
Abbott
ALP
Approval of opposition leader
Approval of Tony Abbott
asylum seekers
Australian economy
Bill Shorten
budget
Carbon Tax
climate change
coronavirus
covid-19
economy
Education
Election
EMC
environment
ER
Essential Media
Essential Report
Federal Budget
Federal Government
federal politics
federal politics voting intention
Gillard
Greens
Julia Gillard
kevin rudd
Labor
Labor Party
leadership
Liberal
Liberal Party
Liberals
mining
Nationals
peter lewis
Polling
polls
Prime Minister
tony abbott
two party preferred
voting
Voting intention
Recent Comments
