Q. Overall, how would you rate the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?

• 43% of people rate the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak as quite good or very good (39% two weeks ago), with 35% rating it as quite poor or very poor.
• Positive rating of the federal government’s handling of Covid-19 has increased in NSW from 34% a fortnight ago to 41%, in VIC from 35% to 39%, and in SA from 48% to 54%.

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

• Positive rating of the state government’s response to Covid-19 has increased in both NSW and VIC by 6 percentage points respectively (now 46% and 50% respectively).
• After weeks of falling ratings, this is the first improvement seen in both states since the first half of August. However, we are yet to see these ratings recover to their high levels in the first quarter of the year.
• While still a relatively high rating, positive rating of the SA government’s response to Covid-19 has dropped by 9 percentage points to 67% in the last fortnight.
• Contrastingly, positive rating of the WA government’s handling of Covid-19 has increased 9 percentage points to 87%. Both SA and WA ratings reflect those seen a month ago.
• Positive rating of the QLD government is at 65%, consistent with last month (66%).

Q. Thinking about reopening Australia’s international borders, which of the following is closer to your view?

• When thinking about reopening Australia’s international borders, 45% think we need to accept some deaths but must take every reasonable step to minimise deaths, even if it means slowing our reopening.
• A third (34%) think we cannot accept any deaths that could be prevented by keeping our borders closed until it’s safe to reopen them. 20% think we need to accept some deaths to reopen our borders as the cost of remaining closed is too high.
• Men are more likely than women to think the cost of remaining closed is too high (24% to 17%), as are Coalition voters compared to all other voters (26% to 15%).

Q. Thinking about state border closures, which of the following is closer to your view?

• 41% of people think states with low or no Covid-19 cases should be allowed to keep their borders to other states closed for as long as they think is necessary.
• On the other hand, 37% think these states should be required to reopen their borders to other states when 80% of the adult (16+) population is fully vaccinated, and 23% think this should be required when 80% of the total population (including children) is fully vaccinated.
• Those aged 18-34 are more likely than older cohorts to think states with low or no Covid-19 cases should be required to reopen their borders to other states when 80% of the adult (16+) population is fully vaccinated (45%, compared to 36% of those aged 35-54 and 31% of those over 55).
• Those aged over 55 are the most likely to think this should only be required when 80% of the total population (including children) is fully vaccinated (29% to 20% of those aged 35-54 and 18% of those aged 18-34).

• Western Australians and Queenslanders are the most likely to think states with low or no Covid-19 cases should be allowed to keep their borders to other states closed for as long as they think is necessary (67% and 55% respectively).
• NSW residents are most likely to think these states should be required to reopen their borders to other states when 80% of the adult (16+) population is fully vaccinated (46%).
• Victorians are most likely to think opening state borders should be required when 80% of the total population (including children) is fully vaccinated (30%).

Q. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has a “safe plan to ensure that Australia can open up again with confidence”.

Thinking about this statement, which of the following applies to you?

• About 4 in 10 (39%) say they understand the PM’s plan to ‘safely reopen’ Australia but don’t have confidence in it. In comparison, about a quarter (26%) say they understand the plan and have confidence in it.
• 20% aren’t aware of this plan, and 15% are aware of it but don’t understand it.
• Men are almost twice as likely as women to say they understand the plan and have confidence in it (34% to 19% respectively). Whereas women are more likely than men to say they aren’t aware of the plan (25% to 14%).
• Besides men, those aged 18-34 (30%) and Coalition voters (40%) are more likely than others to say they understand and have confidence in the PM’s plan.

Q. The Covid-19 vaccine rollout is underway in Australia.

Which of the following best describes your situation? 

• 69% of people say they’ve had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 11% say they’ve booked their Covid-19 vaccination and are waiting for their first dose.
• 14% say they will get vaccinated but haven’t booked an appointment yet.
• Those most likely to say they’ve had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine include men (72%), those aged over 55 (86%), Coalition voters (80%), those in NSW (75%) and Queenslanders (72%).
• 20% of people aged 18-34 have booked their vaccination and are waiting for their first dose. However, a further 20% say they haven’t booked their vaccination yet (20%).
• Only 6% of people now say they would never get vaccinated – the lowest number recorded this year.

Q. In your opinion, should being vaccinated against Covid-19 be mandatory in the following circumstances?:

• A high majority of people think being vaccinated against Covid-19 should be mandatory for health workers (83%), aged and disability care workers (82%), flight passengers (77%), and teachers and teacher’s aides (74%) – at least three quarters of people think mandatory vaccinations are necessary in each case.
• Around two thirds think mandatory vaccinations are necessary for sports events spectators (69%), hospitality and entertainment venue patrons (68%), and employees going into workplaces (62%).
• Over half think being vaccinated against Covid-19 should be mandatory for students to attend school, and for retail store customers (58% respectively).

• In each instance, those aged 18-34 and minor/independent party voters are the least likely to think being vaccinated against Covid-19 should be mandatory.
• While those over 55 are generally more likely to think mandatory vaccinations are necessary in each circumstance, their view is especially pronounced for health workers (93%), aged and disability care workers (94%), flight passengers (90%), and teachers and teachers’ aides (90%).
• Coalition voters are the most likely voters to think mandatory vaccinations are necessary for employees to work at their workplace (71% to 58% all other voters).
• There is no difference between those who have and don’t have dependent children in views towards whether mandatory vaccinations are necessary for students to attend school.

Q. Thinking about Covid-19 restrictions and vaccinations, which of the following is closer to your view?

• 44% of people think restrictions should only be relaxed when everyone has had the opportunity to get vaccinated. A further 39% think restrictions should be relaxed for people who have been fully vaccinated effective immediately. 17% think people who are vaccinated should not be treated any differently to unvaccinated people.
• Coalition voters (47%) and NSW residents (46%) are most likely to think restrictions should be relaxed for people who have been fully vaccinated effective immediately.
• Labor voters (51%) and Western Australians (51%) are most likely to think restrictions should only be relaxed when everyone has had the opportunity to get vaccinated.

• Support for easing of restrictions for fully vaccinated people is highest among those who themselves have already received a Covid-19 vaccine (47%).
• The majority of those waiting to receive a vaccine think restrictions should be eased only once everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated (66%).
• 43% of those who say they’ll get vaccinated but haven’t booked their vaccination yet think people who are vaccinated should not be treated any differently to unvaccinated people. Only 9% of those who have booked their vaccination say this.