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  • Apr, 2020

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    Reaction to Covid-19

    Q. Which of the following is closer to your personal views of the Covid-19 outbreak?

      27/04 20/04 13/04 06/04 29/03 22/03
    There has been an over-reaction to the threat of Covid-19 15% 14% 13% 17% 18% 33%
    The response to the threat of Covid-19 is about right 68% 63% 59% 46% 39% 39%
    The threat of Covid-19 has been under-estimated 18% 24% 29% 37% 43% 28%
    Base (n) 1,054 1,051 1,068 1,069 1,086 1,034

     

        Gender Age Group
      Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+
    There has been an over-reaction to the threat of Covid-19 15% 18% 12% 21% 15% 10%
    The response to the threat of Covid-19 is about right 68% 65% 70% 63% 67% 72%
    The threat of Covid-19 has been under-estimated 18% 18% 18% 16% 18% 18%
    Base (n) 1,054 526 528 343 332 379
    • Two-thirds of people (68%) now believe the reaction to the threat of Covid-19 has been about right, with the proportion saying that the threat has been underestimated decreasing for a fourth week to just 18%.
    • 18-34 year olds are most likely to say that there has been an over-reaction to the threat of Covid-19 (21%) compared to those over 35 (12%).
  • Apr, 2020

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    Economic expectations

    Q. Which of the following is closer to your expectations of what will happen to the economy following the Covid-19 situation?

      27/04 20/04 13/04 06/04
    The economy will rebound within 2-3 months and grow just as strong or stronger than before Covid-19 13% 11% 12% 11%
    The economy will be impacted for 6-12 months or longer and will stagnate or show slow growth thereafter 49% 47% 49% 51%
    Covid-19 will have long lasting impact on the economy and the country will fall into a lengthy recession 28% 30% 27% 29%
    Unsure 10% 11% 11% 9%
    Base (n) 1,054 1,051 1,068 1,069

     

        Gender Age Group
    Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+
    The economy will rebound within 2-3 months and grow just as strong or stronger than before Covid-19 13% 14% 11% 20% 11% 8%
    The economy will be impacted for 6-12 months or longer and will stagnate or show slow growth thereafter 49% 53% 46% 53% 49% 47%
    Covid-19 will have long lasting impact on the economy and the country will fall into a lengthy recession 28% 27% 30% 17% 30% 36%
    Unsure 10% 6% 13% 10% 9% 9%
    Base (n) 1,054 526 528 343 332 379

     

     

     

     

  • Apr, 2020

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    Government response to Covid-19

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

      27/04 20/04 13/04 06/04 29/03 22/03
    Very poor 4% 5% 6% 6% 11% 9%
    Quite poor 9% 10% 12% 15% 21% 20%
    Neither good, nor poor 17% 21% 20% 21% 24% 26%
    Quite good 44% 42% 40% 37% 34% 33%
    Very good 26% 23% 23% 21% 11% 12%
    NET: Poor 13% 15% 17% 21% 31% 29%
    NET: Good 70% 65% 63% 58% 45% 45%
    Base (n) 1,054 1,051 1,068 1,069 1,086 1,034

     

        Gender Age Group Location
      Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Capital Non-Capital
    Very poor 4% 4% 4% 6% 4% 2% 4% 4%
    Quite poor 9% 10% 8% 15% 8% 5% 10% 7%
    Neither good, nor poor 17% 18% 16% 24% 16% 11% 18% 15%
    Quite good 44% 46% 43% 45% 46% 42% 43% 46%
    Very good 26% 22% 30% 10% 26% 40% 25% 27%
    NET: Poor 13% 15% 11% 21% 13% 7% 14% 11%
    NET: Good 70% 68% 73% 55% 72% 82% 68% 74%
    Base (n) 1,054 526 528 343 332 379 720 334
    • For the third week in a row, the perception that the Government has done a good job handling the situation (very/somewhat good) has increased (now 70%, up from 65%).
    • The ratings have increased most among those not in paid employment (up 5% to 64%), Labor voters (up 5% to 66%) and those with dependent children (up 5% to 70%).
  • Apr, 2020

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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?

      27/04 20/04 13/04
    Very poor 4% 5% 5%
    Quite poor 9% 9% 11%
    Neither good, nor poor 17% 20% 20%
    Quite good 41% 39% 38%
    Very good 30% 26% 26%
    NET: Poor 13% 14% 16%
    NET: Good 70% 66% 64%
    Base (n) 1,054 1,051 1,068

     

        State
      Total NSW VIC QLD SA WA
    Very poor 4% 7% 3% 3% 1% 3%
    Quite poor 9% 11% 6% 10% 5% 9%
    Neither good, nor poor 17% 19% 14% 20% 17% 12%
    Quite good 41% 39% 40% 47% 43% 31%
    Very good 30% 24% 37% 20% 34% 45%
    NET: Poor 13% 18% 9% 13% 6% 12%
    NET: Good 70% 63% 77% 67% 77% 76%
    Base (n) 1,054 323 272 217 84 109
    • Across the country, the overall perception of states’ handling of the crisis is in line with government rating their own state’s handling as Very/Quite good (both 70%).
    • Victoria and South Australia now lead the state government response ratings (both 77%), with New South Wales lowest rated at 63%.
  • Apr, 2020

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    Financial situation during Covid-19 outbreak

    Q. Which of the following best describes your financial situation during the Covid-19 outbreak?

      27/04 20/04 13/04 06/04 29/03 22/03
    I do not expect the Covid-19 will impact my income 27% 25% 23% 24% 26% 24%
    I have sufficient savings to deal with a short-term loss of income 26% 27% 29% 28% 32% 26%
    I will struggle with a short-term loss of income, but will get by 31% 31% 33% 31% 23% 29%
    I will be in serious financial stress with short-term loss of income 16% 17% 16% 16% 20% 21%
    Base (n) 1,054 1,051 1,068 1,069 1,086 1,034

     

        Household Employment
      Total Have dependent children Do not have dependent children In paid employment Not in paid employment Retired
    I do not expect the Covid-19 will impact my income 27% 22% 30% 17% 29% 52%
    I have sufficient savings to deal with a short-term loss of income 26% 25% 27% 31% 18% 25%
    I will struggle with a short-term loss of income, but will get by 31% 36% 28% 35% 33% 18%
    I will be in serious financial stress with short-term loss of income 16% 17% 15% 17% 20% 5%
    Base (n) 1,054 349 705 546 261 219
  • Apr, 2020

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    Attitudes towards the tracing app

    Q. The Federal Government is developing an app to trace people who test positive for Covid-19 have been in contact with. The app wouldn’t track your location, but it would use Bluetooth to record any other phones around you who also had had this app. If you then tested positive for Covid-19, an identifier would allow government officials to find anyone else who may have been exposed Covid-19.

    To what extent do you agree or disagree with these statements about the suggested Covid-19 tracing app?

      NET: Agree NET: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree
    I would be concerned with the security of my personal data if this app was on my phone 57% 22% 28% 28% 21% 14% 8%
    This app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 53% 18% 20% 33% 29% 10% 8%
    This app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions 46% 20% 14% 32% 34% 11% 9%
    I’m confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects about me via the app 41% 30% 12% 29% 29% 14% 16%
    I would download this app onto my mobile phone 40% 32% 17% 23% 28% 12% 20%

     

    NET: Agree   Voting Intention
    Total Labor NET: Coalition Greens NET: Other
    I would be concerned with the security of my personal data if this app was on my phone 57% 64% 48% 60% 66%
    This app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 53% 49% 63% 52% 45%
    This app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions 46% 44% 54% 43% 33%
    I’m confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects about me via the app 41% 35% 53% 31% 33%
    I would download this app onto my mobile phone 40% 36% 47% 45% 29%
    Base (n) 1,054 327 402 93 129
    • 57% of participants agree that they would be concerned with the security of their personal data if this app was on my phone and 40% agree that they would download the app.
    • 53% agree that the app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 and another 46% agree that the app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions.
    • Only 41% agree that they are confident that the government will adequately protect any data it collects about via the app.
    • Broadly, Coalition voters are more likely to agree with positive statements about the app and its data security.
  • Apr, 2020

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    Easing restrictions on elective surgeries

    Q. On 21 April, the Prime Minister announced that the National Cabinet had agreed to ease some restrictions from the weekend onwards. These include resuming elective surgery, IVF treatments, and allowing residents of aged care facilities to receive two visitors a day. Do you think it is the right time to ease these restrictions, have they been eased too soon, or has it taken too long for them to be eased?

      Total Age Group
      18-34 35-54 55+
    Restrictions have been eased too soon 36% 44% 40% 26%
    Right time to ease these restrictions 57% 49% 54% 67%
    It has taken too long for them to be eased 7% 7% 7% 7%
    Base (n) 1,054 343 332 379
    • 57% of participants believe it’s the right time to ease restrictions on elective surgeries and aged care facility visitation – but a third (36%) think they have been eased too soon.
    • 18-34 year olds are most likely to say the restrictions have been eased too soon (44%, 33% for 35+); whereas, 67% of those over 55 think now is the right time.
  • Apr, 2020

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    Tax reforms to reduce debt from Covid-19

    Q. To what extent do you support or oppose the following suggested tax reforms to help reduce any debt Australia may have, as a result of the Covid-19 stimulus packages?

      NET: Support NET: Oppose Strongly support Somewhat support Neither support nor oppose Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose
    Prevent companies who are registered in offshore tax havens (such as Switzerland) from accessing Covid-19 government support 64% 9% 43% 20% 20% 5% 4%
    Simplify the taxation system to a flat tax rate 43% 18% 16% 27% 27% 10% 8%
    Removal of franking credits 32% 16% 15% 17% 27% 10% 16%
    Removal of negative gearing 32% 25% 14% 19% 30% 12% 13%
    Implement a tax on the value of property or money passed on when someone dies 18% 49% 5% 12% 22% 16% 33%

     

    NET: Support   Gender Age Group
    Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+
    Prevent companies who are registered in offshore tax havens (such as Switzerland) from accessing Covid-19 government support 64% 66% 61% 48% 61% 80%
    Simplify the taxation system to a flat tax rate 43% 48% 38% 40% 39% 48%
    Removal of franking credits 32% 36% 28% 36% 32% 28%
    Removal of negative gearing 32% 36% 22% 34% 32% 32%
    Implement a tax on the value of property or money passed on when someone dies 18% 23% 13% 27% 17% 10%
    Base (n) 1,054 526 528 343 332 379
    • Participants most support preventing companies who are registered in offshore tax havens from accessing Covid-19 government support (64%) and are least supportive of implementing an inheritance tax (18%) to reduce any debt as a result of the Covid-19 stimulus.
    • Those aged over 55 are most likely to oppose removal of franking credits (39%), negative gearing (33%) and inheritance tax (63%), however they are most likely to support preventing companies registered in offshore tax havens from accessing Covid-19 government support, (80%).
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