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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 |
Performance of State Premiers
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job <NAME> is doing as State Premier?
[Only asked in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and WA]
TOTAL: Approve | 16/11/20 | 02/11/20 | 19/10/20 |
Gladys Berejiklian
NSW |
75% | 68% | 67% |
Daniel Andrews
VIC |
65% | 61% | 54% |
Annastacia Palaszczuk
QLD |
65% | 65% | 62% |
Steven Marshall
SA |
60% | 71% | 51% |
Mark McGowan
WA |
87% | 78% | 84% |
|
Gladys Berejiklian
NSW |
Daniel Andrews
VIC |
Annastacia Palaszczuk
QLD |
Steven Marshall
SA |
Mark McGowan
WA |
Strongly approve | 28% | 28% | 32% | 24% | 52% |
Approve | 47% | 37% | 33% | 37% | 35% |
Disapprove | 9% | 14% | 16% | 14% | 5% |
Strongly disapprove | 8% | 14% | 11% | 8% | 2% |
Don’t know | 8% | 7% | 8% | 18% | 6% |
TOTAL: Approve | 75% | 65% | 65% | 60% | 87% |
TOTAL: Disapprove | 17% | 28% | 27% | 21% | 7% |
Base (n) | 307 | 278 | 219 | 66 | 98 |
- In NSW, Gladys Berejiklian improved her approval ratings over the past two weeks with to 75% (68% earlier in November).
- After the easing of lockdown restrictions and no number of new cases over the past two weeks, Daniel Andrews has seen his approval rating increase again to 65%. His disapproval rating has dropped from 40% in October to 28% this week.
- Following her election victory in Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk remains on 65% approval.
Performance of State Premiers
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job <NAME> is doing as State Premier?
[Only asked in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and WA]
|
Gladys Berejiklian
NSW |
Daniel Andrews
VIC |
Annastacia Palaszczuk
QLD |
Mark McGowan
WA |
Strongly approve | 28% | 29% | 28% | 45% |
Approve | 40% | 31% | 37% | 33% |
Disapprove | 13% | 15% | 16% | 6% |
Strongly disapprove | 8% | 18% | 8% | 7% |
Don’t know | 11% | 6% | 11% | 10% |
TOTAL: Approve | 68% | 61% | 65% | 78% |
TOTAL: Disapprove | 21% | 33% | 24% | 12% |
Base (n) | 345 | 275 | 209 | 102 |
RESULTS FROM 19/10/20
|
Gladys Berejiklian
NSW |
Daniel Andrews
VIC |
Annastacia Palaszczuk
QLD |
Mark McGowan
WA |
Strongly approve | 27% | 25% | 23% | 53% |
Approve | 41% | 29% | 39% | 31% |
Disapprove | 14% | 16% | 12% | 6% |
Strongly disapprove | 9% | 24% | 15% | 1% |
Don’t know | 11% | 6% | 10% | 10% |
TOTAL: Approve | 67% | 54% | 62% | 84% |
TOTAL: Disapprove | 22% | 40% | 28% | 7% |
Base (n) | 352 | 274 | 217 | 105 |
- In NSW, Gladys Berejiklian has maintained her approval ratings over the past two weeks with 68% approval (67% earlier in October).
- After the easing of lockdown restrictions, Daniel Andrews has seen his approval rating increase from 54% to 61%. He still has the highest disapproval of State premiers however (33%), but lower than 40% disapproval earlier in the month.
- On the eve of her Queensland election victory, Annastacia Palaszczuk had 65% approval.
Performance of State Premiers
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job <NAME> is doing as State Premier?
[Only asked in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and WA]
|
Gladys Berejiklian
NSW |
Daniel Andrews
VIC |
Annastacia Palaszczuk
QLD |
Steven Marshall
SA |
Mark McGowan
WA |
Strongly approve | 27% | 25% | 23% | 16% | 53% |
Approve | 41% | 29% | 39% | 36% | 31% |
Disapprove | 14% | 16% | 12% | 14% | 6% |
Strongly disapprove | 9% | 24% | 15% | 5% | 1% |
Don’t know | 11% | 6% | 10% | 29% | 10% |
TOTAL: Approve | 67% | 54% | 62% | 51% | 84% |
TOTAL: Disapprove | 22% | 40% | 28% | 20% | 7% |
Base (n) | 352 | 274 | 217 | 82 | 105 |
- Mark McGowan in WA has the highest approval of State premiers, with 84% approving of his leadership, and just 7% disapproval.
- Victorian Dan Andrews has the lowest approval rating (54% approval, with 40% disapproval). He maintains approval among Labor voters (78% approval), but majority of Coalition voters in Victoria disapprove of his leadership (54%).
- Gladys Berejiklian has a high approval rating compared to other state premiers (67%). She has a majority approval among Coalition voters (83%), Labor voters (57%) and other parties (60%).
- 62% of Queenslanders approval of the job Annastacia Palaszczuk is doing ahead of the election later this month. 28% disapprove of the Queensland premier, driven by high disapproval ratings among Coalition voters (37%).

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
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