Essential Research leadership ratings

Scott Morrison records a preferred prime minister lead for the first time this year, although his personal ratings remain in net negative territory.

Essential Research continues to disappoint on the voting intention front, but its latest fortnightly poll does include its monthly leadership ratings, which record a recovery in Scott Morrison’s personal standing after the battering it copped during the bsuhfires. Morrison now leads Anthony Albanese 40-35 as preferred prime minister after being tied 36-36 in the last poll, which his first lead out of the six sets of results published so far this year (three apiece from Essential and Newspoll). His approval rating is up two to 41% and disapproval down three to 49%, while Albanese is respectively steady on 41% and up two to 33%.

As related by The Guardian, the poll also finds 71% want investigations into sports rorts to continue, but I suspect that should actually say 51%, as 43% favoured the alternative option that the resignation of Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie should be the end of the matter. The poll also has the unsurprising finding that concern about coronavirus is growing, although we will have to wait for the publication of the full report later today to see by how much.

Other questions produce familiar findings on energy sources (71% favour further taxpayer research into renewables, compared with 57% for hydrogen, 50% for “clean coal” and 38% for nuclear energy) and economic management (the Coalition was rated better overall, but was also seen to favour big business whereas Labor was better at managing the economy to benefit workers). The poll was conducted from 1096 respondents from an online panel, no doubt from Thursday to Sunday.

UPDATE: Full report here. It turns out the poll doesn’t really find an increase in concern about coronavirus over the past month: there’s a two point increase in “very concerned” to 27%, but a five point drop in “quite concerned” to 36%, a two point rise in “not all that concerned” to 28% and a three point increase in “not at all concerned” to 9%. I’d have been interested to see breakdowns by party support on this – Democrats in the US are far more concerned than Republicans – but no such luck.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

3,649 comments on “Essential Research leadership ratings”

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  1. We have most of our social and family interaction protocols sorted with family and friends.

    These include virtual hugs and blowing kisses from a safe distance. All worked out amicably and with some wry laughter. I value hugs and kisses and mourn their loss. But we figure we should get the patterns right before rather than during.

    We have had to negotiate some ticklish issues around child minding, bearing in mind that family contagion has so far been the top virus spreader and also given that child minding is a significant financial issue for several families.

  2. If, dog forbid, Gittins carks it because of C19, they should pick a suitable quote from his article to put on his gravestone. Or perhaps they could summarize the whole article thus, ‘I was right but I was wrong.’

  5. lizzie

    RHW’s wet paint rule is an excellent aide memoire, IMO.

    Just assume that all surfaces are wet paint and you don’t want any wet paint sticking to you anywhere.

    Nor do you want wet paint in your eyes, nose or mouth.

  6. Trump talks like a four year old!

    @ddale8
    ·
    4h
    Asked if he’s been briefed that up to 100M could ultimately be exposed, Trump: “I’ve been briefed on every contingency you could possibly imagine. Many contingencies. A lot of positive. Different numbers, all different numbers, very large numbers, and some small numbers too.”

  8. lizzie

    I believe that the average human touches the face around 20 times an hour. Assuming that we are awake for 15 hours, that is 300 touches a day.

    One hint is to train your hands to miss your face as they head towards the eyes, nose and mouth… and to go for, say, the back of your neck instead.

  10. This constant $2B is getting a bit of a workout.

    @maxblackhole
    ·
    1h
    They cut $2 billion from NDIS and ‘pledged’ a budget surplus

    When the fires tore through our country they ‘pledged’ $2 billion for a relief fund

    When Corona threatened the country they ‘pledged’ $2 billion to help stimulate the economy

    (Thinking face)

    It’s all smoke and mirrors, folks

  12. My mate bought the barracuda boat that was used in On the Beach, has pics of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardiner and cranky Frankie on in. Just back in the water after 3 years restoring it.

  13. COVID-19 visualisation apps are, like drive-by testing, largely cosmetic displacement activity at present. Not counterproductive, but accuracy and implication limited by biology.

    Unlike burned ground, COVID-19 cases are not visible or confirmable immediately (even if phenotypically “asian”), and we move around – except when we’re confined to an institution. There’s no app for that – other than what is already out there, and probably won’t be. You’ll just have to keep trusting those bloody inconvenient clinicians.

    PCR testing of throat swabs requires a major lab, up to 24 hours to get a result, and a negative result does not rule out COVID-19. At this stage of our epidemic, it’s going to generate a lot of worried well very few of whom will transmit SARS-CoV-2. It’s largely an epidemiologic tool, rather than a clinical one. So is an app. This won’t placate the yammerers.

  14. Boerwar
    Wednesday, March 11th, 2020 – 9:24 am
    Comment #52

    We have most of our social and family interaction protocols sorted with family and friends.

    I offer the most hearty congratulations on your sensible arrangements.

    I attempted a similar meeting of the minds last Sunday with vastly different results.

    None of my crew seem interested in establish a distance barrier, imaginary hugs and air kisses from 10 feet with avoidance of family gatherings included.

    After being regaled with “60 Minutes” said and – same say the virus was created in a lab and what 2GG had to say etc, I wound up shouting the obligatory “piss off” – so I guess I have advanced from old geezer to cranky old fart.

    In regard to touching face – what about

    or perhaps – that veil from a wedding – laying about unused.

  15. rhwombat

    A better app would be one showing which stores have not been overrun by idiots and profiteers and so still have toilet paper.

  16. rhwombat

    Am I right in thinking the video consults are not (as described) for treating ill patients, but for providing a kind of triage service to advise who should seek further medical help?

  17. The top twenty one COVID-19 countries by number of cases are all in the northern hemisphere (including the Republic Of Diamond Princess, still remarkably in the top 10). Coincidence?

    Australia is flying the flag for the south at number 22.

    Canada is doing an impressive job of containment at just 80 cases.

  18. From Crikey.

    VIRUS WATCH
    For our now regular overnight coronavirus coverage, let’s take a look at how the states are doing.
    • Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has signalled potential “extreme measures” for a future pandemic phase of the outbreak, including school shutdowns, event cancellations, and entire sectors working from home (ABC).
    • Perth has opened its first dedicated clinic (WAtoday).
    • South Australia has launched the country’s first drive-thru testing clinic (ABC) — although South Korea beat it to that global title by at least a week (CNN).
    • Tasmanians are complaining of being knocked back for testing, even if they show symptoms (The Mercury $), just a day after Premier Peter Gutwein publicly considered fines for “isolation scofflaws” (The Mercury $).
    • A Sydney doctor is calling for quarantines across NSW’s major population centres, as the state records another 14 cases (ABC).
    • Business NSW has circulated legal advice to members stating they don’t have to provide paid leave to permanent workers forced into isolation over virus concerns who have not yet been diagnosed (The Australian $).

  20. lizzie @ #69 Wednesday, March 11th, 2020 – 9:58 am

    rhwombat

    Am I right in thinking the video consults are not (as described) for treating ill patients, but for providing a kind of triage service to advise who should seek further medical help?

    Yes. You can’t diagnose or treat COVID-19 virtually. The current arrangements are triage tools to try to spare overloaded clinical systems and provide epidemiological data. Necessary, but not sufficient.

  21. The latest Essential: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/11/essential-poll-scott-morrison-regains-lead-as-preferred-prime-minister-after-bushfire-backlash

    The poll also suggests Australian voters have a firmer fix on Morrison than Albanese. Asked whether they approve or disapprove of the prime minister’s performance, only 10% of the survey said they didn’t know, while a quarter of the sample is still on the fence about Albanese. But the trend in the survey suggests people are beginning to develop clearer views about the Labor leader. Last July, 37% of the sample didn’t know whether they approved or disapproved, compared with 26% now.

  22. Ante Meridian @ #70 Wednesday, March 11th, 2020 – 10:01 am

    The top twenty one COVID-19 countries by number of cases are all in the northern hemisphere (including the Republic Of Diamond Princess, still remarkably in the top 10). Coincidence?

    Australia is flying the flag for the south at number 22.

    Canada is doing an impressive job of containment at just 80 cases.

    N hemisphere winter and the stochastic nature of droplet spread from asymptomatic shedding for 4-6 days (2-4 days longer than flu. Canada has an effective primary health care system – and the spectre of what happened to the Toronto hospital system during the SARS outbreak of 2003.

  28. I thought alcohol consumption would be a good thing. I mean, if it works on the outside, surely it would work on the inside? I hope my self-medication with pinot noir hasn’t been a waste.

  29. “Business NSW has circulated legal advice to members stating they don’t have to provide paid leave to permanent workers forced into isolation over virus concerns who have not yet been diagnosed (The Australian $). ”

    The class war roles on. And if anyone from Labor questions this they will be accused of playing politics with the corona virus.

  30. AM

    Note I said limit. I doubt your sensible (I assume) consumption of wine will be a problem. I asked because if it is a factor it’s another failure by the government in the informing the public of risk factors.

    Edit: yes I get and appreciate your humour too 🙂

  31. Remember how the bushfires were going to be the end of Morrison?

    While I agree with those saying the preferred PM thing isn’t great for Albanese, I don’t think it’s particularly positive for those who said the fires were going to be a watershed moment.

  32. “Ante Meridiansays:
    Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 10:24 am
    I hope my self-medication with pinot noir hasn’t been a waste.”

    It probably is. You’d need something stronger, probably 100 proof spirits at least.

    Stick to the single malts.

  35. Morrison in staccato (I’m in charge) mode. Kept emphasising the protection of the “health and wellbeing” of Australians. How ironic when Frydenberg did a stand-up routine on the foolishness of considering wellbeing.

  37. BK

    Mail out voting stops voter suppression. It’s also harder to manipulate without voter machines.

    So yes I too can see Trump trying that.

  43. guytaur @ #87 Wednesday, March 11th, 2020 – 9:45 am

    Mail out voting stops voter suppression.

    To an extent, maybe.

    What about the younger cohort though? A lot of them don’t have a consistent mailing address. Like if they’re atending university, they might be somewhere on campus for 9 months, then back with their parents for 3, and so on. And I’m positive that basically none of them are updating their voter registration with any of this info.

    Also the U.S. looks set to exceed 1,000 cases in the next 24 hours. Will any country in the world have the balls to travel-ban the Americans?

  44. Since people have been so illogical over t-rolls, I do hope that they don’t believe that a conovarius test is the equivalent of a preventive injection. There will still be plenty of time to catch it later this year.

    Edit: coronavirus

  45. ar

    Australia has the balls. Qantas has already used the excuse of falling demand to cut flights.

    Same will apply to all of the EU and UK as numbers increase there

    Edit: Younger cohort at least risk from virus. Might be the ones to turn up to voting booths on Election Day. Big irony if so.

  47. My multi-national employer just banned (as of today) international business flights, and has limited domestic airline travel to ‘essential customer contact’. The directive comes from head office in the U.S.

  49. Stephen Spencer
    @sspencer_63
    ·
    5m
    AKA “crisis is an opportunity cut wages, cut benefits, cut super, and cut taxes for big business”.

  50. Ron Petticrew says:

    (Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 9:52 am
    My mate bought the barracuda boat that was used in On the Beach, has pics of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardiner and cranky Frankie on in. Just back in the water after 3 years restoring it.)

    How cool

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