Essential Research: leadership ratings and climate change

The first public poll of the year finds little change on leaders’ ratings, but more sanguine attitudes on climate change policy than prevailed a year ago.

Essential Research has opened its account for the year with a poll that include its monthly-or-so leadership ratings, which record only slight changes on the end of last year: Scott Morrison is down a point on approval to 61% and up two on disapproval to 30%, Anthony Albanese is down one to 42% and up four to 33%, and Morrison’s lead as preferred prime minister goes from 50-24 to 51-25.

The survey also posed some semi-regular questions on climate change, finding a striking increase in the view that Australia is doing enough to address it (from 19% a year ago to 35%) and a corresponding decline in the view that not enough is being done (from 62% to 42%), with the “doing too much ” response up two to 10%. Despite this, 58% of respondents believed climate change related to human activity (up two on a year ago) against 32% who considered it part of normal climactic fluctuation (steady).

The other questions in the survey for the most part aren’t particularly political, relating to COVID-19 vaccine uptake and Australia Day. The change to the words of the national anthem finds 54% support and 16% opposition, with 30% on the fence.

In other poll news, The Australian yesterday related that polling conducted by Community Engagement for the CFMEU suggested Labor was in big trouble in the Hunter region seats of Paterson (Liberal up from 32.5% to 42.9%, Labor down from 41.1% to 30%, Greens down from 6.9% to 6.8%, and One Nation down from 14.2% to 6.9%, Nationals on 1.8%) and Shortland (Liberal up from 37.4% to 44.9%, Labor down from 41.1% to 28.3%, Greens down from 8.3% to 6.2%, One Nation on 8% and Nationals on 1.3%). The polls were conducted in November from samples of 955 per electorate. Given the evident interest of the client of putting pressure on the opposition leadership over coal mining, and all the other qualifications that apply to reports of private polling, a degree of caution is advised.

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.

2,129 comments on “Essential Research: leadership ratings and climate change”

Comments Page 40 of 43
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  3. https://www.pollbludger.net/2021/01/20/essential-research/comment-page-39/#comment-3546385

    I particularly remember this particular speech:

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-23/tanya-plibesek-has-not-read-anthony-albanese-whitlam-speech/9902162

    It made me suspicious of Albanese. His leadership has confirmed my suspicions. He is, as far as can be told from speeches and actually leadership style, economically to the right of Shorten.


  4. Greensborough Growler says:
    Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 4:41 p
    ….
    Like, where is Di Natale, the Leader of the Greens?

    The man who was going to have the Greens replace Labor; gone.
    Adam Bandt, not sure what his vision is. Did a little bit of Liberal me too with Michael O’Brien and disappeared.

  5. How to use Labor premiers.

    Get them to be very progressive. Get them to refer to Murdoch as the platform for conspiracy theories. It’s what’s being said on mainstream US media like NBC.

    Point out how Murdoch’s Sky promotes against dealing with a pandemic by doing as Fox does that led to insurrection. Convince the Fairfax and ABC to join the Guardian as the centre and leave Newscorp on its right wing branch as the wood is being sawed off.

    Google taxes are not going to save it.

  6. Rex Douglas @ #1949 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 4:43 pm

    Albanese has the juicy Howard-esque cash bribe to the outer urbs (childcare).

    He’s putting the finishing touches to a substantial manufacturing policy that will save the regions.

    He’s committed to a federal anti-corruption watchdog to stop the horrific corruption in Govt.

    You call that a policy agenda?

    If so, I have a cross-city tunnel you may be interested in. Only used by old lady drivers on Sundays.

  7. frednk @ #1954 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 4:49 pm


    Greensborough Growler says:
    Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 4:41 p
    ….
    Like, where is Di Natale, the Leader of the Greens?

    The man who was going to have the Greens replace Labor; gone.
    Adam Bandt, not sure what his vision is. Did a little bit of Liberal me too with Michael O’Brien and disappeared.

    No, No, No!

    The producers of this series have wiped the 2020 version of this series.

    It was all a dream, apparently.

  10. Player One @ #1957 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 4:52 pm

    Rex Douglas @ #1949 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 4:43 pm

    Albanese has the juicy Howard-esque cash bribe to the outer urbs (childcare).

    He’s putting the finishing touches to a substantial manufacturing policy that will save the regions.

    He’s committed to a federal anti-corruption watchdog to stop the horrific corruption in Govt.

    You call that a policy agenda?

    If so, I have a cross-city tunnel you may be interested in. Only used by old lady drivers on Sundays.

    When you’re trying to win an election on your own without the support of your colleagues there’s only so much you can sell.

  11. Labor is a party. Members of that party can express their views, and do so. The ALP is not a cult. Stop wringing your hands every time someone makes a statement contradictory to the leadership.

    Labor has policies and a platform. Any member who does not like it has the opportunity to register their views. If anyone wants to criticise the way the platform and policies are pursued, they can have a say.

    It might be uncomfortable or inconvenient but that is how a members’ party should be run.

    In the National and Liberal parties, it is all done behind closed doors and traitors get metaphorically shot.

  12. There is no way am I a member of the Labor Right. I am a long time Labor member but getting long in the tooth now and have recently had a couple of health scares including major surgery (thanks Labor for Medicare, without it I would now be a statistic). I long for a Labor government to bring some fairness and balance back into our society. I thought we had it last time only for the lies and dirty tactics of the LNP. I was camped next to a bloke at the time and I was espousing the benefits of having a Labor Gov to which he said that there was no way that he would vote for Labor because they were bringing in a death tax. Wot? I sez, first I’ve heard of that one. Bloody oath he said, it was on the news this morning. How many other average voters would have been taken in by the lies and utter bullshit fed to them by the LNP and through Murdoch and their other crooked cronies. Okay, I’ll go along with Albo, I was pleased when he was chosen as Leader and I think he is a great person and I nice bloke but there’s an old saying about nice blokes coming last. IMHO he hasn’t got the mongrel in him to take on Morrison, Murdoch etc with any gusto. The ideal situation would be for an attack dog to rip into them on Labor’s behalf and clear the way for Albo to take over. Just sayin’.

  13. PuffyTMD

    The problems for the Greens is they don’t know what their policy is, as the don’t know what to oppose until Labor state theirs.

  15. Oh, get knotted, Rex, you utter wimp.

    Any chance you get you misrepresent information, even when you’ve been shown to be wrong.

    One minute Albo’s your hero, the next he’s a washout, then he’s your hero again – depending on how you can twist it to bash Labor.

    Stop with the faux outrage.


  18. Player One says:
    Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    PuffyTMD @ #1961 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 4:56 pm

    Labor has policies and a platform.

    Albo has apparently mislaid that particular postage stamp.

    Links have been provided for you before so you could read it, if reading was part of your skill set.

  21. Close observer @ #1962 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 4:58 pm

    There is no way am I a member of the Labor Right. I am a long time Labor member but getting long in the tooth now and have recently had a couple of health scares including major surgery (thanks Labor for Medicare, without it I would now be a statistic). I long for a Labor government to bring some fairness and balance back into our society. I thought we had it last time only for the lies and dirty tactics of the LNP. I was camped next to a bloke at the time and I was espousing the benefits of having a Labor Gov to which he said that there was no way that he would vote for Labor because they were bringing in a death tax. Wot? I sez, first I’ve heard of that one. Bloody oath he said, it was on the news this morning. How many other average voters would have been taken in by the lies and utter bullshit fed to them by the LNP and through Murdoch and their other crooked cronies. Okay, I’ll go along with Albo, I was pleased when he was chosen as Leader and I think he is a great person and I nice bloke but there’s an old saying about nice blokes coming last. IMHO he hasn’t got the mongrel in him to take on Morrison, Murdoch etc with any gusto. The ideal situation would be for an attack dog to rip into them on Labor’s behalf and clear the way for Albo to take over. Just sayin’.

    Stream of conscience trolls don’t really impress me.

    If you are really a Labor supporter, back them.

  23. frednk @ #1968 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 5:02 pm


    Player One says:
    Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    PuffyTMD @ #1961 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 4:56 pm

    Labor has policies and a platform.

    Albo has apparently mislaid that particular postage stamp.

    Links have been provided for you before so you could read it, if reading was part of your skill set.

    So the Liberal Blue Rinse Maven from Bumcrack Mountain is posting again.

    She’s admitted she’s a Lib.

    No point engaging imho.


  24. PuffyTMD says:
    Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    frednk
    Whom or what are these Greens-bodies of which thee speaketh?

    As there are only a handful of members that claim to be members of the Greens I suppose that is a fair question. To expect a strong organization and a consistent policy position is a big ask.

  25. Player One,
    There is thing called the Inter, hmmm, inter,…what was it again, on the tip of my tongue…
    Inernet!!!!

    PuffyTMD @ #1961 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 4:56 pm

    Labor has policies and a platform.

    Albo has apparently mislaid that particular postage stamp.

  28. https://www.pollbludger.net/2021/01/20/essential-research/comment-page-40/#comment-3546416

    I will still preference the ALP ahead of the Liberals and encourage other to do so, however, I am well aware that the positioning of the ALP still matters and that being to the left of the Liberals is not carte blanche to do anything they want, even if it allows overall rightward movement of politics, without criticism from the left. Politics is a complicated beast that does not rewards those who unnecessarily surrender.

  29. Dreaming of captaining the elusive 12th ship in the first fleet landing at Kurnell and establishing the Morrison dynasty in the Shire for ever more.

  30. GG
    What crap. You are the troll.
    G G

    I don’t know where you got the impression that I’m out to impress you. I have been following this blog for a long time even though I don’t contribute comments very often. (Only when I have something worthwhile to say not like your good self).
    My moniker is not “Close observer” for nothing. I have noted your arrogance in the past, it’s wasted on me.

  31. frednk @ #1968 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 5:02 pm

    Links have been provided for you before so you could read it, if reading was part of your skill set.

    Oh, that’s right. You posted a link to Labor’s 2018 platform. Which Labor dumped after their 2019 election loss, and are yet to replace. But wait …

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/24/anthony-albanese-signals-possible-return-to-labors-2019-workplace-policies

    On Sunday the Labor leader promised to “change the industrial relations system so there can be proper bargaining”, raising the prospect that its 2019 policies, including multi-employer bargaining, could be about to make a comeback.

    Soon they may indeed resurrect their entire 2018 platform, in which case you will be proven correct. Sadly, those are the policies that lost Labor the last election.

    Honestly, what a shambles 🙁

  35. Close observer @ #1980 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 5:26 pm

    GG
    What crap. You are the troll.
    G G

    I don’t know where you got the impression that I’m out to impress you. I have been following this blog for a long time even though I don’t contribute comments very often. (Only when I have something worthwhile to say not like your good self).
    My moniker is not “Close observer” for nothing. I have noted your arrogance in the past, it’s wasted on me.

    I’ve never noticed you before.

    Is there any reason I should have?

    Perhaps if you added something more than the addled yesterdayisms in your stream of conscience jottings I might re-evaluate.


  37. Player One says:
    Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    PuffyTMD @ #1976 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 5:11 pm

    FYI
    Start here.
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies

    Yep, there’s that 2018 policy platform again! Someone should tell Labor its 2021.

    And once again you can’t be bothered following the links provided on the page. For someone who claims to be interested in policy you lack of curiosity is something to behold.

  39. frednk @ #1987 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 5:44 pm


    Player One says:
    Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    PuffyTMD @ #1976 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 5:11 pm

    FYI
    Start here.
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies

    Yep, there’s that 2018 policy platform again! Someone should tell Labor its 2021.

    And once again you can’t be bothered following the links provided on the page. For someone who claims to be interested in policy you lack of curiosity is something to behold.

    I have actually read all the “policies” on that page. Took all of 3 minutes. And I read them slowly.

  40. @StuartEdser
    ·
    1m
    I wonder if they’re just softening us up for the false ‘Religious Freedom’ laws that are about to break upon our shores.

  41. After that last encounter you scared poor Yabba off gg – I think he thought no one could be as obnoxious as him, then he encountered u!

  42. According to p1, Labor should have rolled out all the policy big battalions during 2020. In the midst of a pandemic. When folk were worried about how they were going to make it through to next week. When there was no oxygen in the room for the punters in voter land to focus on such an opus. Especially those low information, low interest voters in the burbs and regions that matter, BUT giving the government a two year opportunity to war game their next election scare campaign.

    That makes sense.

    Next.

  44. Andrew_Earlwood @ #1992 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 5:56 pm

    According to p1, Labor should have rolled out all the policy big battalions during 2020. In the midst of a pandemic. When folk wee worried about how they were going to make it through to next week. When there was no oxygen in the room for the punters in voter land to focus on such an opus. Esp4cislly those low information, low interest voters in the burbs and regions that matter, BUT giving the government a two year opportunity to war game their next election scare campaign.

    That makes sense.

    Next.

    The pandemic will not be over before the next election. So when does Labor plan to release their policies? After they lose the election?

    Good plan!

  45. P1, as you claim to be interested in policy but seem to lack the skill set to find them.

    Here is the 2020 platform that has gone out for members to discuss.
    https://www.alp.org.au/media/2200/2020-alp-national-platform-consultation-draft.pdf

    And here are the links on the page to specific policy.
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/australian_cdc
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/social_housing_repair
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/rewiring_the_nation
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/made_in_australia
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/women_economic_recovery

    The last policy details why labor have introduced the childcare policy, something Rex seems to be against.,

  47. frednk @ #1995 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 6:01 pm

    As you claim to be interested in policy but seem to lack the skill set to find them.

    Here is the 2020 platform that has gone out for members to discuss.
    https://www.alp.org.au/media/2200/2020-alp-national-platform-consultation-draft.pdf

    And here are the links on the page to specific policy.
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/australian_cdc
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/social_housing_repair
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/rewiring_the_nation
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/made_in_australia
    https://www.alp.org.au/policies/women_economic_recovery

    Do you think Labor will adopt the 2020 draft? When? Perhaps by 2022?

    Oh, and I have another postage stamp ready, if you have any more policy details.

  49. Andrew_Earlwood @ #1996 Sunday, January 24th, 2021 – 6:04 pm

    ‘ The pandemic will not be over before the next election. So when does Labor plan to release their policies? After they lose the election’

    Ummm. … progressively throughout this year?

    Oh, so releasing policy during a pandemic is not so silly after all?

    Glad we at least got that sorted.

    Next.

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