Scott Morrison’s approval rating bounces back to 66%, Guardian Essential poll shows
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Scott Morrison’s approval rating in the latest Guardian Essential poll is back to 66%, and he remains ahead of Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister 53% to 24%, as he leaves for Japan on a whistle-stop visit aimed at improving bilateral defence cooperation.
The prime minister, who flew out of Australia late Monday night, is en route to Tokyo to meet his counterpart, Yoshihide Suga – a visit intended to send a signal about increasingly close ties between Australia and Japan at a time of deteriorating diplomatic relations with China.
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As well as pursuing a defence deal known as a reciprocal access agreement, the leaders are also expected to discuss broader strategic issues, including the rise of China and the regional implications of the incoming Biden administration in the US.
The program of events during the one-day visit will also showcase cooperation between Australia and Japan on hydrogen technology. Suga has made an early mark by committing Japan to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The previous administration of Shinzo Abe had talked about achieving net zero emissions “as early as possible in the second half of this century”.
The reciprocal access agreement, once finalised, is expected to detail arrangements for how Japan’s self-defence forces can operate in and around Australia, and for the Australian defence force to do likewise in Japan.
The latest Guardian Essential poll of 1,010 voters shows Morrison’s approval has bounced back to where it was in August, while the Labor leader Albanese’s approval is down four points in a month (40%) and his disapproval stands at 33%, up four points since October.
Voter approval of the Morrison government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic has also jumped, with 67% giving the Coalition the thumbs up (compared with 61% a fortnight ago).
The poll also records improvements in the approval ratings for state premiers in New South Wales and Victoria compared with a fortnight ago.
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Gladys Berejiklian’s approval is up to 75% (compared with 68% two weeks ago), and approval of Daniel Andrews is back up to 65% (from 61%, which was an improvement from 54% in October).
Andrews, who had the highest disapproval ratings of any state premier during the strict state lockdown that successfully suppressed Victoria’s second wave of Covid-19 infections, has seen his disapproval rating drop more than 10 points (from 40% in October to 28% this week).
Approval for the premiers tracks voter perceptions of the competency or otherwise of pandemic management. The NSW government’s Covid-19 strategy gets the thumbs up from 75% of voters in the sample – which is the highest level for four months – and 59% back the Victorian government’s handling of the crisis (up from 55% a fortnight ago and 45% the fortnight before).
Voters in Victoria were asked whether they were satisfied with the speed of easing restrictions, and a majority were – 65% said the easing was about right, 28% thought the government had moved too slowly and 7% said too quickly.
The Guardian Essential survey, taken before the outbreak in South Australia, suggests community concern about the threat of coronavirus is easing, with 23% of the sample saying they are either not that concerned, and 6% saying not at all concerned, while 27% (30% a fortnight ago) remain very concerned about the threat and the remaining 44% are quite concerned (46% previously).
Voters this fortnight were also asked questions about trust in the system – an issue that has been polled consistently during the pandemic.
An overwhelming majority of voters in the sample think the government needs to do more to solve the problems facing the country but people also remain optimistic that Australians are effective problem solvers. This fortnight’s survey found 91% of the sample wanted the government to do more and 84% rated the capacity of Australians to solve problems and get what they want.
The survey suggests there is a reasonable level of trust in federal governments of either persuasion to do what is right (66%), while 62% of the sample agreed with the statement: “The government does too many things that are better left to businesses and individuals.”
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With the Four Corners investigation into after-hours parliamentary culture continuing to generate headlines through last week, voters were asked whether it was ever appropriate for elected officials to engage in a sexual relationship with their staff – 82% said no and 18% said yes. Men were more likely than women to think relationships were acceptable (24% to 13%).
But the Four Corners controversy wasn’t the issue voters were watching closely. This fortnight voters were asked which issues they were monitoring in the news.
A majority in the sample nominated updates about the easing of restrictions in Victoria (73%) followed by the twists and turns in the US presidential election (68%).
Four Corners was next on 36% and the resignation of the shadow resources minister Joel Fitzgibbon from the shadow cabinet was monitored by 29% of the sample.