How NSW handled Covid: The verdict

This is what the people of NSW think of the state government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic — and it’s not a “ringing endorsement”.

The people of NSW have given the Perrottet/Berejiklian governments the lowest approval rating of any state or territory for their handling of the Covid-19 epidemic in a new national survey.

Only 35 per cent of NSW respondents to the YouGov survey, conducted between December 27 and January 10, said the state had handled the crisis well, with 33 per cent saying it had been handled badly.

Residents of Western Australia were the happiest with the performance of their state in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, with an extraordinary 85 per cent approval rating.

Tasmanians and Queenslanders also gave their state governments ticks of approval, with ratings of 65 per cent and 60 per cent respectively.

Opinions were more divided in South Australia, where 48 per cent of people surveyed said their state government had handled the pandemic well, and in Victoria, where the proportion was 42 per cent.

YouGov’s Head of Public Affairs and Polling Dr Campbell White said the NSW result was “not a ringing endorsement of what’s been happening”.

“I think (Dominic Perrottet) will be very glad he has more than 12 months before he needs to go to the polls,” Dr White said. But the federal election expected to be called in May could also play a role with regards to consequences for leaders in individual states,” he said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Adam Yip

Flinders University politics lecturer Associate Professor Rob Manwaring said the NSW results were the hardest to read of any state, because of the change in premiers from Gladys Berejiklian to Dominic Perrottet.

“From this data it’s really hard to know what people liked about their approach. It’s hard to read how much support there has been for Perrottet’s opening up,” he said.

Since the YouGov poll was conducted, has your view changed? Vote below:

Many Australians have been surprised and incensed by some of the powers the state premiers have exercised during the pandemic, reviving longstanding debates about our federal system and whether three levels of government is one level too many.

Forty-four per cent of respondents to the YouGov survey agreed with the statement “Australia should have fewer levels of government,” although they were not asked which tier they would be happy to abolish.

A slightly smaller proportion – 41 per cent – said three levels of government served us well, while 16 per cent of people surveyed said they were undecided.

Flinders Uni lecturer Dr Rob Manwaring. Picture: Flinders University

Griffith University’s senior lecturer in politics Dr Paul Williams. Picture: Supplied

Assoc Prof Manwaring said Covid-19 had “brought frustrations with federation to the fore,” but any change in this area would require constitutional change – and very few referendums to achieve this have ever succeeded.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott had sought to advance discussions about “streamlining” the federation when he was in power, Assoc Prof Manwaring said, but the discussions had ended with his prime ministership and not been revisited since.

Griffith University politics lecturer Dr Paul Williams said the survey results were a “snapshot of people expressing their disgruntlement” but it was unlikely state governments would ever be abolished.

“We’ve been talking about this for 100 years and it’s never happened,” he said. “The states are embedded in most chapters of the Constitution; it would be too difficult.”