Support for eased restrictions grows as Melburnians reach breaking point
After months of lockdown, Melburnians have had enough. New polling shows that support for the harsh restrictions has dropped significantly — and one measure is particularly unpopular.
Coronavirus
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Fed-up Melburnians want an immediate end to stage four restrictions as new polling shows support for Premier Daniel Andrews is slipping.
A new Roy Morgan survey, obtained exclusively by the Herald Sun, has revealed a majority of Melburnians now support a restriction backdown as COVID-19 case numbers remain low.
Victoria recorded just 12 new cases on Tuesday taking the active case tally to 186.
A majority of Melburnians now want bans on visiting family and dining out scrapped and the controversial 5km travel limit lifted.
Of 2,350 people surveyed between Monday and Tuesday, 73 per cent, up 14 per cent from a fortnight ago, said Melburnians should be allowed to visit the homes of their immediate families.
A further 62 per cent want Melbourne’s food venues to be allowed to reopen.
And in a move backed by the majority of regional Victorians, 75 per cent of Melburnians want the 5km travel limit lifted.
They survey also showed more over 65s want the restaurant and family restrictions eased, compared to young age groups.
Approval for the Premier dipped two per cent to 59 per cent while his disapproval rating is up two per cent to 41 per cent.
A separate Essential Report poll found just 45 per cent of Victorians approved of the state government’s pandemic response, down from a record 75 per cent approval rating in June.
Roy Morgan chief Michele Levine said the survey showed an increasing frustration with ongoing lockdown restrictions.
“This is the seventh Roy Morgan SMS survey on Victoria’s Stage 4 restrictions conducted since Victoria and Melbourne went into lockdown,” she said.
“Initially Victorians, and Melburnians who bore the brunt of the restrictions, were willing to comply.
“However each week has shown increasing numbers of Victorians and Melburnians wanting the restrictions lifted.
“It is now up to the Victorian Government to create a COVID Safe environment.”
A separate poll by marketing research firm Dynata, conducted for the Institute of Public Affairs, found Victorians were split over whether or not Mr Andrews should resign.
Asked whether he should stand down over his government’s mismanagement of the pandemic response, 41 per cent agreed and 41 per cent disagreed.
Victorians were equally split over whether or not Mr Andrews understood the impacts of his restrictions on ordinary Victorians.
“We are living in two Victorias,” IPA Director of Research Daniel Wild said.
“Victorians are losing confidence in Daniel Andrews because they do not believe Daniel Andrews understands the impacts that his restrictions are having on ordinary Victorians.”
“The Victorian Government must lift all remaining lockdown measures and replace them with proportionate, risk-based, targeted measures based on maintaining medical capacity. The elimination strategy currently being pursued means no jobs, no freedom, and no hope for mainstream Victorians,” said Mr Wild.
Opposition leader Michael O’Brien moved a motion of no confidence against the Premier in parliament on Tuesday.
Although the motion looked set to fail, Mr O’Brien said extraordinary circumstances demanded urgent change.
“Because of the immeasurable damage that the Andrews Labor government is doing to the state that I love, I move this motion of no confidence,” he said.
“How did it come to this, Mr. Speaker. How did Labor take Melbourne from being the world’s most liveable city to the world’s most locked down city.”
At a press conference on Tuesday Mr Andrews rejected suggestions he should resign.
“My view is you don’t run from difficult tasks, you don’t run from challenges. You get on and get the job done,” he said.
“That is who I am. That is what I am doing and that position will not be changing.”
MORE NEWS
NEW EXPLOSIVE DETAILS OF LOCKDOWN COURT BATTLE EMERGE
HOTEL INQUIRY CALLS FOR TELSTRA PHONE RECORDS