Newspoll: Support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s handling of Covid-19 falls

The number of voters who believe Scott Morrison is handling Covid well is down significantly compared to at the height of the pandemic.

Voters have marked down Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new poll.

The Newspoll, conducted for The Australian, shows that 61 per cent of voters believed the Prime Minister was still handing the crisis well compared to 70 per cent in April.

The latest result is a significant drop from the height of the pandemic in April last year, when Mr Morrison enjoyed an 85 per cent approval rating.

The poll was taken between last Wednesday and Saturday, which meant it captured he initial first few days before Sydney plunged into an official Covid red zone, and following Victoria’s three-week lockdown.

It also captured voters’ response to changes made to the vaccine rollout, which saw the AstraZeneca jab recommended to those more than 60 years old.
Fifty per cent of voters — down from 53 per cent in April — said they were satisfied with the Morrison Government’s handling of the vaccine rollout compared to 46 per cent who said they were dissatisfied.

Voters attitudes to the opposition were also gauged.

The Newspoll found 25 per cent of voters believed an Anthony Albanese-led Labor government would handle Covid-19 better with 36 per cent believing it would be about the same.

A further 27 per cent believed an Albanese government would be worse at dealing with the crisis.

The federal Coalition has also maintained its lead despite criticism over rising Covid-19 cases, a sluggish national vaccine rollout, and a Nationals leadership upset.

Support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also risen in the wake of his appearance at the G7 world leaders’ summit in England, which helped place Australia on the world stage.

According to an exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian, the Coalition primary vote is unchanged at 41 per cent and Mr Morrison’s approval rating has lifted three points.

Labor’s primary vote rose one point to 37 per cent and Anthony Albanese’s net satisfaction ratings advanced four points.

The opposition also is slightly ahead on a two-party preferred split, 51/49 per cent, after being deadlocked at the beginning of the month.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends a working breakfast at the G7 Summit. Picture: Adam Taylor/PMO

The poll period covered Victoria’s lockdown and the start of the Sydney lockdown and state border closures to NSW.

The Morrison Government has faced criticism for its handling of the vaccine rollout, the implementation of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and the quarantine system. The Coalition also suffered a political coup within the ranks of the Nationals, with Barnaby Joyce reinstated as Deputy Prime Minister.

The Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

But the Newspoll indicates these crises have not impacted the Coalition’s figures.

The Coalition primary vote remained at 41 per cent, near its election result, while Labor’s primary vote of 37 per cent is significantly up on its 2019 election result of 33.3 per cent. This lift appears to have come from minor parties which dropped from 9 per cent to 8 per cent. 

Satisfaction with Mr Morrison’s performance rose a point to 55 per cent with dissatisfaction falling two points to 41 per cent.

Only 4 per cent of voters remain undecided on Mr Morrison’s performance compared to 15 per cent of voters for Mr Albanese’s performance.

Mr Morrison remained firm as the preferred prime minister at 53 per cent while his rival Mr Albanese gained a point to 33 per cent.

The Greens were stable on 11 per cent while One Nation remained the same at 3 per cent.

Originally published as Newspoll: Support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s handling of Covid-19 falls