Poll results ‘encouraging’ for Queensland Premier

Annastacia Palaszczuk says she is “encouraged” by the latest YouGov Poll results, despite it revealing less than one in three Queenslanders would vote for her Government at the upcoming October election.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk is chuffed her popularity has rebounded during the coronavirus crisis, even though her Government is at risk of being bundled out of office.

But the Premier has refused to say why she believed a shock new poll had revealed less than one in three would vote for her Government at the upcoming October poll.

Qld Labor Government’s vote shrivels

Why Palaszczuk can’t be underestimated

Race on to find contacts of new COVID-19 patient

“Polls showing strong support for the Premier and her actions to protect Queenslanders from the effects of COVID-19 are very encouraging,” a spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk said yesterday.

A new YouGov Poll, published in yesterday’s The Sunday Mail, revealed Ms Palaszczuk’s Labor Government had dropped to its worst result in four years, now trailing the LNP.

It comes as Queensland continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic that’s strangled the economy and forced about 130,000 people out of work.

The business and tourism community have been vocal for weeks about the need to reopen the Queensland border as soon as it’s safe to do so after the Premier made the shock claim that it may not open until September, depending on cases.

The poll of more than 1000 Queenslanders found 39 per cent trusted the Palaszczuk Government more to manage the economy’s recovery post COVID-19, with a Frecklington-led LNP Government trailing on 28 per cent.

The number of people satisfied with the Premier’s performance jumped from just 29 per cent in January this year, to 49 per cent.

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington. Picture: Glenn Hampson

And 44 per cent now believe Ms Palaszczuk is a better Premier, compared to 34 per cent in January.

But the poll found 52 per cent back the LNP on a two-party-preferred basis, with Labor slumping to 48 per cent – down from 51.2 per cent at the November 2017 election.

It also revealed Labor’s primary vote had fallen to 32 per cent, trailing the LNP’s which had jumped more than 4 per cent since 2017.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington would not be drawn on the poll yesterday, instead insisting she was concentrating on getting Queensland working again.

“ … that’s exactly why I’m putting out the big, bold, ambitious policies like the new Bradfield Scheme, building the second M1, fixing our hospital system and improving the school system,” she said.

Originally published as Poll results ‘encouraging’ for Queensland Premier