Support for Morrison government reaches dire levels in Melbourne

The Morrison government’s handling of these key issues has seen its support in Melbourne plummet to dire levels.

Support for the Morrison government has plummeted in Melbourne as Liberal voters say they are far less likely to support the party because of its handling of sexual abuse and assault allegations.

A poll of almost 1000 Melbourne voters, obtained by the Herald Sun, reveals one in two rated the government’s response to the saga as very poor, compared to a quarter who thought it had been good or very good.

Of those to have previously voted for the Liberal Party, 40 per cent said they were now far less likely to support them again because of the way the government had dealt with issues such as the historical rape allegation against Attorney-General Christian Porter and the alleged rape of Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

The poll, by research firm RedBridge, put the party’s primary vote in Melbourne at a dire 29.4 per cent, compared to 36.25 per cent at the 2019 election, while support for Labor surged to 42.4 per cent.

Four out of ten voters rated Scott Morrison’s leadership as good or very good during the bushfire and COVID-19 crises

Just four out of ten voters rated Scott Morrison’s leadership as good or very good during the bushfire and COVID-19 crises, while half said the government’s support for Victoria during the pandemic was poor or very poor.

The poll findings will cause a major political headache for the Prime Minister, who will have to win extra seats at the next election to retain power, with the party nominating Victoria as its prime target to gain ground on Labor.

The survey was conducted last week after nationwide rallies about gendered violence and the treatment of women, headlined by a powerful speech delivered by Ms Higgins outside Parliament House in Canberra.

Only 9 per cent of voters said the way the government had handled the allegations was not important to their opinion of the government, compared to 62.6 per cent who said it was very important.

Attorney General Christian Porter was embroilled in a scandal. Picture Kym Smith

Liberal party staffer Brittany Higginsmade shocking claims that she was raped whilst in the defence industry minister's office in Parliament House.

RedBridge strategy director Kosmos Samaras, a former Victorian Labor assistant secretary, said the data highlighted the “profound impact” of the saga, especially in Melbourne.

“We will need a few more of these results to be confident that we are witnessing a permanent shift within the electorate,” he said.

While 56.4 per cent of voters had previously supported a Liberal candidate, just 26.8 per cent said they now most identified with the party, compared to 40.8 per cent who nominated Labor and 17.8 per cent who sided with the Greens.

In the overall primary vote, support for the Greens was at 11 per cent and 7.9 per cent were unsure.