Scott Morrison dragged down Steven Marshall’s vote at SA election, poll shows

The PM badly hurt ex-premier Steven Marshall’s failed pitch for the SA state election, a poll shows. But Scott Morrison insists the result had nothing to do with him.

Scott Morrison’s unpopularity in South Australia was a major drag on the Liberal state election vote, according to a poll showing almost half of voters were less likely to back Steven Marshall because of him.

A statewide poll of 800 people found 49.5 per cent were less likely to vote for the-then premier at the March 19 election because he and the Prime Minister were both Liberals.

Taken in late February, the poll found 56 per cent of women and 40 per cent of men were less likely to vote Liberal because of Mr Morrison.

Voters were told Mr Morrison and Mr Marshall were both Liberals, then asked if, knowing this, they were less likely to vote for Mr Marshall at the state election.

Labor ousted Mr Marshall’s Liberals after just one term in office in a landslide. Labor secured 27 lower house seats to the Liberals’ 16.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison with former SA premier Steven Marshall in February. Behind is former minister Corey Wingard. Picture Emma Brasier

The firm that commissioned the poll supplied it to The Advertiser without naming the pollster or client for whom it was conducted.

Labor Senate leader Penny Wong said the poll results showed Liberal Sturt MP James Stevens should be nervous about holding his eastern Adelaide seat, despite a 6.9 per cent margin.

“Steven Marshall really can thank not only Peter Malinauskas and his team’s fantastic campaign but also Scott Morrison for an extraordinary loss after one term,” she told ABC radio.

But Mr Morrison said SA’s election was fought on state issues and he was concerned over how the recent state election results would impact the federal election.

“(Steven Marshall) made it very clear that even before the election, it was an election fought on state issues, that’s what the Labor premier has said,” Mr Morrison told FIVEaa on Tuesday morning.

“This election is a choice between a Liberal national government headed by myself with a very strong team...against the Labor team that is untested, unproven, we know can’t manage money and the key issues facing our country.”

He reaffirmed the future nuclear-powered submarines would be built in SA.

“Of course we’re building the subs in South Australia... our defence industry is massive in South Australia, and those skills development which we’re doing in South Australia are critical to delivering those projects.”

He said “of course there will be” new jobs delivered in the state’s defence industry over the next five years but did not say how many.

Last September, the $90bn Attack-class submarine program was scrapped in favour of a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS security pact with the US and Britain.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham declared Mr Morrison had done “an incredible job over the last three years” and had to make difficult decisions that had been rewarded through low unemployment and job creation.

The-then SA premier Steven Marshall and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the opening of the Australian Space Agency at Lot Fourteen in February, 2020. Picture: AAP / David Mariuz

The poll results showed 28.6 per cent of respondents were more likely to vote Liberal because of Mr Morrison, including 27 per cent of women and 32 per cent of men. Almost 22 per cent were unsure.

People aged under 50 were less likely to back Mr Marshall because of the Prime Minister, with 58 per cent declaring this compared with 43 per cent of over-50s.

Appearing with Mr Morrison at a February 13 press conference announcing funding for the North-South Rd corridor, Mr Marshall praised the pair’s “great working relationship” and declared his appreciation for the PM’s visit.

Mr Morrison said Mr Marshall had vowed when he became premier that he would “end those phony fights with Canberra” and deliver for SA - then praised him for having done so.

Originally published as Scott Morrison dragged down Steven Marshall’s vote at SA election, poll shows