Two-thirds of Victorian voters back Daniel Andrews despite controversial management of COVID-19 crisis

Despite failures in his government’s response to COVID-19, the majority of Victorians say Dan Andrews has handled the crisis well.

Victorians are continuing to back Premier Daniel Andrews despite his government’s controversial management of the state’s second coronavirus wave.

The Australian’s Newspoll shows 62 per cent of Victorian voters agree the Premier has handled the health crisis well despite failures in hotel quarantine causing much of the state’s COVID-19 cases.

Separately, 61 per cent of voters around Australia, including 57 per cent of Coalition voters, said the restrictions, which have locked Victorians at home, were appropriate.

But ex-premier Jeff Kennett, who has openly criticised Mr Andrews’ handling of the crisis, said he was not surprised by the Newspoll results.

“When you have people in situations of stress they always look to their leaders to actually be able to guide them to a safe place,” he told the Today show on Tuesday morning.

“We are being guided because the Government has failed, and I’ve always said that the aftermath of the coronavirus is going to be a lot more serious than, in fact, the coronavirus itself.

“We are going to have literally years of trying to recover here in Victoria. Businesses are closing all over the place. Our unemployment levels are rising. When we get to the next election it won’t be the coronavirus that the Premier has got to deal with, if he is still in office. It will actually be a shrinking economy … Opinion polls fluctuate, when you are up there is only one way to go.”

It comes after the Opposition last week pushed a vote of no confidence regarding the Premier’s leadership through parliament.

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien on Monday published updated figures on his social media, where reportedly 40,000 Victorians had registered their vote of no confidence in the Premier.

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett says he isn’t surprised by the opinion poll data. Picture: Stuart McEvoy/The Australian.

Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien introduced a vote of no confidence in parliament last week. Picture: Wayne Taylor/NCA NewsWire

Mr Andrews hinted at a possible easing of restrictions on Sunday, saying “significant steps” could be taken.

“We are poised to take some significant steps, albeit they are safe and steady steps on Sunday,” he said on Monday.

“We are in that 30-50 band and it looks like we are going to stay there. That is really very, very important.”

“Let me be clear – if circumstances change, if we find ourselves ahead of schedule, not for one day but in a manifest sense, common sense always guides us,” he said. “We will look at what sits behind the numbers and then we will have to make a judgment.”