Annastacia Palaszczuk grilled over polling to guide lockdown decisions

Queensland’s Covid-19 update took an awkward turn as the Premier faced tough questions about secret polling to guide lockdown decisions.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been grilled by journalists after an explosive report revealed the Queensland government forked out more than half a million dollars on market research to “shape the government’s approach” to Covid-19 policies.

The Premier was widely scrutinised throughout 2020 for her tough border policy stance, keeping the border closed with NSW until late in the calendar year.

Ms Palaszczuk repeatedly deflected criticism about the approach by insisting the decisions were guided by chief health officer Jeannette Young.

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But documents exposed by The Australian through the right to information (RTI) reveals the Palaszczuk government relied on secret monthly polling of Queenslanders to gauge the state’s appetite for closures and to help her decide on the scope and duration of pandemic restrictions.

The investigation details how the state government continues to receive “waves” of focus group and polling research intended to “shape the government’s approach” and communication strategy.

The Premier accused a reporter of being grumpy during the grilling. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The polling questions appear to show the Palaszczuk government deferred critical decisions to the masses, with questions asked in the research about the health risks of the virus compared with the economic impacts of lockdowns.

It even asked “what advice would you give” to leaders on how to manage the crisis.

On Tuesday morning, the Premier was grilled by reporters who said her insistence the decisions were guided by health were false and she instead relied on popular opinion for critical pandemic responses in the lead-up to the October state election.

“The research was done to help the advertising campaigns that the Covid-19 taskforce put in place,” Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.

“Everyone knows clearly how much I was personally attacked and the government was personally attacked for some of the strongest answers that we took taking on advice.”

The Premier described the polling data as “sentiment testing”. It initially cost $528,000 for a year-long contract and was extended last month, according to The Australian.

She was prompted by a reporter who said the RTI documents revealed there had been 17 waves of research flowing from the contract that “shows it is about guiding your decision making”.

In response, Ms Palaszczuk said the assertion was “not correct”.

“You’ll find that nearly every state, including the federal government, from time to time does sentiment testing and research especially to guide their advertising campaigns,” she said.

The Premier allegedly deferred responsibility about border closures to polling data. Picture: Mike Batterham

“Those campaigns have to be based on value for money and making sure there is clear messaging to the public what to do with the Covid-19 and social distancing and staying at home – these are important messaging that needs to happen.”

The Premier insisted she had not seen all of the research before appearing to lose her patience with the questioning, accusing the reporter of being “grumpy”.

The journalist pressed the Premier over her attempt at distancing herself from the costly research titled the “Covid-19 Key Insights Project” from polling group Ipsos Public Affairs.

“Half a million bucks on this research and you are saying you haven't seen it or are you not looking at it?” the journalist asked.

In response, Ms Palaszczuk said, “I’ve seen some.”

The Premier was asked what she would say to business owners who had to lay off staff during ongoing border closures “and you said it is about health advice (when) you are looking at the popularity of your decisions”.

Ms Palaszczuk refused to answer the question, instead again declaring she was criticised for critical policies while she was leading the state during a crisis.

“You know clearly everyone was yelling at me to open the borders,” she said. “Don't talk to me about popularity.

“Everyone was attacking me when I stood my ground here and backed in the chief health officer’s advice to me when it was seen as being not popular out there in the public, and it kept Queenslanders safe.”