Newspoll: Scott Morrison seals reputation as comeback kid

Scott Morrison has rebounded from the bushfires crisis with his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison shall now forever be known as the comeback kid. Not only did he pull the last election out of the fire, he’s now come roaring back from politically life threatening poor polls during the bushfires crisis.

Today’s Newspoll gives Morrison a net satisfaction rating of 41, a massive 61 point turn around from his minus 20 rating in the second half of February in the wake of the fires and his Hawaiian adventure.

It’s the biggest turn around in Newspoll history. Morrison’s net satisfaction rating is now the highest of his prime ministerial career.

The rise and rise of Morrison’s popularity is raising expectations within the government that he can drag the Liberal Party over the line in next weekend’s by-election for Eden-Monaro. It is a Labor held seat, and a government hasn’t won a seat of an opposition at a by-election in over 100 years.

But last time was during a pandemic (1919) and this PM is immensely popular for his handling of the current pandemic.

Scott Morrison shares a laugh with John Howard after his election victory. Picture: Adam Taylor/PMO

It would also take a catastrophic failure for the Coalition government not to win the next election from here. Even this far out. Morrison and his team will be deserved favourites right up until polling day, even if the polls move around. The comeback kid can win from anywhere.

Everything is running in Morrison’s favour now. Notwithstanding scandals during his tenure. John Howard similarly pushes past such set backs to dominate politically. Yet his popularity was what Morrison’s is now.

The polls show Morrison is popular. Labor is in disarray. Voters now trust the competence of this PM in a way that should be enduring. If the economy picks up, Morrison gets credit. If it fails, he will warn voters not to turn to the risky Labor option. Taking advantage of the Coalition’s dominance on the economy in the eyes of voters.

To lose from here would be a political failure not seen in over a decade, and it would reveal an equal failure to not have learned from the mistakes made back then.

Mistakes easily avoided.

The comeback kid – Mr Morrison – is a Kevin Rudd redux – comparable to Rudd in his early years. Rudd too had soaring approval ratings at the beginning of his prime ministership. Rudd’s failure was not using that support to build a major reform legacy. When Rudd squibbed it on the ETS his numbers quickly collapsed – because people realised his goal was retaining political power ahead of attaining political reforms.

Morrison is unlikely to repeat the mistake.

Australia is now primed for major reforms to help stimulate the economy and ensure that our post pandemic future is a prosperous one. A popular PM shouldn’t be afraid of taking advantage of the times.

Plenty have questioned whether Morrison truly believes in policy outcomes, given his apparatchik background in politics. His machine man past. This is his chance to prove them all wrong, just like he proved the pundits wrong at the last election.

Peter van Onselen is a professor of politics and public policy at the University of Western Australia and Griffith University