Coronavirus Australia: We are angry at each other, not government, survey shows

Behaviour of our fellow citizens, not government action, is our biggest frustration over coronavirus, survey shows.

Crowds at Bondi drew ire in March and forced limits of 500 people on the beach. Picture: Brendan Read

The frustration experienced by Australians and New Zealanders as a result of the coronavirus pandemic is more likely to stem from the behaviour of fellow citizens rather than the actions of their respective governments.

A new Singaporean study of 12,592 people from across the world, including 500 Australians, shows that 73 per cent of Australians reported feeling “angry” as a result of the outbreak with the majority attributing their frustration to the actions of their fellow citizens when failing to act responsibly.

The survey from Blackbox Research measured the sentiments of citizens from 23 nations across the globe and was conducted between 3 April to 19 April of this year.

In March, Sydney’s Bondi Beach drew the ire of the nation when photos posted on social media showed thousands of sunbathers packed on the beach’s famous shores at a time when gatherings of more than 500 people had been banned by the NSW Government.

Blackbox Research chief executive David Black the research showed strong national leadership was not enough and more community effort was required to help Australia’s recovery.

“Australia’s progress in fighting the pandemic has been positive, with the country seeing signs of having flatten the curve, and currently looking at easing its social distancing restrictions,” Mr Black said.

“While Australians hold relatively positive views of their political leaders at both a state and federal level, our survey findings have shown us that they want more done from a community standpoint.”
Mr Black said that many Australians had banded together to support communities devastated by the horror bushfire season, but that same spirit had been missing from the coronavirus response.

The lack of essential items at supermarkets and at shops was also high on Australians’ list of concerns, with more than half of Australians lamenting the failure of supply chains to deliver what they desired.

While 44 per cent of Australians expressed frustration that neither a COVID-19 vaccination nor a cure had been found, there was little criticism of the preparedness of its healthcare system.
This was a vastly different response to European nations such as France, where half of respondents expressed disappointment in their nation’s preparedness for the pandemic.

“Both Australia and New Zealand have generally bucked the Western trend when it comes to satisfaction with their respective responses from government, with most of the population’s frustration stemming from the behaviour of their fellow citizens or the inability for a cure to be developed so they can get on with life,” Mr Black said.

Globally, three quarters of those surveyed praised their own national media for how it had reported on COVID-19, with trust moving away from social media and back to traditional sources.

“In advanced nations like Australia, around half the population carried trust in traditional media, whereas only a quarter trusted social media,” Mr Black said. “The pendulum – which once swung against traditional media – could potentially be coming back.”

Australians were among the most optimistic groups of those surveyed with the majority believing the crisis will result in better preparedness to tackle fresh pandemics in the future.