Newspoll: Palaszczuk fighting to regain trust

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s satisfaction rating as Premier has never been higher. Picture: AAP

Much like her predecessor Anna Bligh found in the wake of the 2011 floods, Annastacia Palaszczuk should not be counting on her (mostly competent) handling of the COVID-19 pandemic to help her win the day at the October 31 election.

Bligh’s tearful and stirring “We are Queenslanders” speech while the floodwaters were inundating thousands of Brisbane homes is regarded as one of the political highlights of her troubled time at the top.

But it counted for nought at the polls a little over 12 months later when Queenslanders tossed her government out in favour of Campbell Newman.

Newspoll on premiers in coronavirus crisis

It’s true that Palaszczuk’s satisfaction rating as Premier has never been higher than this and that she managed to win the last election with worse personal opinion poll figures.

But the ranks of those who are unhappy with her leadership of the state are as solid and unwavering as the pre-COVID jobless figures outside of Queensland’s urbanised southeast.

Her government’s stocks of trust were hit hard by the debacle over Jackie Trad’s investment house and have never really recovered.

Palaszczuk is a good on-the-stump campaigner and the LNP Opposition struggles to find a compelling narrative for how it would run the state.

But virus or no virus, her government would have preferred to be in a much better place than where these numbers suggest it is.

Newspoll on premiers in coronavirus crisis