Newspoll: Voters back Scott Morrison’s coronavirus rescue plans
Newspoll shows an unprecedented turnaround in support for Scott Morrison and his handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Australians have rallied behind Scott Morrison in a surge of support for his leadership and management of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Prime Minister recording the highest approval ratings for a national leader in more than a decade.
An exclusive Newspoll conducted for The Australian shows universal support for the government’s $130bn wage subsidy plan as anxiety in the community continues to rise over the economic toll and the level of debt with which the nation will be saddled.
The flight to certainty amid the crisis has produced an unprecedented turnaround in support for a prime minister, with Mr Morrison recording the highest satisfaction rating since Kevin Rudd at the height of the global financial crisis in 2009.
His status as preferred prime minister has also rebounded by 11 points in three weeks. He now leads Anthony Albanese by 53 to 29 on the back of the second and third economic rescue packages and early indications that strict social-distancing measures may be slowing the spread of the virus.
The dramatic lift in support for the Prime Minister since the outbreak has returned the government to a dominant electoral position, with a two-point rise in popular support to 42 per cent and a reversal of the two-party-preferred split, leaving the Coalition leading Labor by 51 to 49.
Dread of catching the virus still remains the greatest concern for Australians, with growing concerns over the ability of the public health system to cope in the crisis.
The increased public debt, which economists claim could reach $1 trillion, or 50 per cent of gross domestic product, is now of equal concern to voters as the prospect of losing their job.
Among people’s greatest worries was the erosion of superannuation balances, particularly for those approaching retirement — those aged 50-64 — while unemployment was of most concern to 18-34-year-olds.
The Newspoll shows overwhelmingly that the deepest fears in the community remain the impact on the economy, with those now claiming to be worried rising from 76 per cent to 84 per cent since the middle of last month. Greens voters were the most concerned, followed by Labor and then Coalition voters.
The support for the JobKeeper program was universal, with 90 per cent of Coalition voters backing it, followed by 88 per cent of Greens voters and 84 per cent of Labor supporters.
Two-thirds of voters believed the $1500 fortnightly payment was about the right amount.
Satisfaction with the federal and state governments’ economic response to the crisis has also risen, from 33 per cent to 47 per cent. Confidence in the ability of the public health system to cope, however, has fallen. The proportion of people worried about the level of preparedness in the health system has increased from 51 per cent to 57 per cent.
There was, nevertheless, sympathy for the governments’ attempts to fortify hospitals, with 57 per cent claiming to be satisfied that they were doing as well as could be expected.
See the full Newspoll results here
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