Coronavirus Australia: How is your state’s premier performing?
Here’s how we rate the efforts of each premier as they lead their states through the pandemic.
An exclusive Newspoll for The Australian shows that state premiers — with the exception of Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk — are riding an unprecedented wave of popularity thanks to their handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Here, we ask senior journalists from The Australian’s state bureaus to rate the performances of their state premiers.
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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk
By Craig Johnstone
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.
Read Craig Johnstone’s full analysis here.
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Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan
By Victoria Laurie
Mark McGowan was giving his daily update on conquering COVID-19 on Monday — another zero for overnight cases, the fourth in a week — when he was interrupted by the heckling of an over-enthusiastic supporter in a passing car: “F..king love you, buddy.”
That was followed by an admiring “woooooo!”, all of which the Auslan interpreter behind him duly interpreted to the live audience.
It’s a great example of how McGowan has been almost universally praised throughout the state for his steady but steely crisis leadership, barring a few early skirmishes with the AMA over a lack of PPE and latterly the State School Teachers Union over his firm directive to reopen schools this week.
Read Victoria’ Laurie’s full analysis here.
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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews
By Rachel Baxendale
Daniel Andrews arguably overreached on March 22 when he and his NSW Liberal counterpart Gladys Berejiklian declared they would shut down “all non-essential activity” within 48 hours, without defining “non-essential”, leaving businesses and workers panicked and confused until the situation could be clarified by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and later Andrews himself.
Despite disagreements with the commonwealth in the weeks since, most notably over schools, Andrews has shown he has learnt from his early blunder, keen to promote an image of national cabinet unity at every opportunity.
The Andrews government has been strategic in its use of its own departmental modelling to sell its handling of both the health and the economic crisis.
Read Rachel Baxendale’s full analysis here.
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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian
By Yoni Bashan
At first blush, Gladys Berejiklian is likely to feel encouraged by the latest Newspoll scorecard grading her leadership — voters appear satisfied and impressed with her performance throughout the pandemic.
Less flatteringly, she ranks second last on both of these metrics compared to her interstate counterparts, her results languishing fathoms beneath the juggernaut success they have recorded.
But on her home turf, Ms Berejiklian is winning, and she knows it. Just last week she gave a rousing party room pep-talk, telling fellow Liberal and Nationals MPs on a Zoom call that “trust in government has never been so high” and this would only change “once they (the public) get jack of the restrictions”.
Read Yoni Bashan’s full analysis here.
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Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein
By Matthew Denholm
A few short months ago, Peter Gutwein was an untested and, for many, an unknown Premier, thrust into the top job unexpectedly, with no transition to soften up a rather dour image.
Today he is Mr 84 per cent; this satisfaction rating the highest of all premiers, other than the West’s Mark McGowan. A stunning 89 per cent of voters believe he has performed either fairly well (31 per cent) or very well (58 per cent); once again second only to McGowan.
A no-nonsense former publican, Gutwein still struggles to find the right words at press conferences, much less to exude the charisma of a Will Hodgman or Jim Bacon.
However, voters have appreciated his straight talk and willingness to take tough, nation-leading decisions early, such as his calls to ban cruise ships and effectively shut the state’s borders.
Read Matthew Denholm’s full analysis here.
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South Australian Premier Steven Marshall
By David Penberthy
Liberal Premier Steven Marshall’s growing popularity stems in no small part from his dogged efforts since December as South Australia was ravaged by bushfires in the Adelaide Hills and on Kangaroo Island.
Marshall immediately scrapped his holidays and has had two days off since, with the fallout from the bushfire crisis continuing as the pandemic began.
A former businessman who came to politics late in life, Marshall has been a model of consistency throughout the pandemic and has been flanked with two very able operators in chief medical officer Professor Nicola Spurrier and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens.
Read David Penberthy’s full analysis here.
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