Melburnians trapped in our “leper colony” are, at least for now, treating this pandemic as a health crisis and not a political crisis. That’s what Tuesday’s Newspoll tells us.
More than five million of us entered stage four restrictions — the shuttering of most businesses, a curfew and limits on leaving home — on August 2. We’ve endured one of the most draconian lockdowns on our coronavirus-riddled globe.
That’s more than 50 days ago, and it followed several more weeks of other limitations and the original lockdown throughout April and May.
Despite the economic and social devastation of the scorched earth policies imposed by Premier Daniel Andrews, the Newspoll indicates that, if there is to be any political blame apportioned, that can wait.
Thirty seven per cent of those surveyed on September 16-19 agreed the restrictions were too strict and should be relaxed. That’s a sizeable number. But not as big as the 54 per cent who agreed the restrictions were “about right”.
Mr Andrews’s satisfaction levels are holding up too, at 62 per cent. Granted, this is down from a peak of 75 per cent in April. But it’s up from 57 per cent in mid-July. Even among those identifying as traditional Coalition supporters, 57 per cent said the Andrews restrictions were “about right” to defeat the second wave.
Specifically on the question of the Premier’s handling of the coronavirus, 62 per cent said they thought he was doing “very well” or “fairly well”.
Mr Andrews will be buoyed by today’s numbers. While there is mounting evidence the state’s deadly second wave (744 lives lost and counting and a generational economic hit) can be linked directly to his government’s mistakes around the hotel quarantine program and poor contact tracing, the voters are not ready to buy into a blame game.
Despite the noisy but in all reality tiny numbers of anti-mask protesters, and loud commentary, Newspoll suggests this is not resonating among Victorians.
That may change. Victorians may yet pull out their baseball bats and come for the Premier. After all, the hotel quarantine inquiry is exposing the greatest public policy failure in the history of the nation that has cost hundreds of lives and destroyed the state’s economy.
And it’s difficult to believe that a political price won’t have to be paid at some stage.
Victorians are also continuing to support Prime Minister Scott Morrison, with 62 per cent saying they are satisfied with his performance, and 71 per cent saying he was handling the pandemic “very well” and “fairly well”.
Newspoll conducted phone interviews with more than 600 Victorians, who were divided to reflect the state’s city-regional population split.
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