Newspoll: Package has voters’ universal support

Labor voters have overwhelmingly backed Scott Morrison’s $130bn JobKeeper package to keep workers connected to their jobs.

The generosity of Scott Morrison’s $130bn JobKeeper package was favoured by more than two-thirds of voters who agreed that the level of support­ was ‘about right’. Picture: AAP

Labor voters have overwhelmingly backed Scott Morrison’s $130bn JobKeeper package to keep workers connected to their jobs, as Anthony Albanese prepares to go into battle and force changes to the legislation.

A special Newspoll commissioned by The Australian following the unprecedented rescue package to combat the economic ravages of COVID-19 shows 84 per cent of Labor supporters have backed the scheme.

Greens voters have also embraced­ the scheme, with 88 per cent pledging support, despite Greens leader Adam Bandt ­reserving the right to oppose the bill when it comes before parliament on Wednesday.

With 90 per cent of Coalition voters also in support, the poll suggests­ universal political backing for a package the government hopes will rescue the economy from collapse.

The generosity of the scheme, which promises a liveable wage — and some casual workers receiving a pay rise — was also supported by more than two-thirds of voters who agreed that the level of support­ was “about right’’.
PDF: NEWSPOLL

The poll results show that polit­ical conflicts appear to have been erased, with a majority of Aust­ralians supporting the pragmatic attempts to save lives and livelihoods.

While Labor insists on changes to the legislation, the Greens have reserved their judgment, with a majority of their supporters claiming to support it.

“The Greens were among the first to call for wage guarantees, but the government’s arbitrary time limit means a million­ casual workers will be left behind, and this crisis shouldn’t be used to strip away workers’ rights, so we will wait to see the legislation before deciding on our position,” Mr Bandt said on Sunday.

The support for the government’s third economic rescue package was echoed by the deepening concern about the economic impacts, with Labor voters more worried about the prospects for the country than Coalition voters.

The poll revealed that 88 per cent of Labor voters were concerned about the economy, compared with 86 per cent of Greens voters and 83 per cent of Coalition voters, reflecting perhaps the broader socio-economic status of the political divide.

While there was increasing concern about the ability of the health system to cope with the infection­ levels, there was nevertheless sympathy for attempts to fortify hospitals, with 57 per cent claiming to be satisfied that it was doing as well as could be expected.

There has also been a significant shift in the belief that governments at federal and state level had properly informed people about how best to protect themselves.

The poll, while showing a significant shift in the political support towards the Coalition amid the crisis, also revealed an upward shift in support for Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, whose approval ratings rose from 40 per cent to 45 per cent. His dissatisfac­tion levels fell to their lowest level since he took the leadership after the election last May.

Yet this failed to translate into a boost for the party, with Labor falling back two points to 34 per cent.

Both the Greens and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation improved their positions by a point.