Newspoll: Voters back Daniel Andrews but tempted to change

Most voters back Victorian Labor to stay in office but have shown they will consider an alternative — though not necessarily the Coalition.

Daniel Andrews savaged the Prime Minister’s handling of extremist elements among protesters, accusing him of pandering to dangerous members of the community. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Nearly one in every two voters believes the Andrews government deserves to be re-elected but a similar number of people would be prepared to back a different administration, according to Newspoll.

The latest survey of Victorian voting intentions shows that 47 per cent of all voters believes Labor deserves to be re-elected despite overseeing six lockdowns, a hotel quarantine crisis and internal chaos within the organisation.

But a further 46 per cent surveyed think it’s time to give someone else a go at running the state in what will be seen as a glimmer of hope for the embattled Victorian Coalition.

Just 14 per cent of Coalition voters believe the Victorian government should be re-elected based on its performance but an overwhelming 80 per cent of Labor voters threw their weight behind the government.

Unpublished Newspoll figures show a huge 59 per cent of people aged between 18 and 34 back Labor, suggesting the Coalition has a serious problem with wooing younger people.

Labor’s primary vote of 44 per cent recorded in the survey, with 36 per cent for the Coalition, represents a two party-preferred vote of 58 per cent to 42 per cent – Labor’s way.

In the latest question, voters were asked whether the Andrews government deserved to be re-elected or whether it was time to give someone else a go, without being specifically asked about whether the alternative would be the Victorian Coalition.

 

Voters responded with an effective split vote – when factoring in the margin of error – about whether the government deserves to be elected.

But when asked directly who they would vote for out of Labor and the Coalition, just 36 per cent backed the Victorian opposition.

Despite engineering the world’s longest lockdowns in Melbourne, Labor’s 58 per cent to 42 per cent two party-preferred lead would have delivered another thumping majority for Daniel Andrews.

The Newspoll numbers were greeted with alarm from senior Liberals at the weekend but they believe the 46 per cent of voters who backed some form of change could be crucial in any election, which is not due until late next year.

The Coalition must pick up 19 seats to win office, which would be one of the biggest swings to have occurred in Victoria in recent memory.

Tens of thousands of people marched in Melbourne at the weekend protesting mandatory vaccinations and the record-beating lockdowns.

On Sunday, Mr Andrews savaged Scott Morrison’s handling of extremist elements among protesters, accusing him of pandering to dangerous members of the community.

Liberal frontbencher David Davis said “people do have a right to demonstrate” when asked about the protests.

Mr Andrews said millions of Victorians had worked assiduously towards opening up the state and that the Prime Minister had pandered to extremists in comments he made late last week. Mr Morrison denies this claim.

“I am offended on behalf of all Victorians,” Mr Andrews said.

“Why would anyone, let alone our national leader, take away from five million Victorians the credit that belongs to them. We’ve done an amazing thing.

“And the fact he couldn’t just pause and say well done without pandering to extremists is beyond me.”

Liberal frontbencher David Davis says ‘people do have a right to demonstrate’. Picture: David Crosling

The Prime Minister has defended his response to Victorian anti-lockdown protests, in which he warned that people had had enough of governments interfering with their lives.

Mr Morrison said on Thursday that it was time for governments to allow people to make their own choices and that people needed to take back their own lives.

The Newspoll respondents were asked whether the Andrews government deserved to be re-elected or whether it was time to give someone else a go.

Labor secured heavy support from Greens voters, with 65 per cent arguing in favour of the government being re-elected.

Labor’s support for remaining in power was weakest among those aged 65 or older, with just 39 per cent of people believing the government should be re-elected.

The Newspoll results show a clear pattern of strong support among young people, with backing fading as the respondents’ age increases. A significant 54 per cent of the elderly believe it is time for a change of government while 80 per cent of Coalition voters want change.

Outside Melbourne, where there are a series of key Labor seats, only 43 per cent said they thought it was time for someone else to run the state.

A strident Mr Andrews also said on Sunday that Victoria was moving more quickly to reduce restrictions compared with NSW.

“Just in case you missed that, there are less rules on in Melbourne and Victoria than they are in Sydney,” he said.

The ALP’s primary vote has increased from 42.9 per cent at the 2018 Victorian election to 44 per cent, while the Coalition’s primary vote support also has increased slightly to 36 per cent.

The poll of 1029 Victorian voters took place between November 11 and 17, in a week when former ALP powerbroker Adem Somyurek made damning allegations about the Premier at the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.