PM's Ratings Plummet As Slow Vaccine Rollout Hits Confidence

Approval ratings for Prime Minister Scott Morrison have plummeted in recent weeks, with Australia's slow vaccine rollout damaging public confidence in the gov't an Essential poll for The Guardian shows.

• Essential Report poll: Preferred Prime Minister Scott Morrison (L/NP, Conservative): 47% (-5), Anthony Albanese (ALP, Centre-left): 28% (+2), Don't know: 25% (+ 3), +/- vs. 16/03/21. Fieldwork: 13/04/21. Sample size: 1,368
• Essential Report poll: PM Scott Morrison (L/NP, Conservative) 's performance: Approve: 54% (-8), Disapprove: 37% (+8), Don't know: 9%, +/- vs. 16/03/21, Fieldwork: 13/04/21, Sample size: 1,368
• The 47% of respondents viewing Morrison as their preferred prime minister is the lowest score the incumbent has received on this metric for over a year. It should be noted, though, that Morrison remains comfortably ahead of Labor leader Anthony Albanese in the preferred PM stakes.
• The poll also showed the public laying the blame for Australia's slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout squarely at the feet of the federal gov't, with 42% of respondents blaming the Morrison administration. Of the remaining respondents, 24% and 18% blamed international supply chains and production issues respectively for the slow rollout. Just 7% blamed state-level gov'ts (which the federal gov't had sought to blame for the rollout issues).