70% of Victorians approve of the way Premier Andrews is handling his job, but 76% say the Victorian Government should compensate small business

The third Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey on Victoria’s Stage 4 restrictions shows 70% approval of Premier Daniel Andrews. However, a large majority (76%) of Victorians say the Victorian Government should provide compensation to all small businesses in Victoria forced to close by the Victorian Government’s COVID restrictions - only 24% say they should not.

For the first time in three weeks of surveying a majority of Victorians 53% (up 6% in a week) say Melbourne residents should now be able to visit the homes of immediate family members.

A rising majority of 67% (up 10%) of older Victorians aged 65+, say Melburnians should be able to visit the homes of their immediate family. This is despite being the age group at the greatest risk during the pandemic.

Other groups, in which majorities say Melburnians should be able to visit their immediate families, include Melburnians (54%), Victorians aged under 35 (51%), aged 50-64 (54%), men (57%) and L-NP supporters (69%).

Melburnians are far more likely than Country Victorians to want to be able to travel more than 5km from their home, visit their families and for the night-time curfew in Melbourne to end

Importantly, a slim majority of 51% of Melburnians now say they should be free to travel more than 5km from their home – up from 45% a week ago. This compares to only a third of people in Country Victoria (33%) who say the same. This is easily the largest gap between Melburnians and Country Victorians of any question.

Support for other restrictions including the night-time curfew from 9pm to 5am and restricting restaurants/hotels/clubs/cafes to take-away or food delivery only is largely unchanged on a week ago.

People surveyed were each asked three of the following six questions to determine their attitudes towards the current Victorian Government Stage 4 directives with changes compared to a week ago. There were also two new questions about the Approval/Disapproval of Premier Daniel Andrews' handling of his job and whether the Victorian Government should compensate small businesses forced to close during the lockdown.

• Question 1: “Melbourne residents are currently restricted from travelling more than 5km from their homes for exercise or buying essential items such as food. Should Melbourne residents now be free to travel more than 5km from their home?” Yes 46% (up 6%) cf. No 54% (down 6%).
  
• Question 2: “Melbourne’s restaurants/hotels/clubs/cafes are only allowed to offer take-away or food delivery services. Should Melbourne’s restaurants/hotels/clubs/cafes now be allowed to provide table service with proper social distancing?” Yes 37% (down 2%) cf. No 63% (up 2%).
  
• Question 3: “From Sunday night Melbourne is to have curfew from 9pm to 5am, should the curfew end or not?” Yes 37% (down 2%) cf. No 63% (up 2%).
  
• Question 4: “From Sunday night Melbourne residents will still be banned from visiting the homes of immediate family members with the exception of singles, delivering care or essential services. Should Melbourne residents now be able to visit their immediate families?” Yes 53% (up 6%) cf. No 47% (down 6%).
  
• Question 5 (NEW): “Do you agree all small businesses forced to close by the Victorian Government’s COVID restrictions should receive compensation from the Victorian Government or not?” Yes 76% cf. No 24%.
  
• Question 6 (NEW): “Do you APPROVE or DISAPPROVE of the way Mr. Daniel Andrews is handling is job as Premier of Victoria?” Approve 70% cf. Disapprove 30%.

This special Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with a Victoria-wide cross-section of 2,325 Victorians aged 18+ conducted on Tuesday September 8 – Wednesday September 9, 2020.

Just under two-fifths of Melburnians (38%) say the night-time curfew in Melbourne should end now – even though it is being shortened by an hour this Sunday – compared to only 31% of Country Victorians.

There is little difference between Melburnians and Country Victorians on the other questions:

• Only 37% of Melburnians and 38% of Country Victorians say Melbourne’s restaurants/hotels/ clubs/bars should now be able to provide table service with proper social distancing;
  
• Large majorities of both Melburnians (70%) and Country Victorians (71%) say they approve of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ handling of his job;
  
• Over three-quarters of both Melburnians (76%) and Country Victorians (76%) say that the Victorian Government should provide compensation to all small businesses forced to close by the Victorian Government’s COVID restrictions.

The survey was conducted five weeks after the introduction of stringent Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne and only days after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced a two-week extension to the Stage 4 lockdown The current restrictions will continue largely unchanged until the end of September and a longer roadmap going forward will keep many businesses closed throughout October and potentially into November.

Compensate all small businesses forced to close by the Victorian Government’s COVID restrictions

Supporters of all political parties say the Victorian Government should compensate all small businesses forced to close by the Victorian Government’s COVID restrictions led by 81% of L-NP supporters, 74% of ALP supporters and 65% of Greens supporters.

Unsurprisingly a large majority of ALP supporters (82%) approve of Premier Daniel Andrews’ handling of his job but Andrews also has the approval of 81% of Greens supporters and 53% of supporters of Independents/ Others. A sizeable minority of 43% of L-NP supporters also approve of his handling of the job.

L-NP supporters continue to favour ending three of the Stage 4 restrictions while ALP supporters and Greens supporters largely support the restrictions continuing.

• A majority of 69% (up 10%) of L-NP supporters say Melburnians should now be able to visit the homes of immediate families compared to 50% (up 6%) of ALP supporters but only 35% (down 5%) of Greens supporters.
  
• A narrower majority of 51% (down 3%) of L-NP supporters say Melbourne restaurants/hotels/ clubs/cafes should now be able to provide table service with proper social distancing compared to only 26% (down 15%) of ALP supporters and 34% (up 3%) of Greens supporters.
  
• In addition, a majority of 57% (up 3%) of L-NP supporters say Melbourne residents should now be able to travel more than 5km from their home compared to 46% (up 11%) of ALP supporters and just 35% (up 6%) of Greens supporters.

There is less of a political difference between supporters of the major parties when it comes to views on the Melbourne curfew 9pm to 5am – with supporters of all major parties opposed to lifting the curfew. Just over two-fifths of L-NP supporters 41% (down 4%), and under a third of ALP supporters 32% (down 10%), say the Melbourne curfew should be ended compared to 30% (up 6%) of Greens supporters.

Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ announcement on the weekend that the Stage 4 lockdown for Melbourne would be extended for at least two more weeks didn’t come as a huge surprise to many, with high numbers of daily cases still being announced:

“A third Roy Morgan SMS weekly survey of Victorians shows a large majority of 70% of Victorians approve of the way Premier Daniel Andrews is handling his job dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, although even more, 76% say the Victorian Government must compensate ALL small businesses forced to close by the Victorian Government’s COVID restrictions. So far all financial compensation has come from the Federal Government.

“Despite the challenges facing Victoria and the extension of Stage 4 lockdown for another two weeks and an extended lockdown for many businesses that may still be in place in late October or even November Premier Andrews has retained the approval of over two-thirds of Victorians – including over 80% of ALP supporters and Greens supporters.

“The movement in views over the last week has been in relation to people being allowed to visit their immediate families which is now the majority view of 53% of Victorians – up 6% on a week ago and the Melburnians being allowed to travel more than 5km from their homes for exercise and essential items now at 46% (up 6%).

Importantly – a majority of 51% of Melburnians now say they should be able to travel more freely around the city and outside the current limit of 5km from their homes.

“Views on other Stage 4 restrictions such as the re-opening of restaurants/hotels/clubs/cafes and the night-time curfew are largely unchanged on a week ago – although it’s worth mentioning that a majority of 51% of L-NP supporters say restaurants/hotels/clubs/cafes should be allowed to offer tables service with proper social distancing.”

Question 1:

Should Melbourne restaurants/hotels/clubs/cafes now be allowed to provide table service with proper social distancing? By Party Vote (Federal)

Source: Roy Morgan Special Snap SMS Poll of Victorians conducted on Tuesday September 8 to Wednesday September 9, 2020, n=2,325 with over 1,000 respondents each asked 3 questions.
Base: Victorians aged 18+.