Morrison’s Support Surges in Australia After Record Stimulus
Morrison’s Support Surges in Australia After Record Stimulus
(Bloomberg) -- Scott Morrison has recorded the strongest approval ratings for an Australian leader in more than a decade after his government passed a record stimulus to buttress the economy from the coronavirus.
Morrison, 51, recorded the highest net satisfaction rating for a prime minister since Kevin Rudd in 2009, rising to plus 26 percentage points from minus 12 in the previous survey released some three weeks ago, according to a Newspoll published Monday by the Australian newspaper. His rating as preferred prime minister has also jumped by 11 points in three weeks.
His Liberal-National coalition government is now back in front, leading the main opposition Labor party by 51% to 49%. Morrison’s popularity had dropped just months earlier over his handling of Australia’s bushfire crisis, particularly his decision to depart the country for a family holiday in Hawaii.
Since the coronavirus emerged as a threat, Morrison has been emphatic that his conservative government is fighting to both save lives by limiting its spread, and to support an economy now rocked by a wave of unemployment as restaurants, casinos and retailers close due to social-distancing restrictions.
Total fiscal and monetary stimulus in Australia since the virus emerged has now exceeded A$320 billion ($193 billion), or 16.4% of gross domestic product, including a A$130 billion jobs-rescue plan set to be legislated at a special sitting of parliament in Canberra from Wednesday. Morrison last week announced the government will make childcare free to help workers stay in their jobs.
Morrison, who has barred non-essential travel and closed borders to non-residents, has received some criticism for issuing confusing messaging about what sections of society should shut and what can proceed. But he has formed a National Cabinet with state and territory leaders in a bid to deliver a unified response to the crisis, and the country has so far avoided being flung into a full-blown health crisis as seen in the U.S. and parts of Europe.
The “scalable” measures the National Cabinet has put in place seem to be having an impact, with new cases of the virus falling to less than 10% growth a day. Morrison has also hailed the strength of the country’s health sector, saying that figures that show almost 1% of the population have been tested are among the world’s best.
Australia had 5,687 confirmed cases as of 3 p.m. Sydney time on Sunday, up 2.5% from the day before. There have been 34 fatalities.
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