The Coalition and Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s approval ratings among voters have absolutely nosedived according to the first Newspoll of 2022, AKA the election year, and this absolutely sparks joy.
In the two-party preferred poll Labor has a whopping lead over the Coalition at 56 to 44 per cent lead, jumping three points since the last Newspoll on November 14.
The last time Labor had a 56-44 voter poll lead was during the leadership spill in August 2018 when Malcolm Turnbull was knifed and Morrison beat Julie Bishop and Peter Dutton for his job.
Since then the two have remained pretty close, with the Coalition edging ahead in mid-2020 when we thought the pandemic was over, lol, and we’d somehow avoided massive outbreaks, hahaha.
In the past 18 months or so the pendulum has swung back towards the ALP, who has been the clear preferred party since June 2021.
In other words literally no one, not even The Australian who commissions Newspoll, is surprised.
In the primary vote figures, Labor lifted three points to 41 per cent, while the Coalition dropped two to 34.
Recovery from the pandemic was cited as the most important issue for voters, and for the first time they think Labor would be better at it.
Voters also thought Labor would be *much* better at helming Australia through the climate crisis — the second most important issue.
Voters still think Morrison is better at creating jobs, but only by a bee’s dick, thus chipping away at the long-held myth that the Libs are good economic managers.
Opposite leader Anthony Albanese is also close to closing the gap on preferred PM after Scott Morrison’s net satisfaction rating plunged 11 points since the previous Newspoll.
The only other time Albo has topped Morrison was in early 2020 during the Black Summer bushfires and Morrison absconded from his duties for the sea breezes of Hawaii.
Since March 2020 when Australia was first locked down, Morrison has held a very strong lead as the country’s fave daddy. At his peak in Feb 2021 he held a 61 to 26 per cent lead.
But it’s not been a good year for Mr Take-Personal-Responsibility-Yourself-But-Oh-No-I-Won’t.
Here’s a little lowlights reel since his Newspoll heyday in Feb that may have had something to do with his massive drop in popularity.
February: Brittany Higgins alleges she was raped in Parliament house
After the story broke, Morrison fronted the media to say that after speaking to his wife he had reflected on the matter as a father, considering his own daughters and reminding everyone of his proximity to women — lucky he didn’t have sons!
He was called the fuck out for his total lack of empathy — something we already knew btw because taxpayers spent $190,000 on empathy training for him.
March: More rape, abuse and sexism allegations
Then-Attorney-General Christian Porter identified himself as the subject of historic rape allegations that had been levelled against an unnamed senior member of the Coalition.
Morrison immediately leapt to his side, declared him “innocent” and the case “closed”, and dismissed calls for an inquiry. Porter remained AG for several weeks before being demoted and eventually quitting politics in late 2021.
April, May, June, Infinity: Vaccine rollout
It was the federal government’s job to order enough vaccines for us and make sure they were distributed quickly and effectively. They were fucking not.
It was also their job to make sure everyone had access to adequate vaccine information to stem the growth of anti-vax misinformation.
Instead, the Coalition fear-mongered about AstraZeneca blood clots after ordering nothing but fkn AstraZeneca and limited eligibility to leave young people behind, so our rollout was way, way behind schedule.
NSW and Victoria ended up in months-long lockdowns yet again as Delta kicked off worldwide and Australians suffered.
And obviously Morrison spent months dodging all responsibility, blaming the markets, Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisations (ATAGI) and the states.
September: Hello entitlement
In the middle of NSW’s Delta outbreak, our PM magically got a travel exemption and a taxpayer-funded private jet to sneak home to locked down Sydney to spend Father’s Day with his family. Thousands of other families would’ve liked to spend that day with their loved ones too I’m sure.
What is particularly galling is that he sought to misguide everybody by implying that he didn’t spend Father’s Day with his family.
— Liz (@LizSward) September 7, 2021
October: COP26
So. Much. Dumb. Shit. Among it all Morrison refused to end coal power in Australia, mumbled some gibberish about technology, and announced a weak AF emissions reduction plan that will literally not save the Great Barrier Reef.
November: Even Macron said he’s a liar
That interview was fucking priceless.
I ask French President Emmanuel Macron whether Scott Morrison lied to him: “I don’t think, I know.” pic.twitter.com/3tcg4xrl90
— Bevan Shields (@BevanShields) October 31, 2021
French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in Rome point-blank that he doesn’t “think” Scomo lied to him about why Australia cancelled a $90 billion submarine contract with France, he knows he did.
December: Personal responsibility
Ah yep, the COVID outbreak has nothing to do with him or his failure to implement vaccine or mask mandates or making it possible for people to isolate and not starve to death when they need to take time off work, it’s all because of youuuuu dirty, common citizens (ahem, voters) not using common sense and like, just being careful please.
Obviously Morrison knows all about taking responsibility for his actions though.
Personal responsibility @ScottMorrisonMP?
Such as not ordering enough vaccines?
Going to Hawaii during a bush fire?
Not holding a hose?#auspol #ScottyDoesNothing #scottytheliar
— Hayden O’Connor (@HaydenJOConnor) December 21, 2021
January: Novak Djokovic and Grace Tame and literally what else he still has a few hours to go
The entire Djokovic affair was an absolute disaster. He shouldn’t have been allowed in in the first place and then when Morrison tried to show a strong stance, because we know how much he froths a closed border, it sparked more anti-vax protests, global ridicule and just a sour taste in everyone’s mouths.
Then mere moments later we were all reminded of how much he also froths a photo op, posing with Grace Tame who tanked the shoot in what is already the best moment of 2022.
His response to the whole thing was a steaming hot pile of yikes.
This is just a snapshot of an entirely cooked prime ministership and Scomo’s fall from grace — if you can call it that. He will likely face the scrutiny of voters in May so follow along for the wild ride.
