Australia: PM Morrison's approval rating falls to lowest due to sluggish vaccine rollout

Due to a sluggish COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Australian PM Scott Morrison’s approval ratings fell to the lowest level in more than a year, according to a poll published in The Australian. The Newspoll showed Morrison’s public support has dropped by two points to 51 per cent over the last three weeks, which is the lowest since he faced criticisms last year over his response to devastating bushfires. As per the report, a slow vaccine rollout dented voters’ confidence in his conservative government as it left Australia exposed to a deadly new wave of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Morrison has come under increasing pressure as COVID-19 continues to spread across the nation. With the increasing number of virus cases, Sydney and Melbourne, the country’s biggest two cities, are in lockdown in a bid to stem a fast-moving outbreak of the Delta variant. Amid the spread of the virus and a sluggish vaccine rollout, Morrison’s Liberal-National Party coalition government also slumped to its lowest electoral position this term, the Newspoll showed, trailing the opposition Labor Party 47-53 on a two-party preferred basis. 

Morrison’s govt could suffer ‘significant defeat’ 

The Australian reported that if the poll result was replicated at an election, the conservative government would suffer a “significant defeat” against centre-left Labor. The media outlet said that Morrison’s popularity had initially surged during the COVID-19 crisis as measures including closing the international border, social distancing and speedy contact tracing kept Australia’s overall exposure comparatively low. However, delays with the vaccine rollout have reportedly frustrated voters. 

According to the poll, Morrison's handling of the pandemic fell nine points in the past three weeks to 52%, which is far below the 85% rating at the previous peak of the pandemic in April last year. Confidence in the vaccine rollout slumped to 40%. It is worth noting that the Newspoll was based on surveys of just over 1,500 voters in metropolitan and regional areas from Wednesday to Saturday. 

Meanwhile, authorities in the Australian city of Sydney have ordered a shutdown of building sites, banned non-essential retail. The government has also threatened fines for employers who force employees to come to the office amid rising coronavirus cases. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian in a news conference announced that the new restrictions would last until July 30 at least. The rise in COVID-19 cases has been reported due to the spread of the Delta variant. 

(Image: AP)