A new Guardian Essential poll (3 March 2021) indicates an emerging Morrison vulnerability – he shares a female problem with Donald Trump. Not the major Trump one but the electoral one.
Just as the US November election result was heavily influenced by the voting behaviour of suburban women so the poll shows Morrison is less trusted by Australian females who also regard him as less honest than most politicians, less visionary and out touch with ordinary people.
The respondents were asked which of the following describe your opinion of Scott Morrison: total responses were: good in a crisis 59% compared with 66% in May 2020; trustworthy 52% compared with 56% in 2020; more honest than most politicians 50% compared with 51% in 2020; visionary 41% compared with 48% inn 2020; and out of touch with ordinary people 56% up nine per cent since 2020.
There were stark differences between male and female respondents. On the crisis question 64% of men thought Morrison was good in a crisis (the same as in 2020) while 55% of women shared that view – down 13% since 2020.
55% of men thought Morrison was more honest than most politicians but only 44% of women did.
On trustworthiness the figures were 56% (up 2%) of males while for women it was 48% down 7%. 46% of men thought he was visionary compared with 37% of women.
As for whether he was out of touch with ordinary people males and females were aligned with 56% thinking he was – although here the increase was greater for men (up 12%) compared to women up 8%. They appear to have been in doubt about that since May 2020.
Asked how much trust all respondents have in any various institutions to ensure work is a safe place for women the public service got 51% (lot/ some trust combined); private companies 38%; political offices 34%, sporting clubs 39% and the entertainment industry 36%.
The little or no trust responses were public service 41%; private companies 38%; political offices 59%’ sporting clubs 52%; and, the entertainment industry 56%.
Surprise, surprise men overwhelmingly believe gender equality has gone far enough already and gender equality has largely been achieved. Only a third of women agree.
We have learnt to distrust polls and this one may be no different – except that it is measuring attitudes and not voting intentions. For that we will have to wait.
But there is a warning for Scottie from marketing. A majority of the sample think that – despite all that daggy dad stuff – he is out of touch with ordinary people and women neither trust him nor think he is a more honest than other politicians.