Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s approval rating has taken a significant hit following a government expenses scandal and the recent Bondi terror attack. The incident has exacerbated social tensions, with a majority of Australians perceiving a rise in racism, particularly antisemitism, over the past two years.
Nearly half of the voters expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government’s handling of the Bondi shooting. At the same time, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has also seen a decline in her ratings after launching a political offensive against Albanese’s crisis management.
Public Sentiment and Political Challenges
The findings from the Resolve Political Monitor, conducted for this publication, highlight the difficult task facing political leaders: uniting the nation while addressing public anxiety over the December 14 attack. Australians are split on the country’s social cohesion, with 38% rating it positively, 30% negatively, and 32% unsure.
Resolve surveyed 1,010 Australians between Wednesday and Saturday, with a margin of error of 3.1%. This survey coincided with the federal government ramping up its response to the terror attack.
Government Response and Criticism
In response to the crisis, the Albanese government announced on Thursday that it would adopt all recommendations from its antisemitism envoy, initiate a crackdown on hate speech, and on Friday, unveiled details of a gun buyback program as part of broader national gun reforms. Earlier in the week, Albanese faced harsh criticism from the Jewish community and prominent figures like former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard and former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who condemned his leadership on antisemitism.
Approximately half of those surveyed were unimpressed by the government’s response, with 20% labeling it as weak and 26% as very weak. Only 10% considered the response very strong, 19% viewed it as strong, and 25% remained undecided.
“There’s certainly an appetite for stronger action to prevent a recurrence, to restrict access to guns and to tackle the underlying extremism and antisemitism at play,” said Resolve director Jim Reed.
Political Fallout and Shifting Dynamics
The recent controversies have contributed to a decline in Albanese’s popularity and performance ratings. His net performance rating fell 15 points, from +6 to -9, the lowest since the May election. His net likeability also dropped 14 points, from +9 to -5, matching September’s results.
Sussan Ley’s ratings also dipped, though less dramatically. Her net performance rating decreased from +3 to -4, and her likeability fell from +8 to +1. Despite these changes, Albanese remains the preferred prime minister, with 38% support compared to Ley’s 30%.
“The PM has taken a personal hit from all this. His likeability, performance, leadership and Labor’s primary vote are all at their lowest ebb since the May election,” Reed noted.
Labor’s primary vote dropped by 3 points, while the Coalition and One Nation saw increases of 2 points each. One Nation now commands 16% of voter preference, its highest in the Resolve Political Monitor, with its supporters holding the most negative view of social cohesion.
Rising Concerns Over Racism and Antisemitism
There is widespread agreement that racism and religious intolerance have surged since the conflict in Gaza began in October 2023. Seventy-two percent of respondents believe racism has increased, up from 69% in January and 57% last March.
Among those who perceive a rise in racism, a growing number attribute it to increased antisemitism. Fifty-five percent of respondents noted a rise in antisemitism, consistent with January’s 54% and significantly higher than last March’s 33%.
Additionally, 13% of respondents reported an increase in Islamophobia, a 4-point rise since January, while 32% were unsure about the drivers of racism, down from over half last year.
The current political climate and social unrest underscore the challenges for Albanese and his government as they navigate these turbulent times. The coming months will likely be pivotal in determining the government’s ability to regain public trust and address the underlying issues of extremism and intolerance.
