How Dan Andrews' ran secret 'virus surveys' to monitor his political popularity with Victorians – despite always insisting lockdown decisions were made on ‘health advice’

Daniel Andrews spent a fortune of taxpayer money on self-serving popularity surveys to monitor how Victorians were reacting to his prolonged lockdown measures at the height of the state's Covid-19 crisis.

Victorians were slapped with stay-at-home orders last year and at one stage was in lockdown for 112 straight days to contain a mammoth Covid outbreak.

Mr Andrews always maintained the harsh restrictions were guided by public health advice and were necessary to contain the spate of daily infections.

But the treasure trove of internal polling suggests public opinion may have also played a key role in his decision-making, The Australian reported.

Mr Andrews was just as concerned how his public image would be impacted when he ordered more than five million Victorians into lockdown in July 2020.

Dan Andrews (pictured during his daily press conference during the lockdown) spent a fortune of taxpayer money on Covid-19 questionnaires in order to monitor his popularity

When more than five million Victorians were ordered into lockdown in July 2020, Mr Andrews was concerned about how it may affect his public image (pictured, Melburnians on July 9 as restrictions eased)

So he employed the services of political polling giant QDOS to conduct 'extensive community surveys' every two weeks to find out whether his popularity had taken a dive.

Victorians were asked to rate the Andrew's government between 0 to 10 on 'providing leadership during the coronavirus outbreak'.

They were also queried on whether they thought the lockdown restrictions had been 'much too soft, too soft, about right, too harsh, much too harsh'.

Another question asked if 'you are more concerned about the coronavirus impact on health and society OR its impact on jobs and the economy?'.

The surveys were conducted using focus groups, online polls and telephone interviews under the guidance of QDOS chief and Labor spin doctor John Armitage. 

Victorians spent a huge chunk of last year under stay-at-home orders with the Premier keeping the state on lockdown for a total of 112 straight days (pictured, hotel quarantine workers in Melbourne)

More people are flooding back to Melbourne's popular Degraves Street (pictured July 3) in the wake of last year's lockdown

Since 2016, Mr Armitage has been paid more than $2million to oversee a 'classified' program which gages public opinion on behalf of the premier.

Emails obtained under Freedom of Information laws confirm that both QDOS and Mr Andrews' office were both heavily involved in coming up with the questions and deciding who should take part. 

While the gruelling stay-at-home orders have resulted in outcry from some, in many cases a tough stance on Covid has been a political winner.

Queensland's Annastacia Palaszczuk, who also opted for strict border closures and lockdowns, won her state elections in a landslide in October.

It was the same story for Mark McGowan who was reinstated in Western Australia with almost 80 per cent of the vote.

With questions lingering about how much of his lockdown strategy was led by the internal poling, the premier's office swatted away any accusation the surveys out of the ordinary.  

'All governments around Australia – federal and state, Labor and Liberal – seek community feedback to gauge how to best deliver services,' a government spokesman said.  

Since 2016, John Armitage has been paid more than $2million to oversee a 'classified' program which gages public opinion on behalf of the premier

 Daniel Andrews (pictured in Geelong on July 6) employed the services of political polling giant QDOS to conduct 'extensive community surveys' every two weeks to find out whether his popularity had taken a dive

The 30 mistakes made by the Victorian government 

• Further breaches from Victoria's hotel quarantine system;

• Covid testing centres experiencing multi-hour wait times over the New Year period, as government locks down state borders leaving Victorians on holiday stranded;

• Victorian Auditor-General investigates government's hotel quarantine contracts with security companies;

• Unified Security prepares to sue the Victorian Government;

• WorkSafe Victoria inquiry continuing with potential prosecution of the Premier, Ministers and government Departments;

• Hotel quarantine operators who never hosted returned travellers paid millions;

• Hotel quarantine workers paid full salary despite not working a single day;

• Government apologises for incorrectly quarantining Brisbane travellers;

• Former hotel quarantine worker complains of 'hostile and intimidating behaviour';

• Novotel's manager and head of infection control fired over 51 infection control breaches;

• Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria's general manager of infection control stood down over Covid protocol breaches;

• Leaked incident reports document months of hotel quarantine protocol breaches;

• Epidemiologists and hygienists criticise flaws in hotel quarantine;

• Five-day lockdown of Victoria in response to Covid escaping hotel quarantine (impact to businesses over Valentine's Day period);

• Use of nebuliser blamed by government for Victoria's third wave with official leaked documents showing the government was wrong;

• Exposure sites listed by DoH incorrectly or without prior notification of establishment;

• Andrews declares Victoria's hotel quarantine has 'higher standards' than other states';

• Initial poor uptake of government QR code system with Parliament choosing its own stand-alone system;

• Police Association Victoria attacks Covid fine leniency;

• Jim's Mowing founder to legally challenge last year's Victorian lockdowns;

• Beyond Blue experiences increase in calls during snap 5-day lockdown and Lockdown 4;

• Academics find Covid lockdowns affected Victorian children more than in other states;

• Permit system to re-enter Victoria from NSW quickly overwhelmed, plagued with technical difficulties;

• Almost 5,000 prisoners to be released early due to the pandemic;

• Crime Statistics Agency 2020 figures show significant jumps in family violence, and drug and sex offences during lockdowns;

• Government announces Mickleham quarantine facility, demands Federal Government money to pay for it;

• Avalon Airport on agenda to host quarantine facility despite close relationship between owners and Premier;

• Alarmist language and rebuke by health experts;

• Only 13% of small businesses supported during Lockdown 4; and,

• Failure by the State Government to follow through with its mandatory vaccination legislation, including the revelation only half of Victoria's paramedics have had the vaccine. 

Source: Liberal-National Opposition