Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is optimistic of his chances at the next federal election—which must be held before the end of May—while downplaying ongoing headlines and poor polling results regarding his government. In an address to the National Press Club on Feb. 1, the prime minister spruiked the government’s record on the economy, and its handling of COVID-19, while admitting mistakes were made along the way. When questioned on recent disapproval ratings in Newspoll surveys, Morrison responded by saying he had “great trust in the Australian people.” “I think they’re very wise, and I think they’re very discerning. I think they take elections very, very seriously. Because they know the consequences,” he told attendees. “There’s a difference between answering a phone and walking into a ballot box and making a decision that has consequences. And I know from my own experience that they know that the security situation we …