Q. If there was a Federal election held today, to which party would you probably give your first preference?
Q. If you ‘don’t know’ on the above question, which party are you currently leaning to?
1,847 sample size
| First preference/leaning to | 6 months ago | 4 weeks ago | Last week | This week
|
| Liberal | 33% | 36% | 37% | 36% |
| National | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Total Lib/Nat | 36% | 39% | 39% | 39% |
| Labor | 50% | 43% | 42% | 42% |
| Greens | 8% | 9% | 11% | 9% |
| Family First | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Other/Independent | 5% | 7% | 7% | 7% |
| 2PP | 6 months ago | 4 weeks ago | Last week | This week
|
| Total Lib/Nat | 41% | 46% | 46% | 46% |
| Labor | 59% | 54% | 54% | 54% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived the first preference/leaning to voting questions. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ are not included in the results.
* Sample is the aggregation of two weeks’ polling data. Comments »
27
Federal Health Agreement
Q4. Do you approve or disapprove of the agreement over health funding between the Federal Government and the State Governments?
| Total approve | 48% |
| Total disapprove | 25% |
| Strongly approve | 13% |
| Approve | 35% |
| Disapprove | 16% |
| Strongly disapprove | 9% |
| Don’t know | 27% |
48% of respondents approved of the agreement over health funding between the Federal Government and the State Governments and 25% disapproved. 71% of Labor voters approved and 7% disapproved. Liberal/National voters split 36% approve/46% disapprove.
Respondents from NSW and Queensland were more likely to approve than respondents from Victoria – NSW 50% approve/22% disapprove, Queensland 48%/20%, Victoria 45%/28%. Comments »
Q5. From what you have heard, do you think that as a result of this agreement, health services in your state will get better or worse?
| Total better | 43% |
| Total worse | 15% |
| Get a lot better | 10% |
| Get a little better | 34% |
| Get a little worse | 6% |
| Get a lot worse | 9% |
| Stay much the same | 25% |
| Don’t know | 17% |
43% think that as a result of this agreement, health services in their state will get better – 15% think they will get worse and 25% think they will stay much the same. 65% of Labor voters think health services will get better and 6% worse. Liberal/National voters split 28% better/24% worse/40% stay the same.
There were no significant differences between the states in terms of whether health services will get better or worse. Comments »
27
Government Performance
Q6. How would you rate the Federal Government’s performance in handling the following issues?
| Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Poor | Very poor | Not sure | |
| Stimulating the economy to address the economic crisis | 63% | 29% | 21% | 42% | 19% | 10% | 8% |
| Handling the economy in such a way as to minimize job losses during the recent economic crisis | 59% | 29% | 15% | 44% | 18% | 11% | 12% |
| Trying to find ways to improve the health care system | 50% | 39% | 10% | 39% | 24% | 15% | 12% |
| Replacing the Workchoices industrial laws | 44% | 36% | 13% | 31% | 22% | 14% | 20% |
| Standing up for Australian working families | 43% | 45% | 9% | 34% | 24% | 21% | 13% |
| Balancing the interests of business and Australian workers | 39% | 43% | 5% | 34% | 25% | 18% | 18% |
| The school buildings program | 31% | 56% | 5% | 25% | 29% | 27% | 14% |
| Introducing an emissions trading scheme | 28% | 57% | 3% | 25% | 28% | 29% | 15% |
| Handling the issue of asylum seekers | 18% | 72% | 3% | 15% | 28% | 43% | 10% |
A majority of respondents rated the Government’s performance good or very good for “Stimulating the economy to address the economic crisis” (63%), “Handling the economy in such a way as to minimize job losses during the recent economic crisis” (59%) and “Trying to find ways to improve the health care system” (50%).
A majority rated the Government’s performance poor or very poor for “Handling the issue of asylum seekers” (72%), “Introducing an emissions trading scheme” (57%) and “The school buildings program” (56%).
The only issue on which less than half Labor voters rated the Government performance as good/very good was “Handling the issue of asylum seekers” (34% good/58% poor). Comments »
27
Government Support
Q7. During their term in office, do you think the Rudd Government has given too much support, not enough support or just about the right amount of support to the following -
| Given too much support | Given enough support | Not given enough support | Don’t know | |
| Pensioners | 3% | 27% | 57% | 12% |
| Poor families | 3% | 28% | 54% | 16% |
| Country Australia | 2% | 31% | 46% | 21% |
| Small businesses | 2% | 37% | 39% | 22% |
| Working people | 2% | 47% | 37% | 13% |
| Unemployed workers | 10% | 37% | 34% | 19% |
| Recent immigrants | 41% | 26% | 17% | 17% |
| Large businesses | 26% | 37% | 14% | 23% |
| Unions | 19% | 42% | 13% | 26% |
| The banks and other large financial institutions | 43% | 33% | 5% | 19% |
About half the respondents think that the Rudd Government has not given enough support to pensioners (57%), poor families (54%) and country Australia (46%). A sizable proportion think that too much support has been given to the banks and other large financial institutions (43%) and recent immigrants (41%). 47% think the Rudd Government has given enough support to working people and 42% think they have given enough support to unions.
Among Labor voters, 50% think the Government has not given enough support to pensioners and 54% think they have not given enough support to poor families. Comments »
27
Tax
Q8. Do you think Australians pay -
| Too much tax | 61% |
| Too little tax | 4% |
| About the right amount | 28% |
| Don’t know | 7% |
61% think Australians pay too much tax and 28% think Australians pay about the right amount.
72% of full-time workers think we pay too much tax but there were no significant differences by income level.
Labor and Liberal/National voters also gave similar responses. Comments »
27
GST
Q9. Would you be prepared to pay more GST if it was:
| Yes | No | Don’t know | |
| Directly invested in hospitals and health services | 42% | 48% | 10% |
| Invested in aged pensions | 38% | 50% | 12% |
| Directly invested in vital infrastructure like roads and railways | 28% | 59% | 12% |
| Paid off all our national debt | 20% | 66% | 13% |
| Created a fund for Australia to invest in other countries (like China does) | 11% | 74% | 15% |
Respondents were most likely to support an increase in GST if it was directly invested in hospitals and health services (42%) and invested in aged pensions (38%).
However, those opposed to increasing the GST outnumbered those in favour for all options. Increasing GST to pay off national debt was strongly rejected (66%).
Labor voters were a little more supportive of paying more GST to invest in infrastructure (36%) and hospitals and health services (45%). Liberal/National voters were more likely to support increasing GST for investing in aged pensions (44%). Comments »
Q. If there was a Federal election held today, to which party would you probably give your first preference?
Q. If you ‘don’t know’ on the above question, which party are you currently leaning to?
1,988 sample size
| 2 week average | % | 2PP | 2PP shift from last week |
| Liberal | 37% | ||
| National | 2% | ||
| Total Lib/Nat | 39% | 46% | - |
| Labor | 42% | 54% | - |
| Greens | 11% | ||
| Family First | 2% | ||
| Other/Independent | 7% |
NB. The data in the above table is derived from our weekly first preference voting question. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ as their first preference are not included in the results.
* Sample is the culmination of two week’s polling data. Comments »
Q. Thinking about immigration, should the Government provide incentives for new migrants to settle in specific regions of Australia which need and can cope with higher populations?
| % | |
| Should provide incentives to settle in specific regions | 55% |
| Should not provide incentives to settle in specific regions | 30% |
| Don’t know | 15% |
55% agreed that the Government should provide incentives for new migrants to settle in specific regions of Australia which need and can cope with higher populations and 30% disagreed.
Those most likely to agree were Greens voters (74%), Labor voters (62%) and high income earners (60% of incomes over $1,600 per week).
Liberal/National voters split 54% should/36% should not. Comments »
19
Australia’s population
Q. Do you think Australia needs a larger population, a smaller population or about the same population in the following areas?
|
|
Larger population |
Smaller population |
Same population |
Don’t know |
|
Large capital cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane |
7% |
36% |
51% |
6% |
|
Other capital cities like Adelaide, Perth, Hobart |
36% |
12% |
44% |
7% |
|
Major regional centres |
56% |
8% |
28% |
8% |
|
Smaller regional towns |
64% |
6% |
22% |
7% |
There was strong support for increased population in the less populated areas of Australia.
Only 7% supported larger populations in the major capitals cities, while 36% supported larger populations in Adelaide, Perth and Hobart.
More than half supported larger populations in major regional centres (56%) and smaller regional towns (64%).
Opinions about the populations of the major capitals were similar across states, but respondents from SA/WA/Tasmania were less likely to want larger populations in their capitals cities (22% want larger population and 61% the same population).
Liberal voters and Greens voters were more likely to favour larger populations in regional areas. 61% of Liberal voters favoured larger populations in regional centres and 70% in smaller towns. 70% of Greens voters favoured larger populations in regional centres and 79% in smaller towns.
Q. Do you think the salaries of the following occupations are too low, too high or bout right?
| Too high | Too low | About right | Don’t know | |
| CEO’s of large companies | 84% | 2% | 7% | 7% |
| Members of Parliament | 62% | 6% | 24% | 8% |
| Tradesmen | 29% | 16% | 44% | 11% |
| Doctors | 27% | 15% | 46% | 12% |
| Public servants – clerical and admin | 26% | 15% | 44% | 15% |
| Bank customer service staff | 12% | 18% | 47% | 23% |
| Office workers in private companies – clerical and admin | 7% | 24% | 54% | 16% |
| Workers in call centres | 8% | 25% | 42% | 25% |
| Shop sales staff | 3% | 40% | 42% | 14% |
| Teachers | 8% | 45% | 38% | 8% |
| Police | 5% | 55% | 27% | 12% |
| Aged care workers | 2% | 76% | 12% | 10% |
The majority believe that the salaries of CEO’s of large companies (84%) and members of Parliament (62%) are too high.
Occupations where salaries were considered too low were aged care workers (76%), police (55%) and teachers (45%). Comments »
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 30 Jan 2012
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