Q. If a Federal Election was held today to which party will you probably give your first preference vote? If not sure, which party are you currently leaning toward?
Q. If don’t know -Well which party are you currently leaning to?
sample size = 1,909
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 42% | 42% | 43% | 43% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 45% | 45% | 46% | 46% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 38% | 38% | 37% | 38% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 10% | 11% | 10% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 8% | 6% | 7% | 7% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week
|
This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 51% | 51% | 52% | 52% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 48% |
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. The two-party preferred estimate is calculated by distributing the votes of the other parties according to their preferences at the 2010 election.
20
Approval of Julia Gillard
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister?
| Kevin Rudd | Julia Gillard | ||||||||||
| 31 May | 5 Jul | 19 Jul | 26 Jul | 2 Aug | 9 Aug | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | |
| Total approve | 41% | 48% | 52% | 49% | 46% | 45% | 46% | 45% | 45% | 43% | 43% |
| Total disapprove | 47% | 27% | 30% | 33% | 38% | 40% | 40% | 37% | 37% | 38% | 40% |
| Strongly approve | 7% | 14% | 11% | 12% | 10% | 13% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 7% | 10% |
| Approve | 34% | 34% | 41% | 37% | 36% | 32% | 33% | 33% | 36% | 36% | 33% |
| Disapprove | 25% | 13% | 17% | 19% | 23% | 24% | 24% | 21% | 20% | 23% | 24% |
| Strongly disapprove | 22% | 14% | 13% | 14% | 15% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 26% | 18% | 17% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 19% | 18% | 18% | 17% |
43% (no change) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 40% (up 2%) disapprove – a change in net rating from +5 to +3.
85% of Labor voters approve and 7% disapprove.
By gender – men 44% approve/42% disapprove, women 41% approve/37% disapprove.
20
Approval of Tony Abbott
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader?
| 18 Jan | 22 Feb | 29 Mar | 3 May | 31 May | 5 Jul | 2 Aug | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | |
| Total approve | 37% | 45% | 33% | 39% | 35% | 37% | 38% | 41% | 43% | 39% | 40% | 39% |
| Total disapprove | 37% | 36% | 50% | 43% | 50% | 47% | 48% | 44% | 37% | 45% | 40% | 39% |
| Strongly approve | 5% | 12% | 8% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 8% | 9% | 12% | 8% | 6% | 9% |
| Approve | 32% | 33% | 25% | 34% | 30% | 29% | 30% | 32% | 31% | 31% | 34% | 30% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 20% | 28% | 24% | 28% | 23% | 27% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 21% |
| Strongly disapprove | 17% | 16% | 22% | 19% | 22% | 24% | 21% | 22% | 16% | 23% | 18% | 18% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 18% | 16% | 18% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 15% | 19% | 17% | 19% | 22% |
39% (down 1%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 39% (down 1%) disapprove – no net change from last month.
67% of Coalition voters approve and 16% disapprove.
By gender – men 44% approve/39% disapprove, women 34% approve/38% disapprove.
20
Better Prime Minister
Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott?
| 5 Jul | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Kevin Rudd v Tony Abbott
21 Jun 10 |
||
| Julia Gillard | 53% | 46% | 47% | 49% | 45% | 45% | 88% | 8% | 72% | 47% | |
| Tony Abbott | 26% | 35% | 35% | 33% | 34% | 34% | 3% | 74% | 7% | 30% | |
| Don’t know | 21% | 19% | 18% | 17% | 21% | 21% | 9% | 18% | 21% | 23% |
45% believe Julia Gillard would make the better Prime Minister and 34% prefer Tony Abbott – no change last month’s figures.
Men favour Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott 45%/39% and women 45%/29%.
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think 2011 will be a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know/Not applicable | |
| The Australian economy | 48% | 16% | 5% | 43% | 32% | 14% | 2% | 5% |
| Your personal financial situation | 39% | 20% | 7% | 32% | 38% | 14% | 6% | 3% |
| Your workplace * | 47% | 16% | 8% | 39% | 33% | 13% | 3% | 4% |
| You and your family overall | 51% | 14% | 10% | 41% | 30% | 11% | 3% | 4% |
* based on working people
Overall, respondents were optimistic that 2011 would be a good year for themselves overall (51%), the Australian economy (48%) and their workplace (47%). They tended to be a little less optimistic about their financial situation (39% good/20% bad).
When compared with last week’s questions on perceptions of 2010, these figures suggest that respondents expect 2011 to be better than 2010.
In particular, more respondents believed it would be a good year for their personal situation (28% 2010/39% 2011), the Australian economy (41%/48%) and themselves and their families overall (43%/51%).
Q. Do you think 2011 will be a good or bad year for each of the following political parties?
| Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| The Liberal Party | 35% | 18% | 7% | 28% | 34% | 14% | 4% | 13% |
| The Labor Party | 19% | 40% | 4% | 15% | 29% | 29% | 11% | 12% |
| The Greens | 22% | 29% | 4% | 18% | 35% | 16% | 13% | 14% |
Respondents expect that 2011 is likely to be a good year for the Liberal Party (35% good/18% bad) and a bad year for the Labor Party (19%/40%).
Comparing these results with last week’s questions about 2010, respondents expect the Liberal Party to have a better year – 2010 33% good/27% bad compared to 2011 35%/18%.
Also, although the Greens were assessed to have had a good 2010 (42% good/21% bad) expectations are not so positive for 2011 (22%/29%).
20
2011 Outlook – Politicians
Q. Do you think 2011 will be a good or bad year for each of the following politicians?
| Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| Julia Gillard | 28% | 36% | 5% | 23% | 23% | 26% | 10% | 12% |
| Tony Abbott | 29% | 27% | 5% | 24% | 32% | 20% | 7% | 13% |
| Kevin Rudd | 21% | 30% | 3% | 18% | 35% | 21% | 9% | 14% |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 20% | 21% | 3% | 17% | 41% | 17% | 4% | 18% |
| Bob Brown | 20% | 30% | 4% | 16% | 31% | 18% | 12% | 19% |
There were no strong expectations one way or the other that 2011 would be good or bad for politicians.
Overall, there were negative expectations for Julia Gillard (-8% net), Kevin Rudd (-9%) and Bob Brown (-10%) while respondents were divided over Tony Abbott (+2%) and Malcolm Turnbull (-1%).
Comparing these results with last week’s questions, respondents expect 2011 to be worse than 2010 for Julia Gillard (net +24% in 2010 compared to
-8% in 2011) and Bob Brown (+17% in 2010/-10% in 2011).
Q. The online organisation Wikileaks, which is headed by the Australian Julian Assange, has released diplomatic material leaked to it by an American source. It has also provided this material to other media which have also published information about the leaks. Do you approve or disapprove of Wikileaks and media outlets releasing this material?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 53% | 55% | 51% | 80% |
| Total disapprove | 25% | 30% | 30% | 5% |
| Strongly approve | 20% | 21% | 17% | 35% |
| Approve | 33% | 34% | 34% | 45% |
| Disapprove | 14% | 16% | 18% | 3% |
| Strongly disapprove | 11% | 14% | 12% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 22% | 16% | 19% | 15% |
53% approve Wikileaks and other media outlets releasing leaked US diplomatic material and 25% disapprove – 22% do not have an opinion. There was majority approval from supporters of each major party.
There was also majority approval from all age groups – aged under 35 54% approve/17% disapprove, aged 35-54 51% approve/26% disapprove, aged 55+ 56% apperove/34% disapprove.
Q. The Australian Government has condemned the release of the Wikileaks material and the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called it “grossly irresponsible” and “illegal”. Do you approve or disapprove of the response of the Prime Minister and the Australian Government to the publication of the Wikileaks material?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 32% | 45% | 28% | 17% |
| Total disapprove | 46% | 38% | 54% | 66% |
| Strongly approve | 11% | 18% | 8% | 1% |
| Approve | 21% | 27% | 20% | 16% |
| Disapprove | 27% | 24% | 31% | 32% |
| Strongly disapprove | 19% | 14% | 23% | 34% |
| Don’t know | 21% | 17% | 17% | 17% |
46% disapprove of the Australian Government’s response to the publication of the Wikileaks material and 32% approve – 21% have no opinion. A majority of Coalition (54%) and Greens voters (66%) disapproved while Labor voters were more likely to approve (45%/38%).
Q. The US Government is reportedly intending to lay charges against Julian Assange as head of Wikileaks. Should Julian Assange receive support and assistance from the Australian Government if he is charged with an offence by the US or another country?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Should receive support and assistance | 50% | 52% | 50% | 76% |
| Should not receive support and assistance | 26% | 29% | 27% | 14% |
| Don’t know | 24% | 19% | 23% | 10% |
50% believe that Julian Assange should receive support and assistance from the Australian Government if he is charged with an offence by the US or another country and 26% think he should not – 24% have no opinion. A majority of voters for each of the major parties believed that Government support should be given.
20
Nuclear Power
Q. Do you support or oppose Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity?
| 27 Jan 09 | 20 Dec 10 | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 43% | 43% | 41% | 56% | 25% |
| Total oppose | 35% | 37% | 41% | 31% | 65% |
| Strongly support | 14% | 16% | 16% | 22% | 5% |
| Support | 29% | 27% | 25% | 34% | 20% |
| Oppose | 21% | 21% | 23% | 20% | 33% |
| Strongly oppose | 14% | 16% | 18% | 11% | 32% |
| Don’t know | 22% | 19% | 17% | 13% | 10% |
43% support Australia developing nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity and 35% oppose. These figures are almost identical to the results obtained when this question was last asked in January 2009.
Coalition voters show majority support (56%/31%), Greens voters are strongly opposed (25%/65%) and Labor voters split 41%/41%.
There are substantial differences by gender – 63% of men support and 26% oppose but women oppose 48% to 25%.
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 20 Feb 2012
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