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 = 1,896 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
Last week
|
This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 45% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 48% | 48% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 35% | 35% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 9% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 8% | 7% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 54% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 46% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived from 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.
Q. From the following list, what do you think are the three most important roles of the Federal Government? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
| Most important | Second | Third | Total | |
| Delivering basic services like health and education | 18% | 27% | 20% | 65% |
| Managing the economy in uncertain economic times | 20% | 15% | 14% | 49% |
| Making the big decisions for the nations future | 20% | 12% | 12% | 44% |
| Ensuring that all Australians benefit from Australia’s wealth | 13% | 10% | 11% | 34% |
| Supporting Australian industries to provide jobs | 8% | 12% | 12% | 32% |
| Reducing government spending so money can be returned back to taxpayers | 9% | 8% | 8% | 25% |
| Investing in infrastructure including road rail and broadband | 3% | 7% | 10% | 20% |
| Providing support to the most disadvantaged | 4% | 4% | 8% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Respondents considered that the most important roles of the Federal Government were delivering basic services like health and hospitals (65%), managing the economy in uncertain economic times (49%) and making the big decisions for the nations future (44%).
The least important roles were providing support for the most disadvantaged (16%), investing in infrastructure including road rail and broadband (20%) and reducing government spending so money can be returned to taxpayers (25%).
23
Party best to handle Issues
Q. Which party do you think is best to handle each of the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Making the big decisions for the nations future | 28% | 41% | 5% | 26% |
| Managing the economy in uncertain economic times | 30% | 44% | 2% | 24% |
| Delivering basic services like health and education | 34% | 36% | 5% | 25% |
| Investing in infrastructure including road rail and broadband | 34% | 36% | 2% | 28% |
| Supporting Australian industries to provide jobs | 33% | 39% | 3% | 25% |
| Reducing government spending so money can be returned back to taxpayers | 21% | 46% | 3% | 29% |
| Ensuring that all Australians benefit from Australia’s wealth | 31% | 34% | 6% | 29% |
| Providing support to the most disadvantaged | 34% | 27% | 9% | 29% |
The Liberal Party was considered substantially better than Labor at making the big decisions for the nations future (41% to 28%), managing the economy in uncertain economic times (44%/30% ) and reducing Government spending so money can be retuned back to taxpayers (46%/21%).
They were also considered a little better at supporting Australian industries to provide jobs (39%/33%). The Labor Party was considered a little better at providing support to the most disadvantaged (34%/27%) and the two parties scored similarly on delivering basic services like health and education, investing in infrastructure including road rail and broadband and ensuring that all Australians benefit from Australia’s wealth.
Q. Do you support or oppose the mandatory pre-commitment proposal to address problem gambling which will require poker machine players to set limits on how much they can lose?
| 18 Apr 2011 | 12 Sept 2011 | 10 Oct 2011 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 65% | 67% | 61% | 62% | 71% | 53% | 77% |
| Total oppose | 21% | 25% | 30% | 25% | 17% | 35% | 15% |
| Strongly support | 32% | 34% | 29% | 27% | 32% | 21% | 38% |
| Support | 33% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 39% | 32% | 39% |
| Oppose | 12% | 13% | 15% | 16% | 11% | 22% | 6% |
| Strongly oppose | 9% | 12% | 15% | 9% | 6% | 13% | 9% |
| Don’t know | 13% | 9% | 9% | 14% | 12% | 12% | 9% |
62% of respondents said they support the proposal for mandatory pre-commitment for poker machines and 25% oppose. This represents a small drop in opposition since this issue was last polled in October 2011 – but a similar level of support.
A majority of all voter and demographic groups supported the proposal.
Support for the proposal in NSW was 52% with 34% opposed, in Queensland 54%/30% and in Victoria 71%/16%.
Q. Do you support or oppose the provision of additional assistance by Federal and State governments to ensure US motor companies continue to manufacture cars in Australia?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 58% | 67% | 63% | 45% |
| Total oppose | 18% | 16% | 20% | 22% |
| Strongly support | 14% | 20% | 14% | 5% |
| Support | 44% | 47% | 49% | 40% |
| Oppose | 12% | 12% | 14% | 13% |
| Strongly oppose | 6% | 4% | 6% | 9% |
| Don’t know | 23% | 17% | 17% | 33% |
58% said they supported the provision of additional assistance to the Australian car industry and 18% were opposed.
Support was highest among Labor voters (67%), aged 55+ (67%) and Victorians (68%).
Q. Do you know how many jobs are in the car industry in Australia?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| 500,000 | 5% | 8% | 4% | 3% |
| 200,000 | 9% | 8% | 10% | 12% |
| 100,000 | 9% | 9% | 9% | 11% |
| 50,000 | 9% | 8% | 11% | 6% |
| 20,000 | 3% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
| Don’t know | 66% | 63% | 64% | 63% |
Only 9% correctly nominated 50,000 as the number of jobs in the car industry in Australia. 66% said they didn’t know and the rest of the responses were spread across all options – suggesting that most who gave an answer were probably guessing.
Q. In fact, the car industry in Australia directly supports about 50,000 jobs. Do you support or oppose the current levels of assistance to support these jobs?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 68% | 75% | 72% | 56% |
| Total oppose | 12% | 9% | 13% | 17% |
| Strongly support | 14% | 20% | 13% | 5% |
| Support | 54% | 55% | 59% | 51% |
| Oppose | 9% | 7% | 9% | 15% |
| Strongly oppose | 3% | 2% | 4% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 20% | 15% | 15% | 27% |
When provided with the information that there are about 50,000 jobs in the Australian car industry, 68% said the supported the current levels of assistance and 12% were opposed. More than 70% of both Labor and Liberal/National voters were in support and more than 60% of all demographic groups also supported the current level of assistance.
Q. Do you think other manufacturing sectors that are under pressure from the high Australian dollar should receive similar assistance from Governments, or do you think the car industry needs special assistance?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Other manufacturing industries should receive similar assistance | 62% | 61% | 66% | 68% |
| The car industry needs special assistance | 12% | 15% | 15% | 9% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 24% | 19% | 23% |
62% thought that other manufacturing industries should receive similar assistance and only 12% thought the car industry needs special assistance. There were no major differences across demographic and voter groups – although strongest support for similar assistance for other industries came from Greens voters (68%), aged 45+ (69%) and Victorian residents (68%).
Q. A number of politicians have said about the manufacturing industry that Australia should be an economy that “makes things.” Do you agree or disagree?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total agree | 79% | 84% | 84% | 76% |
| Total disagree | 6% | 6% | 7% | 6% |
| Strongly agree | 25% | 27% | 27% | 16% |
| Agree | 54% | 57% | 57% | 60% |
| Disagree | 6% | 5% | 7% | 5% |
| Strongly disagree | * | * | - | 1% |
| Don’t know | 14% | 10% | 9% | 18% |
There was strong agreement with the idea that Australia should be an economy that “makes things”. 79% agreed and only 6% of respondents disagreed.
84% of both Labor and Liberal/National voters agreed – but generally results were similar across demographic groups.
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 05 March 12
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