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 = 1,899 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
2 weeks ago | Last week
|
This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 45% | 44% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 48% | 48% | 47% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 35% | 35% | 34% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 9% | 10% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 8% | 7% | 8% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 54% | 54% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 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. Overall, how would you rate the Federal Government’s BER program to fund new school buildings which was introduced during the GFC?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Total with children at school | Children at primary school | Children at secondary school | |
| Total good | 30% | 49% | 17% | 39% | 43% | 49% | 38% |
| Total poor | 31% | 10% | 50% | 18% | 27% | 27% | 26% |
| Very good | 7% | 15% | 3% | 5% | 11% | 12% | 11% |
| Good | 23% | 34% | 14% | 34% | 32% | 37% | 27% |
| Neither good nor poor | 15% | 21% | 22% | 27% | 21% | 17% | 24% |
| Poor | 15% | 8% | 20% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 11% |
| Very poor | 16% | 2% | 30% | 5% | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 19% | 11% | 16% | 10% | 6% | 12% |
Respondents were divided over the Federal Government’s BER program to fund new school buildings – 30% thought it was good and 31% poor. Opinions were closely related to voting intention- 49% of Labor voters thought the program was good and 50% of Liberal/National voters thought it was poor.
Households with children at primary or secondary schools were more positive – especially those with children at primary school. 43% of all those with school children in their household and 49% of those with primary students thought it was good.
If children at school -
Q. How much did the schools those children attend benefit from the Government’s school building program?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Children at primary school | Children at secondary school | |
| A lot | 19% | 25% | 16% | 26% | 15% |
| Moderately | 30% | 37% | 31% | 32% | 29% |
| A little | 23% | 15% | 33% | 24% | 22% |
| Not at all | 12% | 10% | 11% | 7% | 17% |
| Don’t know | 15% | 13% | 9% | 11% | 17% |
Of the respondents with children at school, 49% thought their schools had benefited a lot of moderately, 23% thought they had benefited a little and 12% not at all. 58% of those with children at primary school thought their schools had benefited a lot/moderately compared to 44% of those with children at secondary schools.
Q. Choosing from the following list, who do you think has been Australia’s best Prime Minister?
| Term of office | Total
19 Jan 2009 |
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | |
| John Curtin | 7 Oct 1941 – 5 Jul 1945 | 4% | 2% | 4% | 1% | 3% | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Ben Chifley | 13 Jul 1945 – 19 Dec 1949 | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% |
| Robert Menzies | 19 Dec 1949 – 26 Jan 1966 | 11% | 11% | 4% | 18% | 4% | 4% | 8% | 21% |
| Harold Holt | 26 Jan 1966 – 19 Dec 1967 | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | - | 1% | 1% | - |
| John Gorton | 10 Jan 1968 – 10 Mar1971 | 1% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| William McMahon | 10 Mar 1971 – 5 Dec 1972 | 1% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Gough Whitlam | 5 Dec 1972 – 11 Nov 1975 | 9% | 9% | 15% | 1% | 18% | 8% | 9% | 10% |
| Malcolm Fraser | 11 Nov 1975 – 11 Mar 1983 | 3% | 3% | 1% | 3% | 6% | - | 3% | 6% |
| Bob Hawke | 11 Mar 1983 – 20 Dec 1991 | 12% | 15% | 23% | 5% | 22% | 12% | 21% | 10% |
| Paul Keating | 20 Dec 1991 – 11 Mar 1996 | 8% | 6% | 12% | 2% | 10% | 7% | 6% | 4% |
| John Howard | 11 Mar 1996 – 3 Dec 2007 | 28% | 33% | 8% | 61% | 5% | 33% | 31% | 35% |
| Kevin Rudd | 3 Dec 2007 – 24 Jun 2010 | 20% | 15% | 21% | 6% | 27% | 25% | 15% | 6% |
| Julia Gillard | 24 Jun 2010 – present | na | 3% | 8% | - | 4% | 6% | 2% | 2% |
Note: Percentages based on those who gave an answer.
33% thought that John Howard has been Australia’s best Prime Minister, 15% chose Kevin Rudd and 15% Bob Hawke.
Among Liberal/National voters, 61% chose John Howard and 18% Robert Menzies. With 23%, Bob Hawke received the highest rating from Labor voters, just ahead of Kevin Rudd on 21% with Gough Whitlam on 15%. Greens voters favoured Kevin Rudd (27%) and Bob Hawke (22%).
While John Howard received similar scores across age groups, the 18-34 group were more likely to favour Kevin Rudd (25%), the 35-54’s Bob Hawke (21%) and the 55+ group Robert Menzies (21%). Compared to the results when this question was asked 3 years ago (when Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister), John Howard (+5%) and Bob Hawke (+3%) have improved their ratings while Kevin Rudd’s has dropped 5%.
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the Government’s proposal to conduct a trial of mandatory pre-commitment for poker machines which will require gamblers to set limits on how much they can lose?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 58% | 69% | 49% | 82% |
| Total disapprove | 29% | 20% | 40% | 12% |
| Strongly approve | 22% | 28% | 17% | 33% |
| Approve | 36% | 41% | 32% | 49% |
| Disapprove | 16% | 12% | 22% | 9% |
| Strongly disapprove | 13% | 8% | 18% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 13% | 12% | 11% | 5% |
58% said they approved the Government’s proposal to conduct a trial of mandatory pre-commitment for poker machines and 29% disapproved.
Labor voters (69%) and Greens voters (82%) showed high approval and Liberal/National voters were more likely to approve (49%) than disapprove (40%).
These figures indicate a slightly lower approval of the trial than for the introduction of mandatory commitment – last week’s survey showed 62% support and 25% opposition to the mandatory commitment proposal.
30
Next Election
Q. Do you think the Labor Government should run its full term until 2013 when the next Federal election is due or should a new election be held now?
| 5 Sept 11 | 5 Dec 11 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Should run to 2013 | 40% | 47% | 48% | 80% | 19% | 82% |
| Should hold election now | 48% | 41% | 41% | 12% | 73% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 8% | 7% |
48% think that the Labor Government should be allowed to run its full term through to 2013 and 41% think a new election should be held. This is very similar to the results of this question when last asked in early December. Views closely follow voting voting intentions.
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 05 March 12
56+/- 0
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