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 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.
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think 2012 will be a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good
Dec 10 |
Total bad
Dec10 |
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know/Not applicable | |
| The Australian economy | 48% | 16% | 29% | 35% | 3% | 26% | 32% | 28% | 7% | 3% |
| Your personal financial situation | 39% | 20% | 33% | 27% | 4% | 29% | 38% | 20% | 7% | 2% |
| Your workplace * | 47% | 16% | 45% | 20% | 6% | 39% | 36% | 15% | 5% | 2% |
| You and your family overall | 51% | 14% | 52% | 16% | 10% | 42% | 30% | 12% | 4% | 2% |
* based on working people
Overall, respondents were optimistic that 2012 would be a good year for themselves overall (52%) and their workplace (45%). They tended to be less optimistic about their financial situation (33% good/27% bad) and somewhat pessimistic about the Australian economy (29%/35%).
Compared to expectations 12 months ago, respondents were much less optimistic about the Australian economy (48% good last year compared to 29% good this year) and also rather less optimistic about their own financial situation (39%/20% last year compared to 33%/27% this year).
When compared with last week’s questions on perceptions of 2011, these figures suggest that respondents expect 2012 to be better than 2011 for themselves and their family (net +36% for next year compared to net +24% for this year), a little better for their workplace (+25% next year, +20% last year) and their own financial situation (+6% next year, -2% this year). The Australian economy is expected to be a little worse in 2012 (-6% next year compared to +2% last year).
Q. How do you think the Australian economy is performing in comparison to other developed countries?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total better | 73% | 84% | 72% | 80% |
| Total worse | 7% | 3% | 8% | 1% |
| A lot better | 27% | 44% | 19% | 32% |
| A little better | 46% | 40% | 53% | 48% |
| About the same | 16% | 13% | 16% | 12% |
| A little worse | 5% | 2% | 5% | 1% |
| A lot worse | 2% | 1% | 3% | - |
| Don’t know | 4% | 1% | 3% | 6% |
If ‘a lot better’ or ‘a little better’ –
Q. How much credit do the following deserve for the current performance of Australia’s economy?
| A lot | Some | A little | None | Don’t know | |
| The Federal Labor Government | 18% | 31% | 23% | 21% | 6% |
| The previous Coalition Government | 21% | 31% | 26% | 15% | 6% |
| The booming resources sector | 47% | 31% | 12% | 3% | 7% |
| The Reserve Bank | 6% | 42% | 29% | 13% | 9% |
73% think that the Australian economy is performing better than other developed countries and only 7% think it is performing worse.
Respondents give most credit for the performance of the economy to the booming resources sector (78% a lot or some credit). They give similar credit to the Labor Government (49%) and the previous Coalition Government (52%).
Q. Thinking about the last 12 months, has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good
(Dec 10 |
Total bad
(Dec 10) |
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| The banks | 69% | 13% | 71% | 8% | 35% | 36% | 16% | 6% | 2% | 4% |
| The mining industry | 57% | 14% | 68% | 11% | 34% | 34% | 15% | 8% | 3% | 6% |
| Large companies and corporations | 44% | 15% | 40% | 22% | 8% | 32% | 32% | 18% | 4% | 6% |
| The Australian economy | 41% | 20% | 33% | 31% | 4% | 29% | 32% | 24% | 7% | 3% |
| The media | 30% | 14% | 25% | 27% | 6% | 19% | 37% | 19% | 8% | 10% |
| Farming and agriculture | 14% | 50% | 23% | 40% | 2% | 21% | 30% | 28% | 12% | 7% |
| The environment | 14% | 37% | 20% | 33% | 3% | 17% | 41% | 24% | 9% | 6% |
| Small business | 14% | 45% | 10% | 61% | 1% | 9% | 24% | 42% | 19% | 6% |
A majority of respondents think it has been a good year for the banks (71%) and the mining industry (68%). They are also more likely to think it has been a good year for large companies and corporations (40% good/22% bad) and the economy (33%/31%). However, they are more likely to think the year has been bad for small business (61%), farming and agriculture (40%) and the environment (33%).
In terms of the economy, Labor voters (50% good/18% bad) and Greens voters (47%/15%) were more likely to think it has been a good year – while 45% of Liberal/National voters considered it poor and 23% good.
Compared to last years’ results, respondents considered 2011 a better year than 2010 for the mining industry (up 11% to 68% good), farming and agriculture (up 9% to 23%) and the environment (up 6% to 20%). Perceptions of the economy dropped from a net +21% to +2%.
17
Economic Prosperity
Q. Which one of the following do you believe will be the most important factor in Australia’s economic prosperity over the next 20 years?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| A strong resources sector | 29% | 29% | 35% | 18% |
| Continued growth in China and India | 21% | 23% | 22% | 24% |
| Investment in skills | 20% | 22% | 16% | 23% |
| Prioritising innovation and technology | 18% | 18% | 13% | 31% |
| A strong banking and finance sector | 12% | 9% | 13% | 5% |
29% believe that a strong resources sector will be the most important factor in Australia’s economic prosperity over the next 20 years and 21% nominate the continued growth in China and India. Labor and Coalition voters were more likely to niominate “a strong resources sector” while 31% of Greens voters nominated “prioritising innovation and technology”.
Those on higher incomes were more likely to nominate “a strong resources sector “ – 36% of those on income $1,600+ pw.
There were no major differences by age group.
3
The Economy
Q. Over the next 12 months do you think economic conditions in Australia will get better, get worse or stay much the same?
| 1 Dec
08 |
15 Jun 09 | 5 Oct
09 |
28 Jun
10 |
18 Oct
10 |
4 April
11 |
4 Jul
11 |
3 Oct
11 |
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total better | 21% | 43% | 66% | 33% | 40% | 27% | 22% | 16% | 26% | 12% | 15% |
| Total worse | 61% | 37% | 15% | 31% | 30% | 37% | 49% | 58% | 39% | 72% | 58% |
| Get a lot better | 2% | 5% | 8% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 5% | 1% | 3% |
| Get a little better | 19% | 38% | 58% | 28% | 34% | 23% | 19% | 14% | 21% | 11% | 12% |
| Get a little worse | 45% | 28% | 11% | 23% | 20% | 27% | 31% | 41% | 34% | 47% | 44% |
| Get a lot worse | 16% | 9% | 4% | 8% | 10% | 10% | 18% | 17% | 5% | 25% | 14% |
| Stay much the same | 13% | 17% | 15% | 30% | 24% | 27% | 25% | 22% | 33% | 15% | 27% |
| No opinion | 5% | 3% | 4% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
Confidence in the economic outlook has weakened with the percentage of respondents believing conditions to be getting worse increasing 9 points to 58% (total worse), from 49% in July this year. Those believing that economic conditions will get better over the next 12 months has fallen 6 points from 22% to 16% (total better).
Compared to 12 months ago, respondents are far less likely to think things will get better, having fallen from 40% (total better) in October 2010 to 16% (total better). Conversely, pessimism has risen since this time last year, with the proportion of respondents believing conditions to get worse increasing from 30% (total worse) in October 2010 to 58% (total worse).
Labor voters are far less likely to think that things will get worse (39% total worse). Coalition voters are the most pessimistic, with 72% (total worse) believing that thing will get worse over the next 12 months.
5
Best Leader for GFC
Q. If there was another global financial crisis or a recession, which of the following would be best to lead Australia?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Kevin Rudd | 24% | 34% | 13% | 37% |
| Tony Abbott | 20% | 4% | 44% | - |
| Julia Gillard | 13% | 42% | 1% | 18% |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 13% | 7% | 17% | 17% |
| Joe Hockey | 7% | 1% | 11% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 22% | 12% | 15% | 25% |
24% think Kevin Rudd would be best to lead Australia if there was another GFC and 20% favour Tony Abbott.
Among Labor voters Julia Gillard is preferred over Kevin Rudd 42% to 34%. Support for the current party leaders among their own voters is very similar – 42% of Labor voters prefer Julia Gillard and 44% of Liberal/National voters prefer Tony Abbott.
5
Attitudes to Mining Tax
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the proposed mining tax?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| A mining tax is needed so that more of the profits of mining companies are kept in Australia instead of being sent overseas. | 57% | 24% | 26% | 31% | 15% | 9% | 19% |
| A mining tax will hurt business and undermine the country’s economic recovery. | 36% | 44% | 13% | 23% | 29% | 15% | 20% |
| It’s about time all corporations, including the miners, started paying their fair share of taxes. | 62% | 19% | 26% | 36% | 13% | 6% | 18% |
| A miners’ tax is just another example of the Gillard ALP’s anti-business attitude. | 34% | 45% | 16% | 18% | 24% | 21% | 21% |
| The mining companies make huge profits from resources which belong to all Australians, so all Australians should benefit from these large profits. | 67% | 15% | 34% | 33% | 12% | 3% | 18% |
There was strong agreement that all corporations, including the miners, started paying their fair share of taxes (62%) and that all Australians should benefit from the large profits of mining companies (67%). Respondents were more likely to disagree that a mining tax will hurt business and undermine the country’s economic recovery (44% disagree/36% agree) and that the tax is just another example of the Gillard ALP’s anti-business attitude (45% disagree/34% agree).
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 05 March 12
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