13
Approval of Tony Abbott
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader?
| 18 Jan
2010 |
5 Jul
2010 |
20 Dec 2010 | 14 Mar
2011 |
14 June | 12 Sept | 17 Oct | 14 Nov | 12 Dec | 16 Jan 2012 | 13 Feb | |
| Total approve | 37% | 37% | 39% | 38% | 38% | 39% | 40% | 36% | 32% | 35% | 35% |
| Total disapprove | 37% | 47% | 39% | 47% | 48% | 50% | 51% | 52% | 53% | 51% | 53% |
| Strongly approve | 5% | 8% | 9% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 6% |
| Approve | 32% | 29% | 30% | 31% | 32% | 31% | 32% | 30% | 26% | 28% | 29% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 23% | 21% | 24% | 25% | 23% | 23% | 26% | 25% | 25% | 23% |
| Strongly disapprove | 17% | 24% | 18% | 23% | 23% | 27% | 28% | 26% | 28% | 26% | 30% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 16% | 22% | 16% | 15% | 11% | 9% | 12% | 14% | 13% | 12% |
Tony Abbott’s approval rating has also changed little over the last month. 35% (no change) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 53% (up 2%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -16 to -18 over the last 4 weeks.
67% (down 1%) of Coalition voters approve and 21% (no change) disapprove.
By gender – men 40% approve/52% disapprove, women 31% approve/54% disapprove.
13
Leaders at the Next Election
Q. Do you think Julia Gillard will still be leading the Labor Party at the election due next year?
Q. Do you think Tony Abbott will still be leading the Liberal Party at the election due next year?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | ||
| Julia Gillard | Yes | 31% | 54% | 19% | 43% |
| No | 47% | 22% | 70% | 26% | |
| Don’t know | 22% | 24% | 11% | 31% | |
| Tony Abbott | Yes | 47% | 37% | 67% | 34% |
| No | 25% | 37% | 12% | 31% | |
| Don’t know | 28% | 26% | 21% | 35% |
31% think Julia Gillard will still be the leader of the Labor Party at the election due next year and 47% think she will not be the leader. Opinions are closely associated with party preference. 54% of Labor voters think she will still be the leader.
47% think Tony Abbott will still be the leader of the Liberal Party at the election due next year and 25% think he will not be the leader. Opinions are closely associated with party preference. 67% of Liberal/National voters think he will still be the leader.
Among non-major party voters, 36% think Julia Gillard will still be leading the Labor Party and 33% think Tony Abbott will still be leading the Liberal Party.
Q. Do you think 2012 will be a good or bad year for each of the following political parties?
| Total good
Dec 10 |
Total bad
Dec10 |
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| The Liberal Party | 35% | 18% | 36% | 24% | 8% | 28% | 28% | 17% | 7% | 12% |
| The Labor Party | 19% | 40% | 16% | 49% | 3% | 13% | 23% | 29% | 20% | 11% |
| The Greens | 22% | 29% | 17% | 37% | 2% | 15% | 32% | 20% | 17% | 13% |
Respondents expect that 2012 is likely to be a relatively good year for the Liberal Party (36% good/24% bad) and a bad year for the Labor Party (16%/49%) and the Greens (17%/37%).
Among their own voters, 67% expect the Liberals to have a good year, 38% expect Labor to have a good year and 67% expect the Greens to have a good year.
Compared to expectations 12 months ago, respondents were somewhat less positive about all political parties – The Liberal Party has dropped form net +17% to net +12%, the Labor Party from -21% to -33% and the Greens from -7% to -20%.
Comparing these results with last week’s questions about 2011, respondents expect the Liberal Party to have a better year (net +12% next year this year compared to net -3% this year), the Labor Party to have a similar year (-33% next year, -37% this year) and the Greens to have a much worse year (-20% next year, +4% this year).
Q. Has it been a good or bad year for each of the following political parties?
| 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 Greens | 42% | 21% | 33% | 29% | 7% | 26% | 28% | 15% | 14% | 11% |
| The Liberal Party | 33% | 27% | 27% | 30% | 4% | 23% | 34% | 22% | 8% | 9% |
| The Labor Party | 21% | 47% | 16% | 53% | 2% | 14% | 22% | 33% | 21% | 8% |
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |||||
| Total good | Total bad | Total good | Total bad | Total good | Total bad | Total good | Total bad | |
| The Greens | 33% | 29% | 41% | 16% | 23% | 45% | 70% | 3% |
| The Liberal Party | 27% | 30% | 13% | 45% | 45% | 16% | 17% | 45% |
| The Labor Party | 16% | 53% | 35% | 32% | 7% | 73% | 11% | 48% |
Respondents were more likely to think it has been a good year for the Greens (33%) than the Liberal Party (27%) or the Labor Party (16%).
Among their own voters 70% think it has been a good year for the Greens, 45% the Liberal Party and 35% the Labor Party.
Compared to last year’s results, all parties figures have declined – The Greens net +21% to +4%, Liberals from net +6% to -3% and Labor from net -26% to -37%.
Q. If they won the next election, how likely do you think it would be that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices?
| 31 May 10 | 12 July 10 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total likely | 58% | 56% | 51% | 75% | 33% | 78% |
| Total unlikely | 21% | 24% | 27% | 13% | 44% | 11% |
| Very likely | 28% | 26% | 22% | 45% | 4% | 41% |
| Quite likely | 30% | 30% | 29% | 30% | 29% | 37% |
| Not very likely | 18% | 18% | 19% | 9% | 31% | 8% |
| Not at all likely | 3% | 6% | 8% | 4% | 13% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 20% | 20% | 22% | 11% | 23% | 11% |
Respondents were less likely to think that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices than when a similar question was asked last year. 51% (down 5%) think it is likely that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices if they won the next election and 27% (up 3%) think it is unlikely.
75% of Labor voters and 78% of Greens voters think it is likely, while Liberal/National voters are split 33% likely to 44% unlikely.
Q. Do you think Australia has become a better or worse place in the year since Julia Gillard became PM? (This question has been commissioned by Network Ten)
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| A better place | 13% | 32% | 4% | 22% | 16% | 11% | 16% | 11% | 11% |
| A worse place | 51% | 17% | 82% | 27% | 57% | 46% | 42% | 53% | 61% |
| A much better place | 3% | 9% | 1% | 2% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| A better place | 10% | 23% | 3% | 20% | 11% | 9% | 14% | 8% | 8% |
| A worse place | 32% | 14% | 47% | 24% | 34% | 30% | 31% | 33% | 32% |
| A much worse place | 19% | 3% | 35% | 3% | 23% | 16% | 11% | 20% | 29% |
| No change | 29% | 44% | 12% | 46% | 24% | 34% | 30% | 30% | 25% |
| Don’t know | 7% | 6% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 9% | 12% | 6% | 3% |
Half the people surveyed (51%) think Australia has become a worse place in the year since Julia Gillard became PM. 13% think it has become a better place and 29% say there has been no change.
82% of Liberal/National voters think it has become a worse place while 46% of Greens voters and 44% of Labor voters think there has been no change.
The most negative groups were men (57% worse) and those aged 55+ (61% worse).
9
Approval of Tony Abbott
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader?
| 18 Jan
2010 |
29 Mar | 5 Jul | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | 11 Apr | 9 May | |
| Total approve | 37% | 33% | 37% | 41% | 43% | 39% | 40% | 39% | 42% | 38% | 38% | 36% | 42% |
| Total disapprove | 37% | 50% | 47% | 44% | 37% | 45% | 40% | 39% | 37% | 46% | 47% | 48% | 44% |
| Strongly approve | 5% | 8% | 8% | 9% | 12% | 8% | 6% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 8% |
| Approve | 32% | 25% | 29% | 32% | 31% | 31% | 34% | 30% | 35% | 30% | 31% | 29% | 34% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 28% | 23% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 25% |
| Strongly disapprove | 17% | 22% | 24% | 22% | 16% | 23% | 18% | 18% | 15% | 22% | 23% | 23% | 19% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 16% | 16% | 15% | 19% | 17% | 19% | 22% | 20% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 14% |
42% (up 6%) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 44% (down 4%) disapprove – a change in net rating from -12 to -2 over the last 4 weeks.
77% of Coalition voters approve and 13% disapprove.
By gender – men 47% approve/43% disapprove, women 37% approve/45% disapprove.
Q. And which statements do you feel fit the Liberal Party?
| 6 July 09 | 14 Mar 10
|
27 April 11 | % change | |
| Will promise to do anything to win votes | 67% | 72% | 65% | -7% |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests | 60% | n.a. | ||
| Moderate | 50% | 50% | 55% | +5% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 62% | 58% | 54% | -4% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 44% | 43% | 51% | +8% |
| Divided | 74% | 66% | 49% | -17% |
| Have a vision for the future | 48% | n.a. | ||
| Clear about what they stand for | 44% | n.a. | ||
| Has a good team of leaders | 29% | 31% | 40% | +9% |
| Looks after the interests of working people | 38% | n.a. | ||
| Extreme | 36% | 38% | 36% | -2% |
| Keeps its promises | 28% | 23% | 33% | +10% |
The Liberal Party’s main attributes were – will promise anything to win votes (65%), too close to the big corporate and financial interest (60%), moderate (55%) and out of touch with ordinary people (54%).
Since these questions were last asked in March 2010, most of the Liberal Party’s positive attributes have increased and the negative attributes decreased. Main changes since last March were – divided (down 17% to 49%), keeps its promises (up 10% to 33%) and has a good team of leaders (up 9% to 40%).
| Labor | Liberal
|
% difference | |
| Divided | 66% | 49% | +17% |
| Will promise to do anything to win votes | 72% | 65% | +7% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 61% | 54% | +7% |
| Extreme | 38% | 36% | +2% |
| Looks after the interests of working people | 39% | 38% | +1% |
| Moderate | 51% | 55% | -4% |
| Have a vision for the future | 43% | 48% | -5% |
| Has a good team of leaders | 34% | 40% | -6% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 40% | 51% | -11% |
| Keeps its promises | 20% | 33% | -13% |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests | 46% | 60% | -14% |
| Clear about what they stand for | 28% | 44% | -16% |
When these questions were last asked in March 2010, the Labor Party had significant leads over the Liberal Party on all positive attributes.
For this survey, the only attribute on which there is any significant advantage for the Labor Party is “too close to the big corporate and financial interests” (Labor 46%/Liberals 60%).
The Liberal Party is seen more favourably in terms of being divided, clear about what they stand for, keeps it promises and understands the problems facing Australia.
14
Approval of Tony Abbott
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader?
| 18 Jan
2010 |
29 Mar | 5 Jul | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | |
| Total approve | 37% | 33% | 37% | 41% | 43% | 39% | 40% | 39% | 42% | 38% | 38% |
| Total disapprove | 37% | 50% | 47% | 44% | 37% | 45% | 40% | 39% | 37% | 46% | 47% |
| Strongly approve | 5% | 8% | 8% | 9% | 12% | 8% | 6% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 7% |
| Approve | 32% | 25% | 29% | 32% | 31% | 31% | 34% | 30% | 35% | 30% | 31% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 28% | 23% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 24% | 24% |
| Strongly disapprove | 17% | 22% | 24% | 22% | 16% | 23% | 18% | 18% | 15% | 22% | 23% |
| Don’t know | 26% | 16% | 16% | 15% | 19% | 17% | 19% | 22% | 20% | 16% | 16% |
38% (no change) approve of the job Tony Abbott is doing as Opposition Leader and 47% (up 1%) disapprove.
70% of Coalition voters approve and 17% disapprove.
By gender – men 41% approve/45% disapprove, women 33% approve/49% disapprove.
28
Liberal party Leadership
Q. Which of the following do you think would make the best leader of the Liberal Party?
| 27 Sep 10 | 28 February 2011 | ||||
| Total | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Tony Abbott | 26% | 24% | 9% | 45% | 1% |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 20% | 18% | 24% | 16% | 29% |
| Joe Hockey | 15% | 16% | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Julie Bishop | 5% | 4% | 6% | 2% | 4% |
| Andrew Robb | na | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Someone else | na | 14% | 18% | 8% | 27% |
| Don’t know | 33% | 22% | 23% | 10% | 20% |
24% of respondents believed that Tony Abbott is the best leader of the Liberal Party, 18% prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 16% Joe Hockey.
Tony Abbott is preferred by 45% of Liberal/National voters while Malcolm Turnbull is preferred by Labor (24%) and Greens voters (29%).
Tony Abbott is more preferred by men (30%) – women are split between Tony Abbott (19%) and Joe Hockey (19%). 23% of men prefer Malcolm Turnbull compared to 14% of women.
These figures are little changed since the question was last asked in September 2010.
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 05 March 12
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