13
Australia – Fair and Just
Q. Compared to other advanced industrial countries would you say Australia is fairer and more just, about average, or less fair and just?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total more fair and just | 46% | 53% | 47% | 40% |
| A lot more fair and just | 14% | 18% | 14% | 7% |
| A little more fair and just | 32% | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| About average | 38% | 35% | 39% | 47% |
| A little less fair and just | 8% | 7% | 7% | 8% |
| A lot less fair and just | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 5% | 3% | 3% | 1% |
46% think that Australia is fairer and more just than other advanced industrial countries.
Labor voters (53%) are more likely to think Australia is more fair and just than Liberal/National voters (47%) or Greens voters (40%).
Q. Would you say that Australia is more or less fair and just as a nation and society than the following countries?
| More fair and just | About the same | Less fair and just | Don’t know | |
| China | 66% | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| The United States | 47% | 33% | 10% | 10% |
| Japan | 41% | 30% | 12% | 18% |
| France | 34% | 34% | 13% | 19% |
| The UK | 26% | 58% | 7% | 9% |
| Canada | 12% | 61% | 13% | 14% |
| New Zealand | 12% | 68% | 11% | 9% |
66% think Australia is a more fair and just society than China and 47% think Australia is more fair than the United States.
More than half think Australia is about as fair and just as New Zealand (68%), Canada (61%) and the UK (58%).
Views about the United States are similar across most demographic groups except for those on higher incomes – 51% of those on incomes over $1,600 pw think Australia is more fair and just than the United States.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 05 March 12
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