Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Sep 2017 | June 2017 | Mar 2017 | Dec 2016 | Dec 2015 | Dec 2014 | |||
| Total Approve | 37% | 64% | 25% | 38% | 17% | 36% | 34% | 30% | 35% | 27% | 35% | ||
| Total Disapprove | 44% | 20% | 62% | 40% | 75% | 47% | 43% | 49% | 38% | 47% | 39% | ||
| Strongly approve | 8% | 16% | 4% | 8% | 2% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 4% | 7% | ||
| Approve | 29% | 48% | 21% | 30% | 15% | 29% | 29% | 26% | 29% | 23% | 28% | ||
| Disapprove | 27% | 18% | 33% | 33% | 39% | 25% | 28% | 26% | 21% | 26% | 23% | ||
| Strongly disapprove | 17% | 2% | 29% | 7% | 36% | 22% | 15% | 23% | 17% | 21% | 16% | ||
| Don’t know | 19% | 16% | 13% | 22% | 8% | 17% | 23% | 22% | 25% | 25% | 26% |
37% approved of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader (up 1% from last month), and 44% disapproved (down 3%) – a change in net approval rating from -11 to -7.
64% (down 1%) of ALP voters approved of the job Bill Shorten is doing, compared to 38% of Greens voters and 25% of Liberal/National voters.
By gender, men were 38% approve/49% disapprove and women 36% approve/40% disapprove.
Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Sep 2017 | June 2017 | Mar 2017 | Dec 2016 | Jun 2016 | Dec 2015 | |||
| Malcolm Turnbull | 42% | 14% | 79% | 29% | 44% | 43% | 39% | 38% | 39% | 40% | 54% | ||
| Bill Shorten | 28% | 56% | 6% | 41% | 17% | 29% | 26% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 15% | ||
| Don’t know | 31% | 30% | 15% | 30% | 39% | 28% | 34% | 36% | 33% | 32% | 31% |
42% thought that Malcolm Turnbull would make a better Prime Minister (down 1% from last month), and 28% thought Bill Shorten would be better (down 1%). 31% did not know who would make a better Prime Minister.
The results were split by party, with 79% of Liberal/National voters saying that Malcolm Turnbull would be a better Prime Minister, and 56% of Labor voters saying Bill Shorten would.
Greens voters preferred Bill Shorten (41%) to Turnbull (29%).
46% of men prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 31% prefer Bill Shorten.
37% of women prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 25% prefer Bill Shorten.
Q. Which political party do you think best represents the interests of –
| Labor | Liberal | Don’t know | Difference
Labor –Liberal |
||
| Working people on low incomes | 53% | 20% | 27% | +33 | |
| People on welfare | 49% | 21% | 29% | +28 | |
| Students | 45% | 23% | 32% | +22 | |
| Working people on average incomes | 48% | 27% | 25% | +21 | |
| Pensioners | 44% | 25% | 31% | +19 | |
| Families with young children | 44% | 27% | 29% | +17 | |
| Ethnic communities | 38% | 25% | 37% | +13 | |
| Indigenous people | 35% | 24% | 41% | +11 | |
| The next generation of Australians | 33% | 32% | 34% | +1 | |
| Rural and regional Australians | 31% | 34% | 35% | -3 | |
| Small businesses and self-employed | 32% | 40% | 28% | -8 | |
| Working people on high incomes | 14% | 63% | 22% | -49 | |
| Big business | 14% | 65% | 21% | -51 |
The Labor Party is considered considerably better than the Liberal Party in representing the interests of working people on low incomes (53% to 20%), people on welfare (49%/21%), students (45%/23%), working people on average incomers (48%/27%) and pensioners (44%/25%).
The Liberal Party is considered best at representing the interests of big business (65% to 14%) and working people on high incomes (63%/14%).
Families with children were more likely to think the Labor Party best represents their interests (50% to 24%).
Those aged 18-24 were more likely to think the Labor Party best represents the interests of students (52% to 16%).
Those working full-time were more likely to think the Labor Party best represents the interests of workers on average incomes (47% to 28%).
Those on incomes over $2,000pw were more likely to think the Liberal Party best represents the interests of workers on high incomes (65% to 14%).
Among those aged 65+, 40% think Labor best represents the interests of pensioners and 35% the Liberal Party.
Q. How likely do you think it is that there will be a war between North Korean and the USA?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total likely | 55% | 57% | 54% | 53% | 55% | |
| Total unlikely | 36% | 36% | 38% | 37% | 34% | |
| Very likely | 16% | 19% | 16% | 10% | 16% | |
| Somewhat likely | 39% | 38% | 38% | 43% | 39% | |
| Somewhat unlikely | 24% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 18% | |
| Very unlikely | 12% | 10% | 11% | 13% | 16% | |
| Don’t know | 10% | 7% | 8% | 10% | 11% |
55% believe that there is likely to be a war between North Korean and the USA and 36% think it is unlikely.
There were few major differences across demographic and voter groups.
Women were somewhat more likely than men to think a war was likely (61% compared to 49%).
Older people were less likely to think a war was likely (45% of those aged 55+).
Q. Which of the following is your biggest concern for your personal safety?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Terrorism | 33% | 30% | 40% | 20% | 40% | |
| Car accident | 20% | 19% | 21% | 27% | 17% | |
| Nuclear warfare | 13% | 16% | 12% | 7% | 10% | |
| Catastrophic climate change | 7% | 9% | 3% | 23% | 6% | |
| Gang violence | 7% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 11% | |
| Natural disaster | 7% | 5% | 6% | 9% | 7% | |
| Family violence | 2% | 3% | 2% | – | – | |
| Don’t know | 12% | 13% | 9% | 7% | 9% |
Major concerns for personal safety were terrorism (33%), car accident (20%) and nuclear war (13%).
Liberal/National voters were more concerned about terrorism (40%) and Greens voters more concerned about climate change (23%).
There were no major differences across demographic groups.
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? If don’t know – Well which party are you currently leaning to?
| Total | Last week 26/9/17 | 2 weeks ago 19/9/17 | 4 weeks ago 5/9/17 | Election 2 Jul 16 | |||
| Liberal | 33% | 33% | 34% | 33% | |||
| National | 3% | 4% | 3% | 4% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 36% | 37% | 38% | 36% | 42.0% | ||
| Labor | 38% | 37% | 36% | 37% | 34.7% | ||
| Greens | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10.2% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | |||
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 7% | 7% | 8% | 8% | |||
| Other/Independent | 7% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 13.1% | ||
| 2 party preferred | |||||||
| Liberal National | 46% | 47% | 48% | 47% | 50.4% | ||
| Labor | 54% | 53% | 52% | 53% | 49.6% |
Q. Do you think people of the same sex should or should not be allowed to marry?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Attend church at least once a month
(21%) |
Attend church less often
(31%) |
Never attend church
(48%) |
Jul 2017 | ||||
| Should be allowed to marry | 61% | 72% | 48% | 77% | 54% | 39% | 58% | 71% | 61% | |||
| Should not be allowed to marry | 32% | 23% | 43% | 18% | 41% | 53% | 34% | 22% | 26% | |||
| Don’t know | 7% | 5% | 9% | 4% | 6% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 13% |
| Total | Men | Women | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | Already voted | Will
def-initely vote |
Will prob-ably vote | Will not vote | |||
| Should be allowed to marry | 61% | 54% | 67% | 68% | 62% | 51% | 66% | 61% | 61% | 29% | ||
| Should not be allowed to marry | 32% | 39% | 25% | 25% | 32% | 40% | 30% | 35% | 31% | 40% | ||
| Don’t know | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 9% | 4% | 3% | 8% | 31% |
61% thought that people of the same sex should be able to marry and 32% thought that they should not.
Women (67% support) were more likely than men (54%) to support same sex marriage.
72% of 18-24 year olds supported same sex marriage, compared to 40% of over 65 year olds.
Support for same sex marriage has remained stable over the last few years but opposition has increased and those who don’t have an opinion has declined.
Q. How likely are you to vote in the national postal vote on same-sex marriage?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Should be allowed to marry | Should not be allowed to marry | 5 Sep | 19 Sep | 26 Sep | ||||
| Will definitely vote | 33% | 38% | 38% | 23% | 23% | 33% | 36% | 62% | 62% | 45% | |||
| Will probably vote | 6% | 5% | 7% | 11% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 16% | 12% | 8% | |||
| Will probably not vote | 3% | 3% | 6% | 1% | <1% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 1% | |||
| Will definitely not vote | 3% | 3% | 4% | 1% | 6% | 1% | 5% | 3% | 3% | 2% | |||
| Not sure | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 10% | 8% | 5% | |||
| I have already voted | 47% | 46% | 43% | 56% | 62% | 52% | 44% | – | 9% | 36% | |||
| I am not enrolled to vote at my current address | 3% | 3% | – | 3% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 4% | 5% | 3% |
| Total | Men | Women | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | Attend church at least once a month | Attend church less often | Never attend church | |||
| Will definitely vote | 33% | 36% | 30% | 31% | 35% | 32% | 41% | 32% | 30% | ||
| Will probably vote | 6% | 8% | 4% | 10% | 6% | 2% | 14% | 6% | 3% | ||
| Will probably not vote | 3% | 5% | 2% | 6% | 3% | 1% | 7% | 2% | 2% | ||
| Will definitely not vote | 3% | 4% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 4% | ||
| Not sure | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% | ||
| I have already voted | 47% | 39% | 55% | 42% | 43% | 59% | 27% | 52% | 53% | ||
| I am not enrolled to vote at my current address | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 4% | 1% | 4% | 1% | 3% |
47% say they have already voted in the same sex marriage survey and 33% say they will definitely vote.
59% of those aged 55+ have already voted compared to 42% of those aged under 35.
Those who support same-sex marriage are more likely to have already voted (52%) than those opposed (44%).
Only 27% of those who attend church or a place of worship say they have voted, although 41% say they will definitely vote.