The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report
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Cost of living concerns
Q. Which three of the following costs of living are you most concerned about –
Total First Second Third Aged 18-34 Aged 35-54 Aged 55+ Electricity and gas 46% 24% 15% 7% 42% 52% 43% Housing – mortgage or rent 34% 18% 10% 6% 47% 39% 12% Medical, dental 25% 5% 8% 12% 18% 28% 28% Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat 21% 6% 7% 8% 25% 19% 20% Petrol 15% 5% 4% 6% 19% 13% 14% Insurance 14% 2% 6% 6% 13% 15% 12% Education 10% 2% 3% 5% 12% 14% 3% Water 8% 1% 3% 4% 9% 8% 9% Packaged food 5% 2% 1% 2% 10% 3% 2% Clothing 1% <1% <1% 1% 2% 1% – All of them – no one cost of living in particular 34% 29% 31% 44% None of them 2% 1% 1% 4% Total Financially comfortable Managing Under financial pressure Electricity and gas 46% 49% 50% 38% Housing – mortgage or rent 34% 31% 35% 37% Medical, dental 25% 31% 27% 13% Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat 21% 24% 23% 14% Petrol 15% 20% 14% 10% Insurance 14% 15% 14% 11% Education 10% 11% 11% 5% Water 8% 8% 9% 11% Packaged food 5% 8% 4% 3% Clothing 1% 0% 1% 1% All of them – no one cost of living in particular 34% 28% 34% 46% None of them 2% 3% 0% 1% The costs most respondents were concerned about were electricity and gas (46%), housing (34%), medical/dental (25%) and fresh food (21%).
Those aged 18-34 were most concerned about costs of housing (47%), electricity and gas (42%) and fresh food (25%).
Those aged 35-54 were most concerned about costs of electricity and gas (52%), housing (39%) and medical/dental (28%).
Those aged 55+ were most concerned about costs of electricity and gas (52%) and medical/dental (28%).
However, 44% of those aged 55% said they were concerned about all of them compared to 29% of those aged 18-34.
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Financial situation
Q. Which of the following statements best describes your financial situation?
Total Men Women Aged 18-34 Aged 35-54 Aged 55+ I am financially comfortable 33% 36% 29% 33% 34% 30% I can manage household bills but struggle to afford anything extra 43% 41% 46% 37% 46% 48% I feel under financial pressure 20% 18% 21% 23% 17% 20% Don’t know 4% 5% 4% 7% 3% 2% 33% said they were financially comfortable, 43% were managing and 20% said they were under financial pressure.
29% of those on incomes less than $600 pw said they were under financial pressure compared to 15% of those earning $2,000+ pw.
17% of those on incomes less than $600 pw said they were financially comfortable compared to 46% of those earning $2,000+ pw.
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Wage increase
Q. In the last 12 months, have you had a wage increase in your current job? (excluding those who don’t work)
Total Men Women Aged 18-34 Aged 35-54 Aged 55+ Work full time Work part time Yes, had a wage increase 36% 35% 37% 47% 32% 19% 43% 34% No, have not had a wage increase 52% 54% 49% 44% 59% 59% 53% 60% Haven’t been in current job for 12 months 12% 11% 13% 9% 10% 22% 4% 6% 36% of workers say they have had a wage increase in the last 12 months and 52% say they have not had a wage increase. 43% of fulltime workers and 34% of part-time workers said they had received a pay increase in the last 12 months.
46% of workers earing $2,000+ pw said they had had a wage increase compared to 25% of those earning less than $1,000 pw.
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Federal voting intention
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 5/9/17 2 weeks ago 29/8/17 4 weeks ago 15/8/17 Election 2 Jul 16 Liberal 33% 33% 34% 34% National 3% 4% 3% 3% Total Liberal/National 36% 36% 37% 37% 42.0% Labor 37% 37% 36% 39% 34.7% Greens 10% 10% 10% 9% 10.2% Nick Xenophon Team 2% 2% 3% 2% Pauline Hanson’s One Nation 9% 8% 8% 8% Other/Independent 6% 6% 6% 6% 13.1% 2 party preferred Liberal National 46% 47% 47% 46% 50.4% Labor 54% 53% 53% 54% 49.6% - Sample = 1,826. 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 2016 election.
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Malcolm Turnbull
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing as Prime Minister?
Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Vote Other Aug 2017 July 2017 June 2017 Mar 2017 Dec 2016 June 2016 Dec 2015 Total Approve 41% 21% 75% 23% 28% 38% 37% 36% 33% 34% 38% 56% Total Disapprove 46% 68% 16% 62% 65% 46% 49% 45% 50% 46% 40% 23% Strongly approve 7% 4% 16% 1% 1% 4% 6% 5% 5% 5% 6% 13% Approve 34% 17% 59% 22% 27% 34% 31% 31% 28% 29% 32% 43% Disapprove 28% 36% 14% 36% 41% 27% 30% 28% 30% 30% 24% 16% Strongly disapprove 18% 32% 2% 26% 24% 19% 19% 17% 20% 16% 16% 7% Don’t know 14% 11% 10% 15% 7% 16% 15% 19% 18% 20% 21% 21% 41% approved of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing as Prime Minister (up 3% from last month), and 46% disapproved (no change) – a change in net approval rating from -8 to -5 (his best net rating since October last year).
75% (up 2%) of Liberal/National voters approved of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing, compared to 21% of ALP voters and 23% of Greens voters.
By gender, men were 45% approve/45% disapprove and women 36% approve/46% disapprove.
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Bill Shorten
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 Aug 2017 July 2017 June 2017 Mar 2017 Dec 2016 Dec 2015 Dec 2014 Total Approve 36% 65% 23% 40% 17% 35% 36% 34% 30% 35% 27% 35% Total Disapprove 47% 21% 65% 37% 71% 42% 44% 43% 49% 38% 47% 39% Strongly approve 7% 15% 3% 9% 1% 6% 6% 5% 4% 6% 4% 7% Approve 29% 50% 20% 31% 16% 29% 30% 29% 26% 29% 23% 28% Disapprove 25% 17% 31% 28% 32% 24% 24% 28% 26% 21% 26% 23% Strongly disapprove 22% 4% 34% 9% 39% 18% 20% 15% 23% 17% 21% 16% Don’t know 17% 14% 11% 23% 13% 22% 20% 23% 22% 25% 25% 26% 36% approved of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader (up 1% from last month), and 47% disapproved (down 5%) – a change in net approval rating from -7 to -11.
65% (no change) of ALP voters approved of the job Bill Shorten is doing, compared to 40% of Greens voters and 23% of Liberal/National voters.
By gender, men were 39% approve/50% disapprove and women 34% approve/43% disapprove.
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Preferred Prime Minister
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 Aug 2017 July 2017 June 2017 Mar 2017 Dec 2016 Jun 2016 Dec 2015 Malcolm Turnbull 43% 18% 79% 25% 39% 41% 41% 39% 38% 39% 40% 54% Bill Shorten 29% 62% 7% 42% 14% 27% 27% 26% 26% 28% 29% 15% Don’t know 28% 21% 14% 33% 47% 32% 31% 34% 36% 33% 32% 31%
43% thought that Malcolm Turnbull would make a better Prime Minister (up 2% from last month), and 29% thought Bill Shorten would be better (up 2%). 28% 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 62% of Labor voters saying Bill Shorten would.
Greens voters preferred Bill Shorten (42%) to Turnbull (25%).
47% of men prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 30% prefer Bill Shorten.
39% of women prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 28% prefer Bill Shorten.
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Actions on energy
Q. Would you approve of disapprove of the Government taking the following actions to ensure affordable, reliable and clean energy for Australian households and businesses?
Total approve Total dis-approve Strongly approve Approve Dis-approve Strongly dis-approve Don’t know Regulate electricity and gas prices 86% 5% 39% 47% 3% 2% 8% Increase investment in renewable energy and smart solutions like energy storage 81% 10% 40% 41% 6% 4% 10% Restrict gas exports to make more gas available in Australia 77% 9% 34% 43% 7% 2% 14% Clean up existing coal power stations 77% 10% 29% 48% 7% 3% 13% Force energy companies to help their customers to use less power 65% 21% 25% 40% 16% 5% 15% Buy back ownership of coal-fired power stations from private companies 56% 22% 21% 35% 14% 8% 23% Stop coal-fired power stations from closing down 51% 30% 19% 32% 18% 12% 20% Allow more onshore gas exploration 48% 26% 15% 33% 17% 9% 25% Build or subsidise new coal-fired power stations 48% 34% 19% 29% 17% 17% 18% There was substantial support for all listed actions to ensure affordable, reliable and clean energy.
The ones with highest approvals were to regulate electricity and gas prices (86%), increase investment in renewable energy and smart solutions like energy storage (81%), restrict gas exports to make more gas available in Australia (77%) and clean up existing coal power stations (77%).
Although slightly less than majority approval, allowing more onshore gas exploration (48%) and building/subsidizing new coal-fired power stations (48%) were much more likely to be approved than disapproved.