Q. Which of the following describe your opinion of the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott?
Sep 2013 (as Opposition leader) |
Oct 2013 |
May 2014 |
Dec 2014 |
Feb 2015 |
Total 2 Jun 2015 |
Change |
||
Out of touch with ordinary people |
52% |
51% |
67% |
66% |
72% |
65% |
-7 |
|
Narrow-minded |
55% |
54% |
61% |
61% |
63% |
63% |
– |
|
Arrogant |
52% |
54% |
63% |
61% |
65% |
62% |
-3 |
|
Hard working |
71% |
67% |
57% |
62% |
58% |
59% |
+1 |
|
Erratic |
43% |
43% |
51% |
52% |
60% |
54% |
-6 |
|
Superficial |
48% |
49% |
57% |
54% |
55% |
54% |
-1 |
|
Intolerant |
47% |
49% |
55% |
53% |
54% |
51% |
-3 |
|
Intelligent |
63% |
62% |
52% |
51% |
50% |
51% |
+1 |
|
Aggressive |
47% |
46% |
52% |
49% |
45% |
48% |
+3 |
|
A capable leader |
46% |
52% |
41% |
43% |
34% |
40% |
+6 |
|
Good in a crisis |
39% |
45% |
35% |
42% |
36% |
38% |
+2 |
|
Understands the problems facing Australia |
46% |
51% |
42% |
40% |
35% |
38% |
+3 |
|
Trustworthy |
38% |
40% |
29% |
30% |
27% |
31% |
+4 |
|
More honest than most politicians |
34% |
39% |
30% |
30% |
30% |
28% |
-2 |
|
Visionary |
35% |
33% |
31% |
27% |
22% |
25% |
+3 |
Tony Abbott’s key attributes were out of touch with ordinary people (65%), narrow-minded (63%), arrogant (62%) and hard working (59%).
Since February, the largest shifts have been for out of touch with ordinary people (-7), erratic (-6) and a capable leader (+6).
Overall, Tony Abbott’s ratings have recovered from the lows of February to be at similar levels to December last year.
Q. Which of the following describe your opinion of the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten?
Oct 2013 |
May 2014 |
Dec 2014 |
Feb 2015 |
Total 2 Jun 2015 |
Change |
||
Intelligent |
69% |
66% |
66% |
62% |
61% |
-1 |
|
Hard working |
65% |
66% |
64% |
61% |
60% |
-1 |
|
Understands the problems facing Australia |
50% |
53% |
53% |
52% |
49% |
-3 |
|
Superficial |
37% |
42% |
41% |
41% |
44% |
+3 |
|
A capable leader |
49% |
51% |
46% |
47% |
43% |
-4 |
|
Out of touch with ordinary people |
42% |
39% |
40% |
45% |
42% |
-3 |
|
Arrogant |
35% |
36% |
35% |
39% |
39% |
– |
|
Good in a crisis |
40% |
40% |
38% |
37% |
38% |
-1 |
|
Narrow-minded |
31% |
35% |
36% |
38% |
34% |
-4 |
|
Trustworthy |
34% |
36% |
34% |
33% |
33% |
– |
|
Erratic |
30% |
32% |
30% |
31% |
33% |
+2 |
|
Visionary |
33% |
30% |
30% |
30% |
29% |
-1 |
|
More honest than most politicians |
27% |
32% |
29% |
29% |
29% |
– |
|
Aggressive |
31% |
32% |
29% |
28% |
28% |
– |
|
Intolerant |
30% |
29% |
27% |
30% |
27% |
-3 |
Bill Shorten’s key attributes were intelligent (61%), hard working (60%), understands the problems facing Australia (49%), superficial (44%) and a capable leader (43%).
Overall, there has been little change in Bill Shorten’s ratings since February.
Abbott |
Shorten |
Difference |
||
Narrow-minded |
63% |
34% |
+29 |
|
Intolerant |
51% |
27% |
+24 |
|
Out of touch with ordinary people |
65% |
42% |
+23 |
|
Arrogant |
62% |
39% |
+23 |
|
Erratic |
54% |
33% |
+21 |
|
Aggressive |
48% |
28% |
+20 |
|
Superficial |
54% |
44% |
+10 |
|
Good in a crisis |
38% |
38% |
– |
|
More honest than most politicians |
28% |
29% |
-1 |
|
Hard-working |
59% |
60% |
-1 |
|
Trustworthy |
31% |
33% |
-2 |
|
A capable leader |
40% |
43% |
-3 |
|
Visionary |
25% |
29% |
-4 |
|
Intelligent |
51% |
61% |
-10 |
|
Understands the problems facing Australia |
38% |
49% |
-11 |
Compared to Bill Shorten, Tony Abbott is much more likely to be considered narrow-minded (+29), intolerant (+24), out of touch with ordinary people (+23) and arrogant (+23).
Bill Shorten is regarded by more respondents to be someone who understands the problems facing Australia (-11) and intelligent (-10).
The gap on “a capable leader has reduced from 13 points to 3 points – Tony Abbott up 6% and bill Shorten down 4%.
Q. As far as you know, about how much of the Federal budget is spent on foreign aid?
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
Jul 2011 |
|||
Less than 1% |
13% |
14% |
10% |
31% |
17% |
7% |
||
About 1% |
11% |
12% |
12% |
12% |
8% |
8% |
||
About 2% |
14% |
14% |
18% |
8% |
9% |
17% |
||
About 5% |
10% |
10% |
11% |
11% |
14% |
11% |
||
More than 5% |
9% |
11% |
8% |
7% |
16% |
16% |
||
Don’t know |
43% |
39% |
41% |
32% |
35% |
41% |
19% (down 8% since July 2011) think Australia spends 5% or more of the Federal Budget on foreign aid – 24% (up 9%) think it is 1% or less. 43% could not give an estimate.
The majority of respondents who gave an answer over-estimated how much Australia spends on foreign aid – the actual figure for the 2014-15 budget was less than 1%.
Q. And do you think Australia spends too much or too little on foreign aid?
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
Spend 1% or less |
Spend about 2% |
Spend 5% or more |
Don’t know spend |
Jul 2011 |
||||
Spends too much |
44% |
45% |
50% |
12% |
59% |
26% |
45% |
66% |
43% |
42% |
|||
Spends too little |
16% |
22% |
7% |
46% |
16% |
39% |
16% |
9% |
7% |
16% |
|||
Spends about the right amount |
21% |
17% |
30% |
13% |
12% |
26% |
31% |
20% |
14% |
21% |
|||
Don’t know |
19% |
16% |
13% |
29% |
12% |
9% |
9% |
4% |
36% |
21% |
44% (up 2% since 2011) think Australia spends too much on foreign aid, 21% (no change) about the right amount and 16% (no change) too little.
Opinions are strongly related to perceptions of how much is spent. Those who think Australia spends a higher percentage of the budget are much more likely to think the spend is too much. Those that most accurately estimate the actual spend (around 1% or less) were more likely to think the spend was too little (39%).
Q. In your opinion, how important is it that Australia gives foreign aid to the following countries and regions?
Total very/ somewhat important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not very important |
Not at all important |
Don’t know |
||
Pacific island countries |
66% |
24% |
42% |
14% |
10% |
10% |
|
Papua New Guinea |
65% |
24% |
41% |
14% |
11% |
10% |
|
South East Asia countries |
50% |
13% |
37% |
23% |
16% |
12% |
|
African countries |
50% |
13% |
37% |
20% |
19% |
11% |
|
Indonesia |
39% |
10% |
29% |
24% |
27% |
11% |
|
Middle east countries |
26% |
6% |
20% |
27% |
35% |
12% |
About two thirds of respondents think foreign aid to the Pacific islands and Papua New Guinea is very or somewhat important.
About half think aid to South East Asia and Africa is very/somewhat important.
Aid to Indonesia and the Middle East is considered less important.
Q. Who would you trust most to handle Australia’s economy – The Treasurer Joe Hockey or the Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen?
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other/ Indep- endent |
Aug 2014 |
Mar 2015 |
May 2015 Pre- budget |
|||
Joe Hockey |
29% |
6% |
65% |
5% |
22% |
34% |
26% |
30% |
||
Chris Bowen |
23% |
47% |
7% |
28% |
18% |
23% |
25% |
22% |
||
Don’t know |
47% |
47% |
28% |
67% |
61% |
43% |
49% |
48% |
29% have more trust in Joe Hockey to handle Australia’s economy and 23% have more trust in Chris Bowen. 47% don’t know who they would trust more.
These results are little changed since this question was asked in the week prior to the Federal Budget.
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 = 1,779 respondents
First preference/leaning to |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
4 weeks ago 28/4/15 |
2 weeks ago 12/5/15 |
Last week 19/5/15 |
This week 26/5/15 |
|
Liberal |
36% |
38% |
38% |
38% |
||
National |
3% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
||
Total Liberal/National |
45.6% |
40% |
41% |
41% |
41% |
|
Labor |
33.4% |
39% |
39% |
40% |
39% |
|
Greens |
8.6% |
10% |
11% |
10% |
10% |
|
Palmer United Party |
5.5% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
|
Other/Independent |
6.9% |
9% |
8% |
8% |
8% |
2 Party Preferred |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
4 weeks ago 28/4/15 |
2 weeks ago 12/5/15 |
Last week 19/5/15 |
This week 26/5/15 |
|
Liberal National |
53.5% |
47% |
48% |
48% |
48% |
|
Labor |
46.5% |
53% |
52% |
52% |
52% |
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 2013 election.