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  • Jun, 2015

    ,

    Leader attributes – Tony Abbott

    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.

  • Jun, 2015

    ,

    Leader attributes – Bill Shorten

    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.

  • Jun, 2015

    Leader attributes – comparisons

     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%.

  • Jun, 2015

    Foreign aid budget

    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%.

  • Jun, 2015

    Foreign aid spending

    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%).

  • Jun, 2015

    Importance of foreign aid

    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.

  • May, 2015

    Trust most to handle the economy

    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.

  • May, 2015

    Federal politics – 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?

    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.

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