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 = 1,837 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago 2/7/12 |
2 weeks ago 16/7/12 |
Last week 23/7/12 |
This week 30/7/12 |
| Liberal |
45% |
46% |
45% |
45% |
|
| National |
3% |
3% |
4% |
3% |
|
| Total Lib/Nat |
43.6% |
49% |
49% |
49% |
49% |
| Labor |
38.0% |
32% |
31% |
33% |
33% |
| Greens |
11.8% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
| Other/Independent |
6.6% |
9% |
9% |
9% |
8% |
| 2PP |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago |
2 weeks ago |
Last week |
This week |
| Total Lib/Nat |
49.9% |
56% |
57% |
56% |
55% |
| Labor |
50.1% |
44% |
43% |
44% |
45% |
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. These estimates have a confidence interval of approx. + or – 2%.
Important election issues
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?
|
First |
Second |
Third |
Total 30 Jul 12 |
5 Dec 11 |
6 June 11 |
25 Jan 10 |
|
| Management of the economy |
38% |
16% |
10% |
64% |
62% |
61% |
63% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children |
5% |
10% |
11% |
26% |
22% |
26% |
23% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system |
10% |
19% |
18% |
47% |
47% |
49% |
48% |
| Protecting the environment |
3% |
4% |
4% |
11% |
13% |
15% |
16% |
| A fair industrial relations system |
4% |
3% |
5% |
12% |
11% |
8% |
* |
| Political leadership |
11% |
7% |
7% |
25% |
18% |
17% |
23% |
| Addressing climate change |
3% |
3% |
3% |
9% |
10% |
15% |
16% |
| Controlling interest rates |
2% |
2% |
5% |
9% |
11% |
13% |
15% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries |
13% |
15% |
13% |
41% |
36% |
32% |
33% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply |
* |
1% |
2% |
3% |
4% |
5% |
12% |
| Housing affordability |
3% |
5% |
5% |
13% |
13% |
16% |
14% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system |
4% |
7% |
7% |
18% |
16% |
17% |
14% |
| Security and the war on terrorism |
1% |
1% |
3% |
5% |
4% |
8% |
9% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers |
3% |
4% |
3% |
10% |
8% |
5% |
* |
| Managing population growth |
2% |
3% |
3% |
8% |
8% |
12% |
* |
*Not asked
64% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 47% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 41% Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
Since December, there has been an increase in the importance of political leadership (+7%), Australian jobs and protection of local industries (+5%) and ensuring a quality education for all children (+4%).
Workers’ Productivity
Q. And overall, in your experience, how productive are most Australian workers?
|
6 Feb 12 |
Total 30 Jul 12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Full time workers |
Part time workers |
|
| Very productive |
15% |
14% |
19% |
12% |
12% |
14% |
12% |
| Quite productive |
59% |
59% |
61% |
61% |
62% |
61% |
63% |
| Not so productive |
19% |
19% |
13% |
21% |
15% |
19% |
17% |
| Not at all productive |
2% |
3% |
2% |
2% |
6% |
3% |
2% |
| Don’t know |
5% |
5% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
3% |
6% |
73% think that overall, most Australian workers are very or quite productive. These responses are almost identical to those when this question was asked in February.
Labor voters (80%) are more likely than Liberal/National voters (73%) to think workers are productive. There were no significant differences across income or age groups.
Increasing Productivity
Q. Which of the following would be the most effective way to increase productivity in Australian workplaces?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Full time workers |
Part time workers |
|
| More flexibility for businesses in how they employ and manage workers |
21% |
18% |
28% |
12% |
23% |
12% |
| More input from workers into how businesses are managed |
17% |
19% |
13% |
25% |
15% |
29% |
| Invest more in skills and education |
35% |
40% |
29% |
42% |
35% |
30% |
| Invest more in technology and innovation |
8% |
11% |
8% |
9% |
8% |
7% |
| Stop Government assistance to industries so that they are forced to be productive or close |
10% |
5% |
15% |
8% |
11% |
12% |
| Don’t know |
9% |
7% |
7% |
4% |
8% |
10% |
35% think investing more in skills and education is the most effective way to increase productivity, 21% favour more flexibility for businesses in how they employ and manage workers and 17% nominated more input from workers into how businesses are managed.
40% of Labor voters and 42% of Greens voters favour investing in skills and education while 28% of Liberal/National voters favour more flexibility for businesses in how they employ and manage workers.
25% of Greens voters and 29% of part-time workers favoured more input from workers into how businesses are managed.
Industrial Relations Laws
Q. Business groups have said that Australia’s industrial relations laws favour workers and unions and should be changed so that businesses can increase productivity and have more flexibility with their workforce. Do you think Australia’s industrial relations laws favour employers or workers or do they balance the interests of workers and employers?
|
6 Feb 12 |
Total 30 Jul 12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Full time workers |
Part time workers |
|
| Favour employers |
25% |
20% |
25% |
16% |
33% |
22% |
16% |
| Favour workers |
24% |
26% |
12% |
43% |
14% |
29% |
24% |
| Balance the interests of employers and workers |
34% |
34% |
49% |
26% |
26% |
33% |
37% |
| Don’t know |
17% |
20% |
13% |
15% |
26% |
17% |
23% |
Respondents were divided over whether Australia’s industrial relations laws favour employers or workers – 20% think they favour employers, 26% favour workers and 34% think they balance the interests of both.
Labor voters are more likely to think they balance workers and employers interests (49%) while Liberal/National voters are more likely to think they favour workers (43%). Only 12% of Labor voters and 14% of Greens voters think the laws favour workers.
Opinion of Gonski Report Recommendations
Q. The Gonski report on funding education has recommended a new model for school funding that would mean all students are entitled to a set level of funding regardless of where they go to school, disadvantaged schools receive more funding and taxpayer funding for private schools is adjusted down based on parents’ capacity to pay.
Do you support or oppose these recommendations?
|
Total 27 Feb 12 |
Total 30 Jul 12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total support |
68% |
65% |
71% |
59% |
83% |
| Total oppose |
13% |
14% |
14% |
20% |
2% |
| Strongly support |
25% |
25% |
34% |
16% |
47% |
| Support |
43% |
40% |
37% |
43% |
36% |
| Oppose |
9% |
10% |
10% |
14% |
2% |
| Strongly oppose |
4% |
4% |
4% |
6% |
- |
| Don’t know |
19% |
20% |
14% |
21% |
15% |
65% say they support the recommendations of the Gonski report on funding education and 14% were opposed. Support has weakened very slightly (-3%) since this question was asked in February after the release of the Gonski Report.
Strongest support was shown by Labor voters (71%), Greens voters (83%) and people aged 55+ (70%).
Funding Schools
Q. Do you think all schools should get a similar increase in funding, public schools should receive a larger increase or private schools should receive a larger increase?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| All schools should receive a similar increase in funding |
28% |
23% |
39% |
7% |
| Public schools should receive a larger increase |
63% |
74% |
51% |
79% |
| Private schools should receive a larger increase |
2% |
1% |
3% |
- |
| Don’t know |
7% |
2% |
6% |
13% |
63% think that public schools should receive a larger increase in funding, 2% think private schools should receive a larger increase and 28% think all schools should receive a similar increase.
Labor voters (74%) and Greens voters (79%) showed strongest support for increased funding for public schools – although a majority (51%) of Liberal/National voters also supported it.
Workplace Bullying
Q. Over the last 2 or 3 years, have you been subjected to bullying at work or witnessed bullying of any of your work colleagues?
|
Total |
Men |
Women |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
Full time workers |
Part time workers |
|
| I have been bullied at work |
13% |
10% |
15% |
14% |
16% |
7% |
14% |
14% |
| I have witnessed bullying at work |
19% |
19% |
19% |
23% |
21% |
12% |
25% |
20% |
| Total bullied/witnessed bullying |
26% |
25% |
27% |
30% |
30% |
15% |
34% |
25% |
| No, I haven’t been bullied or witnessed bullying |
55% |
56% |
55% |
56% |
58% |
49% |
62% |
64% |
| I don’t work |
15% |
14% |
16% |
5% |
10% |
35% |
- |
- |
| Don’t know |
4% |
5% |
2% |
9% |
2% |
1% |
4% |
11% |
26% of respondents said they had been bullied or witnessed bullying in the workplace over the last 2-3 years. 15% of women and 16% of people aged 35-54 said they had personally been bullied.
34% of full-time workers and 25% of part-time workers said they had been bullied or witnessed bullying. Levels of bullying were similar across income groups.
Source of Workplace Bullying
If been bullied or witnessed bullying -
Q. Was the bullying coming from –
|
Total |
Men |
Women |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
Full time workers |
Part time workers |
|
| Managers or employers |
65% |
67% |
64% |
61% |
69% |
69% |
63% |
74% |
| Other work colleagues |
48% |
45% |
50% |
51% |
48% |
48% |
43% |
44% |
| Customers or clients |
15% |
16% |
14% |
18% |
16% |
5% |
14% |
23% |
| Other people |
2% |
2% |
2% |
3% |
2% |
* |
2% |
1% |
68% of those who had been bullied or witnessed bullying in the workplace said the bullying was done by managers or employers and 48% said it was coming from colleagues.
Part-time workers were more likely to say the bullying was coming from managers/employers (74%).
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 13 May 2013
In this week's report:
3Q: Latest episodes
-
Essential Report with EMC’s Peter Lewis and Jackie Woods
Comments19 Sep 2012Lewis and Woods talk through this week’s polling numbers: voting intention, leader attributes, drug laws in Australia, and more…
-
Are we ready for the grey revolution?
Comments12 Sep 2012Ken Morrison says our cities need to be transformed for our ageing population – and it’s not solely about nursing homes.
-
Ships, trains and submarines — can we build them here?
Comments11 Sep 2012Tim Ayres wishes Clive Palmer and other mining giants would give local manufacturers a go instead of heading overseas.
-
Do we undervalue our public sector innovations?
Comments11 Sep 2012Nadine Flood questions whether governments take our science and other publicly funded breakthroughs for granted.
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