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  • Apr, 2013

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    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 = 1,896 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    11/3/13

    2 weeks ago

    25/2/13

    Last week

    2/4/13

    This week

    8/4/13

    Liberal

    45%

    45%

    47%

    47%

    National

    3%

    2%

    2%

    2%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    48%

    47%

    49%

    49%

    Labor

    38.0%

    34%

    33%

    31%

    32%

    Greens

    11.8%

    9%

    11%

    11%

    9%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    9%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

     

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    55%

    54%

    56%

    56%

    Labor

    50.1%

    45%

    46%

    44%

    44%

    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. plus or minus 2-3%.

  • Apr, 2013

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    State of the economy

    Q. Overall, how would you describe the current state of the Australian economy?

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    8 Apr 13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total good

    35%

    45%

    63%

    33%

    63%

    Total poor

    29%

    26%

    13%

    37%

    10%

    Very good

    6%

    8%

    18%

    3%

    9%

    Good

    29%

    37%

    45%

    30%

    54%

    Neither good nor poor

    33%

    28%

    23%

    30%

    27%

    Poor

    20%

    17%

    10%

    24%

    7%

    Very poor

    9%

    9%

    3%

    13%

    3%

    Don’t know

    2%

    2%

    1%

    *

    1%

    45% described the economy as good or very good and 26% poor/very poor – 28% said it was neither. This represents a net improvement from +6 to +19 since May last year.

    Those most likely to think the economy was good/very good were people with incomes $1,000-$1,600pw (52%).

    Those most likely to think the economy was poor/very poor were aged 55+ (33%) and people with incomes under $600pw (35%).

  • Apr, 2013

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    Agreement with economic figures

    Q. Some say that official figures show Australia’s economy is doing very well, especially compared to the rest of the world.  The interest rate, the unemployment rate and the inflation rate are all at relatively low levels. Do you agree or disagree that this shows the state of the economy is good?

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    8 Apr 13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total agree

    52%

    56%

    76%

    42%

    77%

    Total disagree

    37%

    37%

    20%

    54%

    20%

    Strongly agree

    9%

    12%

    25%

    5%

    23%

    Agree

    43%

    44%

    51%

    37%

    54%

    Disagree

    27%

    29%

    17%

    42%

    17%

    Strongly disagree

    10%

    8%

    3%

    12%

    3%

    Don’t know

    10%

    7%

    4%

    5%

    3%

    When told that official figures show Australia’s economy is doing well, 56% agreed and 37% disagreed.

    Those most likely to disagree were Liberal/National voters (54%), aged 55+ (45%) and people with incomes under $600pw (49%).

  • Apr, 2013

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    Reasons economy is poor

    Q. What is the main reason you don’t think the state of the economy is good? *

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Poor economic management by Government

    27%

    40%

    17%

    52%

    Increasing cost of living

    34%

    27%

    41%

    22%

    Businesses are struggling

    13%

    11%

    7%

    13%

    Increasing gap between rich and poor

    9%

    7%

    15%

    3%

    Incomes aren’t increasing fast enough to keep up

    7%

    6%

    7%

    5%

    Global financial problems

    7%

    5%

    7%

    4%

    Other reason

    2%

    3%

    6%

    2%

    Don’t know

    1%

    1%

    * Based on those who disagree that economy is good.

    Those who disagreed that the economy was good said the main reasons were poor economic management by Government (40%) and the increasing cost of living (27%). Those who blame poor economic management by the Government has increased 13% and cost of living has decreased 7% since May last year.

    62% of respondents aged 55+ blamed poor economic management by Government while the increasing cost of living was the major factor for 41% of respondents aged 25-44.

  • Apr, 2013

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    Reasons Government is unpopular

    Q. Although Australia’s economy is doing very well, according to opinion polls the Government is very unpopular. What do you think is the main reason for this? *

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    8 Apr 13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Voters don’t trust the Prime Minister

    28%

    27%

    19%

    35%

    31%

    The Labor Party is divided and can’t govern properly

    na

    19%

    15%

    23%

    23%

    The economy is doing well for other reasons, like China and the mining boom, not because of the government

    15%

    13%

    9%

    19%

    11%

    Voters would prefer Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister

    na

    9%

    14%

    4%

    7%

    Voters aren’t benefitting from the strong economy.

    12%

    9%

    10%

    5%

    12%

    The carbon tax has increased (will increase) the cost of living

    17%

    7%

    6%

    9%

    Some other reason

    8%

    12%

    21%

    3%

    12%

    Don’t know

    3%

    5%

    7%

    2%

    5%

    * Based on those who agree the economy is good.

    Respondents who thought the economy was doing well, thought the main reasons for the Government’s unpopularity were that voters don’t trust the Prime Minister (27%) and the Labor Party is divided and can’t govern properly (19%).

    Both Liberal/National and Greens voters said trust in the Prime Minister was the key issue.

    Since May last year, those blaming the impact of the carbon tax has declined from 17% to 7%.

  • Apr, 2013

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    Household financial situation

    Q. How would you describe the current financial situation of your household?

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    8 Apr 13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total satisfactory

    43%

    56%

    57%

    58%

    57%

    Total unsatisfactory

    28%

    26%

    28%

    22%

    29%

    Very satisfactory

    7%

    8%

    8%

    8%

    6%

    Satisfactory

    36%

    48%

    49%

    50%

    51%

    Neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory

    28%

    18%

    15%

    19%

    12%

    Unsatisfactory

    18%

    20%

    22%

    17%

    21%

    Very unsatisfactory

    10%

    6%

    6%

    5%

    8%

    Don’t know

    1%

    1%

    1%

    *

    1%

    56% (up 13% since May last year) consider their current household financial situation to be satisfactory and 26% say it is unsatisfactory. 18% said it was neither.

    Those most likely to be satisfied were those on incomes over $1,600pw (69%).

    Those most likely to be dissatisfied were on incomes under $1,000pw (40%).

  • Apr, 2013

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    Major spending in last 12 months

    Q. In the last 12 months have you –

     

    28 May 12

    Total

    8 Apr 13

    Vote ALP

    Vote Lib

    Vote Greens

    Financial situation satisfactory

    Neither satisfactory nor un-
    satisfactory

    Financial situation un-
    satisfactory

    Bought a house or other property

    10%

    10%

    11%

    11%

    11%

    13%

    7%

    5%

    Bought a new car

    12%

    12%

    10%

    15%

    12%

    17%

    10%

    5%

    Bought a used car

    17%

    13%

    14%

    13%

    12%

    14%

    11%

    13%

    Renovated your current home

    17%

    16%

    17%

    16%

    18%

    22%

    13%

    6%

    Purchased a major household item (stove, TV, Fridge, furniture etc.)

    39%

    40%

    42%

    41%

    49%

    47%

    36%

    30%

    Taken an overseas holiday

    30%

    34%

    29%

    35%

    39%

    44%

    24%

    21%

    Taken an Australian holiday

    45%

    46%

    41%

    49%

    52%

    56%

    39%

    28%

    Paid private school fees

    12%

    11%

    9%

    15%

    6%

    11%

    14%

    12%

    Bought shares

    13%

    12%

    10%

    14%

    16%

    17%

    8%

    3%

    The most common major spending items over the last 12 months were holidays in Australia (46%), purchase of major household item (40%) and overseas holidays (34%). Spending results were similar to those recorded last May.

    Spending rate of those who consider their financial situation unsatisfactory was about half that of those who were satisfied for most items. Whereas taking an Australian holidays was the most common item of major spending for those satisfied (56%) and the neither group (39%), those who were dissatisfied were more likely to have purchased a major household item (30%).

  • Apr, 2013

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    Tax on superannuation

    Q. Would you approve or disapprove of increasing the tax rates on superannuation contributions and earnings for people on very high incomes?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Income less than $600pw

    Income $600
    -1,000pw

    Income $1,000
    -$1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Total approve

    55%

    73%

    38%

    83%

    56%

    63%

    61%

    52%

    Total disapprove

    35%

    17%

    55%

    15%

    32%

    27%

    32%

    42%

    Strongly approve

    23%

    37%

    11%

    40%

    28%

    27%

    27%

    18%

    Approve

    32%

    36%

    27%

    43%

    28%

    36%

    34%

    34%

    Disapprove

    20%

    11%

    28%

    13%

    18%

    16%

    20%

    21%

    Strongly disapprove

    15%

    6%

    27%

    2%

    14%

    11%

    12%

    21%

    Don’t know

    10%

    10%

    7%

    3%

    12%

    10%

    7%

    6%

    55% approve of increasing the tax rates on superannuation contributions and earnings for people on very high incomes and 35% disapprove.

    There was majority approval across all income groups – although those on $1,600+ pw showed the highest level of disapproval (42%).

    There were no significant differences across age groups.

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