Employment by religious organisations
Q. Should religious organisations be allowed to refuse to hire people who don’t live according to the organisations’ beliefs?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Men |
Women |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
|
| Yes |
34% |
26% |
42% |
22% |
34% |
33% |
35% |
31% |
37% |
| No |
52% |
58% |
48% |
63% |
54% |
51% |
54% |
50% |
54% |
| Don’t know |
14% |
16% |
10% |
15% |
12% |
15% |
11% |
19% |
9% |
34% think that religious organisations should be allowed to refuse to hire people who don’t live according to the organisations’ beliefs and 52% think they should not.
Those most likely to think they should not were Labor voters (58%), Greens voters (63%) and respondents on lower incomes (57% of those earning less than $1,000pw).
Australian Workers under a Liberal Government
Q. Do you think Australian workers would be better off or worse off under a Liberal Government lead by Tony Abbott?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Work full time |
Work part time |
|
| Total better off |
32% |
8% |
65% |
8% |
35% |
27% |
| Total worse off |
37% |
75% |
4% |
65% |
34% |
40% |
| A lot better off |
15% |
3% |
33% |
- |
17% |
12% |
| A little better off |
17% |
5% |
32% |
8% |
18% |
15% |
| Make no difference |
19% |
12% |
22% |
15% |
21% |
20% |
| A little worse off |
9% |
12% |
3% |
17% |
10% |
11% |
| A lot worse off |
28% |
63% |
1% |
48% |
24% |
29% |
| Don’t know |
11% |
5% |
8% |
12% |
9% |
12% |
32% think that Australian workers would be better off under a Liberal Government lead by Tony Abbott and 37% think they would be worse off – and 19% think it would make no difference.
Full-time workers split 35% better off and 34% worse off while part-time workers were more likely to think workers would be worse off (40% worse off/27% better off).
43% of respondents aged 45-64 think workers would be worse off and 31% better off. 40% of those earning under $1,000 pw thought workers would be worse off and 33% better off.
Can a price on carbon create jobs?
Tim Ayres tells manufacturers to focus on opportunities in clean energy and new government subsidies.
Despite the hyperbole on one side and scaremongering on the other, the much debated carbon tax is in place. For manufacturers, the carbon tax is a game shifter heralding new beginnings but also some losses.
Tim Ayres for the AMWU tells 3Q about the opportunities and challenges to Australia’s clean, green future. Though the Government has committed billions in loans through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation kick-starting a clean technology industry in wind, solar and geothermal will mean putting the right policies in place so that local workers benefit.
Do we need foreign workers?
Rita Mallia speaks of the importance of unemployed locals getting the first pick of mining jobs as well as her union’s proud multicultural ethos.
Importing foreign workers has rocketed during the mining boom. Last year almost 90,000 workers were employed under 457 visa grants allowing them to stay and work in Australia for up to four years. The number of visas granted is up nearly 50 per cent on last year.
Since Gina RInehart received permission to bring in 1700 workers for her Roy Hill mine and the subsequent uproar, a Resources Jobs Board has been created.
The CFMEU’s Rita Mallia tells 3Q 60,000 people have already visited the website — putting paid to claims that Australians don’t want to do remote mining work.
Job security
Q. How concerned are you that you or some member of your immediate family will lose their job in the next year or so: very concerned, somewhat concerned, or not at all concerned?
|
|
8 Jun 09 |
5 Oct 09 |
28 Jun 10 |
18 Oct 10 |
4 Apr 11 |
4 Jul 11 |
3 Oct 11 |
26 Mar 12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
| Total concerned |
52% |
49% |
43% |
40% |
43% |
45% |
47% |
49% |
43% |
55% |
34% |
| Very concerned |
13% |
14% |
9% |
11% |
11% |
13% |
14% |
13% |
9% |
16% |
8% |
| Somewhat concerned |
39% |
35% |
34% |
29% |
32% |
32% |
33% |
36% |
34% |
39% |
26% |
| Not at all concerned |
35% |
40% |
38% |
42% |
43% |
39% |
37% |
36% |
44% |
31% |
51% |
| Don’t know |
6% |
6% |
12% |
10% |
8% |
8% |
7% |
8% |
6% |
7% |
9% |
| No employees in the immediate family |
8% |
5% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
6% |
6% |
Concern over job security has risen slightly since the last time the question was polled, increasing 2 points up from 47% in October 2011 to 49% (total concerned).
In the 12 months from April 2011, total concern has increased from 43% to 49%.
Coalition voters are the most likely to be concerned that they or a member of their immediately family will lose their job in the next year or so (55% total concerned), whereas Greens voters are less likely to be concerned (34% total concerned).
There were no major differences across income or age groups – except for the under 25’s where 41% were concerned and 48% not at all concerned.
Taking Sick Days
Q. Which of the following apply to you over the last 12 months?
|
Total |
Men |
Women |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
|
| I have taken a sickie (that is, a day off work when you weren’t really sick) |
23% |
23% |
22% |
30% |
21% |
8% |
| I have taken a day off sick without a doctor’s certificate |
51% |
49% |
52% |
55% |
53% |
34% |
| I have taken a day off sick with a doctor’s certificate |
47% |
49% |
44% |
49% |
49% |
33% |
| I have gone to work when I was sick |
81% |
83% |
78% |
83% |
82% |
70% |
* based of those who worked in paid employment over the last 12 months
More than three times as many respondents said that, over the last 12 months, they had worked when they were sick than had taken a “sickie”. 81% said they had gone to work when they were sick and 23% said they had taken a day off work when they weren’t really sick.
Men (83%) were a little more likely than women (78%) to go to work when they were sick.
Those aged under 35 were a little more likely to take a “sickie” (30%) but were also more likely to go to work when they were sick (83%).
Older respondents seem to be less likely to get sick at all – 70% said they had worked when sick – and only 34% had taken a day off with a doctor’s certificate and 33% without a doctor’s certificate.
Importance of Industries for Providing Jobs
Q. How important are the following industries for providing jobs for Australians into the future?
| Very important | Quite important | Somewhat important | Not very important | Don’t know | |
| Mining | 64% | 24% | 7% | 2% | 3% |
| Construction | 58% | 30% | 9% | 0% | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 55% | 29% | 12% | 2% | 2% |
| Tourism | 53% | 33% | 11% | 1% | 2% |
| Retail | 47% | 35% | 13% | 2% | 2% |
| Hospitality | 46% | 38% | 12% | 1% | 3% |
| Finance | 39% | 38% | 18% | 3% | 3% |
| Telecommunications | 39% | 37% | 18% | 3% | 3% |
Respondents regard the mining (64%), construction (58%) and manufacturing (55%) industries to be the most important for providing jobs for Australians in the future.
This was followed closely by the tourism (53%), retail (47%) and hospitality (46%) industries.
The finance (39%) and telecommunications (39%) industries are the most likely to be seen as only ‘somewhat important’ (18%) for providing jobs.
Most Important Roles of Government
Q. From the following list, what do you think are the three most important roles of the Federal Government? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
| Most important | Second | Third | Total | |
| Delivering basic services like health and education | 18% | 27% | 20% | 65% |
| Managing the economy in uncertain economic times | 20% | 15% | 14% | 49% |
| Making the big decisions for the nations future | 20% | 12% | 12% | 44% |
| Ensuring that all Australians benefit from Australia’s wealth | 13% | 10% | 11% | 34% |
| Supporting Australian industries to provide jobs | 8% | 12% | 12% | 32% |
| Reducing government spending so money can be returned back to taxpayers | 9% | 8% | 8% | 25% |
| Investing in infrastructure including road rail and broadband | 3% | 7% | 10% | 20% |
| Providing support to the most disadvantaged | 4% | 4% | 8% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Respondents considered that the most important roles of the Federal Government were delivering basic services like health and hospitals (65%), managing the economy in uncertain economic times (49%) and making the big decisions for the nations future (44%).
The least important roles were providing support for the most disadvantaged (16%), investing in infrastructure including road rail and broadband (20%) and reducing government spending so money can be returned to taxpayers (25%).
Party best to handle Issues
Q. Which party do you think is best to handle each of the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Making the big decisions for the nations future | 28% | 41% | 5% | 26% |
| Managing the economy in uncertain economic times | 30% | 44% | 2% | 24% |
| Delivering basic services like health and education | 34% | 36% | 5% | 25% |
| Investing in infrastructure including road rail and broadband | 34% | 36% | 2% | 28% |
| Supporting Australian industries to provide jobs | 33% | 39% | 3% | 25% |
| Reducing government spending so money can be returned back to taxpayers | 21% | 46% | 3% | 29% |
| Ensuring that all Australians benefit from Australia’s wealth | 31% | 34% | 6% | 29% |
| Providing support to the most disadvantaged | 34% | 27% | 9% | 29% |
The Liberal Party was considered substantially better than Labor at making the big decisions for the nations future (41% to 28%), managing the economy in uncertain economic times (44%/30% ) and reducing Government spending so money can be retuned back to taxpayers (46%/21%).
They were also considered a little better at supporting Australian industries to provide jobs (39%/33%). The Labor Party was considered a little better at providing support to the most disadvantaged (34%/27%) and the two parties scored similarly on delivering basic services like health and education, investing in infrastructure including road rail and broadband and ensuring that all Australians benefit from Australia’s wealth.
Jobs reform
Q. To what extent do you agree that the following measures will improve job creation and investment in Australia?
| Total Agree | Total Disagree | Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | ||
| Increasing the number of apprenticeships | 88% | 4% | 38% | 50% | 4% | 0% | 7% | |
| Giving incentives to companies that invest in research and development | 79% | 8% | 26% | 53% | 7% | 1% | 12% | |
| Boosting investment in renewable energy technologies | 75% | 11% | 30% | 45% | 8% | 3% | 14% | |
| Requiring companies to use Australian made steel in large infrastructure projects | 73% | 11% | 27% | 46% | 9% | 2% | 15% | |
| Implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business | 57% | 19% | 13% | 44% | 14% | 5% | 24% | |
| Bringing back tariffs on products imported from overseas | 52% | 29% | 16% | 36% | 20% | 9% | 19% | |
| Introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people | 41% | 41% | 13% | 28% | 29% | 12% | 18% |
Increasing the number of apprenticeships (88% total agree) is the most popular measure for improving job creation and investment in Australia, followed by giving incentives to companies that invest in research and development (79% total agree) and boosting investment in renewable energy technologies (75%).
Requiring companies to use Australian made steel in large infrastructure projects is also strongly endorsed by respondents (73% total agree).
The least popular measure is introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people (41% total disagree). Asked with a different emphasis, there is significantly less opposition to the suggestion of implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business (19% total disagree).
Jobs reform by Voting Intention
Q. To what extent do you agree that the following measures will improve job creation and investment in Australia?
| Total Agree | Total Agree – Labor | Total Agree – Lib/Nat | Total Agree- Greens | ||
| Increasing the number of apprenticeships | 88% | 89% | 91% | 87% | |
| Giving incentives to companies that invest in research and development | 79% | 80% | 83% | 83% | |
| Boosting investment in renewable energy technologies | 75% | 80% | 71% | 88% | |
| Requiring companies to use Australian made steel in large infrastructure projects | 73% | 77% | 77% | 69% | |
| Implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business | 57% | 45% | 75% | 41% | |
| Bringing back tariffs on products imported from overseas | 52% | 52% | 58% | 40% | |
| Introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people | 41% | 26% | 65% | 18% |
Increasing the number of apprenticeships, giving incentives to companies that invest in research and development, and requiring companies to use Australia made steel in large infrastructure projects all receive a consistent level of endorsement across party lines.
Labor voters are more likely to agree with boosting investment in renewable energy technologies (80% total agree) as a measure to improve job creation and investment in Australia, as are Greens voters (88% total agree).
Labor voters are less likely to agree with implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business (45% total agree) and introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people (26% total agree).
Coalition voters are the most likely to agree with the industrial relations reforms, with 75% agreeing with implementing industrial relations changes that give more flexibility to business and 65% agreeing with introducing industrial relations reforms to make it easier to hire and fire people.
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 20 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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