2PP, Essential Report, fair industrial relations system, federal politics, Greens, Labor, leadership, Liberal, management of the economy, Nationals, party trust, political leadership, Polling, polls, preferred PM, protecting the environment, quality education for all children, trust, two party preferred
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Management of the economy | 29% | 47% | 3% | 22% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 38% | 35% | 5% | 23% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 33% | 35% | 6% | 25% |
| Protecting the environment | 18% | 21% | 39% | 23% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 40% | 31% | 4% | 24% |
| Political leadership | 26% | 38% | 5% | 31% |
| Addressing climate change | 21% | 24% | 29% | 26% |
| Controlling interest rates | 26% | 44% | 3% | 28% |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 35% | 35% | 4% | 26% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 21% | 28% | 22% | 29% |
| Housing affordability | 26% | 34% | 4% | 35% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 29% | 37% | 4% | 30% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 25% | 40% | 3% | 32% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 19% | 39% | 11% | 31% |
| Managing population growth | 21% | 36% | 7% | 36% |
Labor is the most trusted party on only one issue – a fair industrial relations system. There is little difference between Labor and the Liberals for ensuring a quality education for all children, ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
This represents a weakening in Labor’s position over the last few months. In January Labor was trusted most to handle ensuring a quality education for all children and in October Labor also had a significant lead on protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
balance of power, Essential Media, Essential Report, federal politics, Greens, Independents, Independents in parliament, Labor, leadership, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think the independents and Greens holding the balance of power in Parliament has been good or bad for Australia?
| 7 Mar 11 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total good | 27% | 28% | 40% | 11% | 77% |
| Total bad | 41% | 39% | 19% | 68% | 6% |
| Very good | 7% | 9% | 11% | 3% | 40% |
| Good | 20% | 19% | 29% | 8% | 37% |
| Neither good nor bad | 33% | 33% | 41% | 21% | 17% |
| Bad | 22% | 21% | 13% | 33% | 5% |
| Very bad | 19% | 18% | 6% | 35% | 1% |
28% of respondents think the independents and Greens holding the balance of power in Parliament has been good for Australia and 39% bad. This is very similar to the results obtained for this question in March. The only substantial change is that Labor voters are now more positive – in March they responded 33% good/25% bad.
Andrew Robb, Approval of opposition leader, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Joe Hockey, Julie Bishop, Labor, leadership, Liberal, malcolm turnbull, Nationals, Polling, polls, tony abbott, Voting intention
Q. Which of the following do you think would make the best leader of the Liberal Party?
| 27 Sep 2010 | 28 Feb 2011 | 30 May 2011 | ||||
| Total | Total | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Tony Abbott | 26% | 24% | 22% | 10% | 40% | 7% |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 20% | 18% | 25% | 35% | 19% | 33% |
| Joe Hockey | 15% | 16% | 17% | 13% | 22% | 18% |
| Julie Bishop | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 1% |
| Andrew Robb | na | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Someone else | na | 14% | 13% | 17% | 7% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 33% | 22% | 19% | 20% | 8% | 22% |
25% (+7%) think Malcolm Turnbull would make the best leader of the Liberal Party, 22% (-3%) prefer Tony Abbott and 17% (+1%) Joe Hockey.
Among Liberal/National voters, 40% prefer Tony Abbott, 22% Joe Hockey and 19% Malcolm Turnbull.
Malcolm Turnbull is preferred by 25% of men and 24% of women, Tony Abbott by 24% of men and 19% of women.
Anna Bligh, Campbell Newman, EMC, Essential Media, Essential Report, flooding, Floods, Julia Gillard, Kristina Keneally, leadership, Mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Queensland Premier, Ted Bailieu, tony abbott
Q. Thinking about the recent floods across Australia, how would you rate each of the following for providing leadership in dealing with the floods?
| Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Average | Poor | Very poor | Don’t know | |
| Prime Minister Julia Gillard | 42% | 23% | 15% | 27% | 28% | 10% | 13% | 7% |
| Opposition leader Tony Abbott | 19% | 32% | 4% | 15% | 36% | 19% | 13% | 13% |
| Queensland Premier Anna Bligh | 77% | 6% | 52% | 25% | 11% | 3% | 3% | 6% |
| Queensland Premier Anna Bligh (Qld) | 71% | 9% | 48% | 23% | 17% | 2% | 7% | 3% |
| Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman | 61% | 4% | 28% | 33% | 16% | 2% | 2% | 19% |
| Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman (Qld) | 75% | 7% | 46% | 29% | 14% | 2% | 5% | 4% |
| Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu | 34% | 8% | 8% | 26% | 26% | 4% | 4% | 32% |
| Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu (Victoria) | 47% | 12% | 10% | 37% | 27% | 6% | 6% | 14% |
| NSW Premier Kristina Keneally | 21% | 23% | 4% | 17% | 28% | 11% | 12% | 29% |
| NSW Premier Kristina Keneally (NSW) | 13% | 40% | 4% | 9% | 30% | 18% | 22% | 18% |
Nationally, 42% think the Prime Minister Julia Gillard provided good leadership and 23% poor – while the Opposition leader Tony Abbott was rated good by 19% and poor by 32%. In Queensland Julia Gillard rated 42% good/26% poor.
Nationally the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh was rated 77% good/6% poor and in Queensland 71% good/9% poor. The Mayor of Brisbane Campbell Newman was rated a little lower nationally (61%/4%) but slightly higher in Queensland (75%/7%).
In Victoria, the Premier Ted Bailieu was rated 47% good/12% poor and in NSW, Premier Kristina Keneally was rated 13% good/40% poor
Abbott, Andrew Robb, Election, Hockey, Joe Hockey, Julie Bishop, leadership, Liberal, Liberal Party, malcolm turnbull, Opposition leader, Turnbull
Q. Which of the following do you think would be the best person to lead the Liberal Party at the next election?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Tony Abbott | 23% | 5% | 50% | 5% |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 22% | 27% | 19% | 39% |
| Joe Hockey | 14% | 15% | 15% | 12% |
| Julie Bishop | 6% | 9% | 5% | 7% |
| Andrew Robb | 1% | 1% | 1% | – |
| Someone else | 15% | 22% | 3% | 18% |
| Don’t know | 19% | 21% | 7% | 19% |
23% think Tony Abbott would be the best person to lead the Liberal Party at the next election, 22% prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 14% Joe Hockey.
Among Coalition voters, 50% prefer Tony Abbott, 19% Malcolm Turnbull and 15% Joe Hockey.
Tony Abbott is preferred over Malcolm Turnbull by those aged under 45 22% to 19% but the over 45’s prefer Malcolm Turnbull over Tony Abbott 27% to 25%.
A similar question (although not exactly the same) asked in September showed Tony Abbott with a 26% to 20% lead over Malcolm Turnbull overall and 53% to 15% among Coalition voters. Joe Hockey’s support was 15% in total and 17% among Liberal voters. Comments »
approval of PM, Gillard, leader, leader attributes, leadership
Q. Which of the following describe your opinion of the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard?
| 5 Jul 10 | 4 Oct 10 | Difference | |
| Intelligent | 87% | 81% | -6% |
| Hard-working | 89% | 82% | -7% |
| A capable leader | 72% | 59% | -13% |
| Demanding | 58% | 58% | 0% |
| Arrogant | 37% | 39% | 2% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 35% | 44% | 9% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 68% | 55% | -13% |
| Visionary | 48% | 38% | -10% |
| Good in a crisis | 61% | 46% | -15% |
| Narrow-minded | 28% | 35% | 7% |
| Down to earth | 68% | 62% | -6% |
| Too inflexible | 26% | 36% | 10% |
| Complacent | 27% | 31% | 4% |
| More honest than most politicians | 45% | 37% | -8% |
| Trustworthy | 49% | 42% | -7% |
approval of PM, gender, Gillard, leader, leader attributes, leadership, Prime Minister
Q. Which of the following describe your opinion of the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard?
| Total | Male | Female | |
| Intelligent | 81% | 79% | 84% |
| Hard-working | 82% | 80% | 83% |
| A capable leader | 59% | 57% | 61% |
| Demanding | 58% | 62% | 54% |
| Arrogant | 39% | 38% | 39% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 44% | 47% | 41% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 55% | 53% | 56% |
| Visionary | 38% | 38% | 38% |
| Good in a crisis | 46% | 46% | 46% |
| Narrow-minded | 35% | 38% | 31% |
| Down to earth | 62% | 60% | 65% |
| Too inflexible | 36% | 40% | 33% |
| Complacent | 31% | 34% | 28% |
| More honest than most politicians | 37% | 39% | 35% |
| Trustworthy | 42% | 45% | 39% |
Abbott, Approval of opposition leader, leader, leader attributes, leadership
Q. Which of the following describe your opinion of the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott?
| 5 Jul 10 | 4 Oct 10 | Change | |
| Intelligent | 70% | 71% | 1% |
| Hard-working | 76% | 78% | 2% |
| A capable leader | 47% | 52% | 5% |
| Demanding | 53% | 61% | 8% |
| Arrogant | 59% | 60% | 1% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 57% | 53% | -4% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 50% | 53% | 3% |
| Visionary | 32% | 31% | -1% |
| Good in a crisis | 40% | 42% | 2% |
| Narrow-minded | 56% | 53% | -3% |
| Down to earth | 47% | 47% | 0% |
| Too inflexible | 45% | 43% | -2% |
| Complacent | 34% | 32% | -2% |
| More honest than most politicians | 33% | 32% | -1% |
| Trustworthy | 33% | 35% | 2% |