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  • Jan, 2020

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    Climate Change Policy Proposals

    Q. To what extent would you support or oppose the following policy proposals if they were adopted by the Federal Government?

      NET: Support NET: Oppose Strongly support Somewhat support Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose
    Accelerate development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy 81% 19% 41% 40% 12% 7%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 71% 29% 32% 39% 18% 12%
    Requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction 68% 32% 25% 43% 21% 11%
    Remove taxpayer funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry 68% 32% 30% 38% 22% 11%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2030 64% 36% 26% 38% 21% 15%
    Ban all political donations from fossil fuel companies 62% 38% 28% 34% 25% 13%
    Prevention of new coal mines opening in Australia 62% 38% 27% 35% 23% 16%

     

      Voting Intention
     NET: SUPPORT Total Labor Liberal + National Greens NET: Other
    Accelerate development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy 81% 86% 75% 87% 77%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 71% 81% 56% 89% 62%
    Requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction 68% 78% 54% 76% 68%
    Remove taxpayer funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry 68% 77% 56% 83% 64%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2030 64% 77% 47% 87% 52%
    Ban all political donations from fossil fuel companies 62% 72% 48% 79% 57%
    Prevention of new coal mines opening in Australia 62% 70% 48% 84% 51%
    Base (n) 1,080 351 342 110 156
    • 81% of participants support the accelerated development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy and 71% support a zero-carbon pollution target to be set for 2050.
    • Support for all policies was higher among Labor and greens voters, and lower among Coalition.
  • May, 2012

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    Are billionaires bullying Australia?



    When Wayne Swan attacked mining magnates for undermining Australia’s national interests in pursuit of their own ends it created a storm of controversy.

    Yet the mining magnates haven’t been shy about opposing the mining tax and climate change policy.

    And now Clive Palmer is running for office, Gina Rinehart has bought big into Fairfax and Twiggy Forrest is challenging the mining tax in the High Court.

    CFMEU National President Tony Maher wants our mining magnates to concentrate less on their billions and more on using their wealth to improve Australia. Find out about the CFMEU’s ad campaign here.

    He wonders whether Australia will ever have a Warren Buffet or Bill Gates fighting for the rights of many rather than the rights of a few.

    Or will the billionaires soon be launching their own campaign to save themselves?

  • Apr, 2012

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    Party Best At…

    Q. Which party – Labor or Liberal – do you think is best when it comes to:

     

    Labor

    Liberal

    No difference

    Don’t know

    Difference

    Representing the interests of Australian working families

    37%

    25%

    29%

    9%

    +12

    Representing the interests of you and people like you

    29%

    35%

    26%

    10%

    -6

    Standing up for the middle class in Australia

    26%

    33%

    30%

    11%

    -7

    Representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests

    10%

    54%

    25%

    11%

    -44

    Being more concerned about the interests of working families in Australia than the rich and large business and financial interests

    37%

    22%

    30%

    11%

    +15

    Handling the economy overall

    22%

    41%

    26%

    10%

    -19

    Handling the economy in a way that tries to take the interests of working families into consideration as much as it takes the interests of the large corporate and financial groups

    29%

    34%

    25%

    12%

    -5

    Handling the economy in a way that best helps small business

    22%

    40%

    25%

    13%

    -18

    Handling the economy in a way that best helps the middle class

    23%

    38%

    27%

    12%

    -15

    Handling the economy in a way that helps you and people like you the most.

    26%

    36%

    27%

    11%

    -10

    Labor was considered best at representing the interests of Australian working families (37%) and being more concerned about the interests of working families in Australia than the rich and large business and financial interests (37%). The Liberals were considered best on all the other measures.

    In particular, the Liberal Party was considered much better on representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests (54%), handling the economy overall (41%) and handling the economy in a way that best helps small business (40%).

    Comments »

  • Mar, 2012

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    Using Wealth to Influence Opinion and Policy

    QA. The Treasurer Wayne Swan has said some of Australia’s wealthiest individuals are using their wealth to try to influence public opinion and government policy to further their own commercial interests. Do you agree or disagree with the Treasurer’s statement? *

    QB. Do you agree or disagree that some of Australia’s wealthiest individuals are using their wealth to try to influence public opinion and government policy to further their own commercial interests. *

     

    A. Wayne Swan statement

    B. Unattributed statement

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total agree

    58%

    78%

    36%

    89%

    60%

    67%

    55%

    75%

    Total disagree

    26%

    6%

    51%

    2%

    24%

    18%

    30%

    14%

    Strongly agree

    24%

    38%

    9%

    54%

    27%

    36%

    15%

    50%

    Agree

    34%

    40%

    27%

    35%

    33%

    31%

    40%

    25%

    Disagree

    15%

    4%

    29%

    2%

    12%

    5%

    15%

    3%

    Strongly disagree

    11%

    2%

    22%

    12%

    13%

    15%

    11%

    Don’t know

    16%

    16%

    14%

    9%

    15%

    15%

    16%

    11%

    * each question was asked of half the total sample.

    There was similar majority agreement with this statement – that some of Australia’s wealthiest individuals are using their wealth to try to influence public opinion and government policy to further their own commercial interests – whether or not it was attributed to Wayne Swan. When attributed to Wayne Swan 58% agreed and 26% disagreed. When unattributed, 60% agreed and 24% disagreed.

    When attributed to Wayne Swan, 78% of Labor voters and 89% of Greens voters agreed but 51% of Liberal/National voters disagreed.

    When unattributed, a majority of voters of all parties agreed – although Labor and Greens voters not as strongly.

    Comments »

  • Jul, 2011

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    Change in Difference Between Labor and Liberal Parties

    Q. Do you think that in the last few years, the policies of the Labor Party and the Liberal Party have become more similar or do you think their policies have been moving apart?

    Total

    8 Nov 10

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Become more similar 51% 40% 41% 36% 56%
    Moving further apart 17% 31% 28% 41% 22%
    No change 21% 17% 24% 15% 11%
    Don’t know 12% 11% 7% 8% 11%

    40% of respondents think that the Labor and Liberal parties are becoming more similar – a drop from the 51% who thought the same thing in November 2010.

    31% think that they are moving further apart – a big increase from the 17% who thought the same thing in November 2010.

    Green voters (56%) were the most likely to think that they were becoming more similar. However 41% of Labor voters and 36% of Lib/Nat voters also thought that they were becoming more similar.

    Lib/Nat voters were the most likely to think that they were moving further apart (41%).

    There was no substantial differences based on gender, state or age

    Comments »

  • Apr, 2011

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    Difference between Labor and Greens Policies

    Q. How much difference do you think there is between the policies of the Labor Party and the Greens?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    They are completely different 8% 10% 10% 12%
    Different on most issues 15% 15% 16% 26%
    Different of some and similar on some 41% 54% 33% 47%
    Similar on most issues 14% 7% 22% 8%
    They are exactly the same 5% 2% 7% 1%
    Don’t know 17% 13% 13% 5%

    19% think the Labor and Greens policies are similar or exactly the same, 23% think they are mostly or completely different and 41% think they are different on some and the similar on some issues.

    Labor voters are more likely to think they are different on some and similar on some (54%), Liberal/National voters more likely to think they are similar or the same (29%) and Greens voters more likely to think they are different (38%).

    Comments »

  • Aug, 2010

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    Reasons for Voting Preference

    Q. What is the main reason you intend to vote for the Labor Party/Liberal or National Party/Greens?

      Labor   Liberal/ National   Greens
    I always vote for the Labor Party 28% I always vote for the Liberal or National Party 19% I always vote for the Greens 8%
    They have better policies 15% They have better policies 19% They have better policies 30%
    They have been a good government 10% Labor have been a poor government 39% Labor have been a poor government 6%
    I just don’t like the Liberals 11% I just don’t like Labor 9% I just don’t like the Liberals or Labor 28%
    Julia Gillard is a better leader than Tony Abbott 32% Tony Abbott is a better leader than Julia Gillard 7% I like Bob Brown 3%
    Other reason 4% Other reason 5% I don’t like Tony Abbott or Julia Gillard 14%
            Other reason 10%

    Main reasons for voting Labor were a preference for Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott (32%) and party loyalty (28% said they always vote Labor). The leadership issue is more important for women – 40% of women said they were voting Labor because Julia Gillard is a better leader compared to 23% of men.

    39% of Liberal/National voters say their main reason is that Labor have been a poor Government – and only 7% say leadership is their main reason.

    Main reasons for voting for the Greens were “better policies” (30%) and a dislike of the major parties (28%). Only 6% say it is because Labor have been a poor Government. Comments »

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