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  • Feb, 2013

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    Changes in cost of living

    Q. Compared to two or three years ago is your household paying more or less for the following –

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Paying a lot more

     

    Paying a lot more

    Paying a little more

    Paying about the same

    Paying a little less

    Paying a lot less

    Don’t know

    Own home outright

    Own home with mortgage

    Renting

    Petrol

    50%

    33%

    11%

    2%

    1%

    4%

    44%

    49%

    55%

    Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat

    36%

    43%

    16%

    4%

    *

    2%

    33%

    35%

    41%

    Packaged food

    28%

    39%

    24%

    4%

    *

    4%

    26%

    27%

    33%

    Electricity and gas

    70%

    22%

    4%

    1%

    1%

    2%

    69%

    73%

    71%

    Housing – mortgage or rent

    24%

    22%

    29%

    10%

    3%

    12%

    10%

    21%

    40%

    Insurance

    43%

    36%

    14%

    1%

    1%

    5%

    48%

    47%

    35%

    Water

    47%

    32%

    14%

    1%

    1%

    6%

    48%

    54%

    38%

    Clothing

    21%

    30%

    37%

    9%

    1%

    2%

    17%

    21%

    25%

    Education

    24%

    20%

    27%

    3%

    3%

    23%

    15%

    28%

    26%

    Medical, dental

    33%

    33%

    27%

    2%

    *

    3%

    33%

    35%

    34%

    Items which respondents said they were “paying a lot more” for were electricity and gas (70%), petrol (50%), water (47%) and insurance (43%).

    Homeowners had similar responses to the total sample, but the main things renters were paying a lot more for were electricity and gas (71%), petrol (55%), fresh food (41%) and housing (40%).

  • Jun, 2012

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    Party trust to handle important election issues

    Q.  Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?

     

    Labor

    Liberal

    Greens

    Don’t know

    Difference

    18 Jun 12

    Difference

    5 Dec 11

    Management of the economy

    26%

    44%

    3%

    27%

    -18

    -18

    Ensuring a quality education for all children

    33%

    35%

    5%

    26%

    -2

    -2

    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system

    30%

    36%

    7%

    27%

    -6

    -3

    Protecting the environment

    17%

    21%

    38%

    24%

    +17

    +14

    A fair industrial relations system

    36%

    30%

    6%

    28%

    +6

    +4

    Political leadership

    21%

    37%

    7%

    36%

    -16

    -17

    Addressing climate change

    18%

    24%

    31%

    27%

    +7

    +6

    Controlling interest rates

    22%

    40%

    3%

    35%

    -18

    -18

    Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries

    29%

    35%

    6%

    31%

    -6

    -3

    Ensuring a quality water supply

    16%

    28%

    23%

    33%

    -12

    -12

    Housing affordability

    22%

    33%

    5%

    39%

    -11

    -10

    Ensuring a fair taxation system

    26%

    36%

    5%

    32%

    -10

    -9

    Security and the war on terrorism

    18%

    40%

    4%

    38%

    -22

    -19

    Treatment of asylum seekers

    16%

    36%

    13%

    36%

    -20

    -19

    Managing population growth

    17%

    36%

    7%

    40%

    -19

    -17

    Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Liberal % from Labor % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Greens minus Liberal.

    Labor does not have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party on any item measured. The Liberal Party has maintained strong leads on management of the economy, controlling interest rates, political leadership and security and the war on terrorism.

    There is little difference between Labor and the Liberals for ensuring a quality education for all children, ensuring the quality of Australia’s health systerm and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries. Overall, there has been very little change in these results since December.

  • Oct, 2010

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    Most important environmental problem

      Q. Which of these do you think is the most important environmental problem facing Australia today?

    Q.  And which would you say is the second most important?

      Most important Second most important Total
    Water supply 33% 20% 53%
    The health of rivers and waterways 17% 21% 38%
    Pollution 14% 17% 31%
    Climate change 16% 14% 30%
    Loss of native habitat 8% 11% 19%
    Logging of native forests 4% 8% 12%
    Greenhouse gases 2% 6% 8%
    Don’t know 6% 2% 6%

    Water supply (53%) and the health of rivers and waterways (38%) were considered the most important environmental problems facing Australia today.

    Younger respondents were more likely to nominate climate change (36% of aged under 45) while 47% of those aged 45+ nominated the health of rivers and waterways. Water supply was the top issue for all segments except Green voters who nominated climate change as their most important issue (51%).

  • Oct, 2010

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    Murray Darling Basin

    Q. The Murray-Darling system is in crisis because for decades state governments have allocated too much water from the river for irrigation, affecting the environment and communities further down the river. Which of the following Government actions do you most support?

      Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Leave existing water allocations in place 17% 14% 24% 6%
    Purchase water rights from irrigators willing to sell 36% 37% 39% 34%
    Compulsorily buy water rights from irrigators and farmers 17% 19% 13% 36%
    Don’t know 29% 29% 25% 24%

    Only 17% believe that existing water allocations in the Murray-Darling system should be maintained and 53% think the Government should buy back water rights either compulsorily (17%) or from irrigators willing to sell (36%).

    Support for maintaining existing allocations was a little higher among Liberal voters (24%). Among Greens voters 36% support compulsorily buying rights and 34% support buying rights from irrigators willing to sell. Comments »

  • Jul, 2010

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    Party best at Handling Issues

    Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?

      Labor Liberal Greens Don’t know
    A fair industrial relations system 45% 24% 5% 26%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 41% 25% 4% 29%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 42% 28% 3% 27%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system  38% 27% 4% 31%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 36% 28% 4% 32%
    Housing affordability 30% 24% 4% 41%
    Political leadership 33% 30% 5% 33%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 23% 23% 22% 32%
    Managing population growth 24% 27% 9% 40%
    Security and the war on terrorism 25% 30% 3% 42%
    Management of the economy 32% 38% 3% 27%
    Treatment of asylum seekers 23% 29% 11% 37%
    Controlling interest rates 28% 35% 2% 35%
    Addressing climate change 18% 16% 36% 29%
    Protecting the environment 17% 13% 47% 23%

     Labor have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party as the best party to handle a fair industrial relations system (+21%), quality education for all (+16%), Australian jobs and protection of industries (+14%) and ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (+11%).

     The Liberal Party’s main strengths were controlling interest rates (+7%), treatment of asylum seekers (+6%) and management of the economy  (+6%).

    The Greens were thought to be the best party for protecting the environment (47%) and addressing climate change (36%). Comments »

  • May, 2010

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    Important Election Issues

    Q8. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)

      One Two Three Total Total

    25 Jan 10

    Difference
    Management of the economy 34% 18% 10% 62% 63% -1%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system  14% 20% 16% 50% 48% +2%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 8% 10% 11% 29% 33% -4%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 5% 8% 9% 22% 18% +4%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 3% 7% 9% 19% 23% -4%
    Housing affordability 6% 5% 6% 17% 14% +3%
    Controlling interest rates 5% 5% 6% 16% 15% +1%
    Managing population growth 3% 4% 7% 14% *  
    Protecting the environment 3% 5% 5% 13% 16% -3%
    Political leadership 5% 3% 4% 12% 23% -11%
    Addressing climate change 4% 4% 4% 12% 16% -4%
    Fair immigration policies 3% 4% 3% 10% *  
    A fair industrial relations system 2% 4% 3% 9% 10% -1%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 2% 2% 3% 7% 12% -5%
    Security and the war on terrorism 2% 2% 3% 7% 9% -2%

    *Not asked in January 2010 poll

     62% of people surveyed rate management of the economy is one of their three most important issues, followed by 50% that rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 29% that rate Australian jobs and protection of local industries as one of their three most important issues.

     Only 9% rate a fair industrial relations system as one of their three most important issues and 7% rate security and the war on terrorism and ensuring a quality water supply. 

     The major change since the previous survey in January, was a drop in the importance of political leadership from 23% to 12%. Ensuring a fairer tax system has risen slightly from 18% to 22%. Comments »

  • Jan, 2010

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    Issues of importance

    Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)

      One Two Three Total
    Management of the economy 36% 17% 10% 63%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system  14% 17% 17% 48%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 8% 13% 12% 33%
    Political leadership 10% 7% 6% 23%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 5% 8% 10% 23%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 4% 5% 9% 18%
    Protecting the environment 4% 7% 5% 16%
    Addressing climate change 6% 5% 5% 16%
    Controlling interest rates 3% 6% 6% 15%
    Housing affordability 3% 4% 7% 14%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 3% 4% 5% 12%
    A fair industrial relations system 3% 4% 3% 10%
    Security and the war on terrorism 2% 4% 3% 9%

     63% of people surveyed rate management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 48% that rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 33% that rate Australian jobs and protection of local industries as one of their three most important issues.

     10% rate a fair industrial relations system as one of their three most important issues that would decide how they vote in a Federal election and 9% rate security and the war on terrorism.  Comments »

  • Jan, 2010

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    Party best at

    Q. Which party do you think is best at handling each of the following issues?

      Labor Liberal Labor margin No difference Don’t know Labor margin Oct 09
    A fair industrial relations system 42% 23% +19% 19% 16% +27%
    Addressing climate change 35% 16% +19% 29% 19% +18%
    Protecting the environment 32% 15% +17% 34% 19% +21%
    Australian jobs and protection of local industries 35% 22% +13% 26% 17% +17%
    Ensuring a quality education for all children 32% 20% +12% 32% 17% +17%
    Political leadership 36% 25% +11% 23% 16% +20%
    Ensuring a quality water supply 24% 17% +7% 38% 20% +13%
    Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system  27% 21% +6% 34% 19% +10%
    Ensuring a fair taxation system 30% 24% +6% 28% 18% +8%
    Housing affordability 23% 19% +4% 38% 20% +9%
    Management of the economy 28% 35% -7% 20% 16%
    Security and the war on terrorism 18% 25% -7% 38% 19% +2%
    Controlling interest rates 20% 28% -8% 34% 18%

     Labor has its strongest lead over the Liberal Party when it comes to a fair industrial relations system (+19%), addressing climate change (+19%) and protecting the environment (+17%).   Labor trails the Liberal Party in terms of controlling interest rates (-8%), security and the war on terrorism (-7%) and management of the economy (-7%).  

     Since October 2009, Labor has lost the margin it had over the Liberal Party in some areas, most significantly in the areas of political leadership (-9%), a fair industrial relations system (-8%), ensuring a quality water supply (-6%).  

     Results followed party lines with Labor voters tending to favour the Labor Party and Liberal voters favouring the Liberal Party. Comments »

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