Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Apr 2018 | Mar 2018 | Dec 2017 | |||
| Malcolm Turnbull | 40% | 18% | 78% | 19% | 37% | 41% | 41% | 42% | ||
| Bill Shorten | 26% | 54% | 7% | 36% | 18% | 26% | 26% | 28% | ||
| Don’t know | 34% | 28% | 15% | 44% | 45% | 33% | 33% | 31% |
The results were split by party, with 78% of Liberal/National voters saying that Malcolm Turnbull would be a better Prime Minister, and 54% of Labor voters saying Bill Shorten would.
40% thought that Malcolm Turnbull would make the better Prime Minister (down 1% from last month), and 26% thought Bill Shorten would be better (no change). 34% did not know who would make a better Prime Minister.
Greens voters preferred Bill Shorten (36%) to Malcolm Turnbull (19%).
44% of men prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 30% prefer Bill Shorten.
36% of women prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 23% prefer Bill Shorten.
Q. Overall, how would you describe the current state of the Australian economy?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Dec 2016 | May 2017 | Nov 2017 | |||
| Total Good | 39% | 36% | 58% | 29% | 22% | 23% | 30% | 33% | ||
| Total Poor | 24% | 28% | 13% | 25% | 44% | 36% | 29% | 24% | ||
| Very good | 8% | 6% | 14% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 3% | 3% | ||
| Good | 31% | 30% | 44% | 26% | 18% | 21% | 27% | 30% | ||
| Neither good nor poor | 32% | 35% | 27% | 37% | 34% | 37% | 36% | 38% | ||
| Poor | 18% | 21% | 11% | 21% | 28% | 28% | 23% | 17% | ||
| Very poor | 6% | 7% | 2% | 4% | 16% | 8% | 6% | 7% | ||
| Don’t know | 5% | 2% | 25 | 8% | – | 4% | 5% | 5% |
Overall, 39% thought that the state of the economy was good (up 6% from November). 24% thought it was bad (no change).
58% of Liberal/National voters thought the state of the economy was good, compared to 36% of Labor voters, 29% of Greens voters and 22% of other/independent voters.
Q. The Federal Budget will be announced on Tuesday 8th Do you think the Government should increase, decrease or keep spending the same for –
| Increase spending | Keep spending the same | Decrease spending | Don’t know | Increase spending May 2017 | Change since May 2017 | ||
| Health care | 67% | 25% | 3% | 5% | 62% | +5 | |
| Age pensions | 56% | 31% | 5% | 8% | 48% | +8 | |
| Education | 55% | 33% | 6% | 6% | 54% | +1 | |
| More affordable housing | 52% | 36% | 6% | 6% | 44% | +8 | |
| Assistance to the needy in Australia | 46% | 41% | 7% | 7% | 38% | +8 | |
| Protecting Australian jobs | 44% | 43% | 6% | 7% | 44% | – | |
| Renewable energy | 43% | 39% | 12% | 6% | 41% | +2 | |
| Public transport infrastructure | 41% | 44% | 8% | 7% | 47% | -6 | |
| Building highways, roads | 37% | 48% | 9% | 6% | 38% | +1 | |
| Scientific research | 36% | 48% | 9% | 7% | 37% | -1 | |
| Environmental protection | 35% | 44% | 15% | 6% | 30% | +5 | |
| Assistance to the unemployed | 33% | 44% | 17% | 6% | 22% | +11 | |
| Anti-terrorism | 31% | 51% | 11% | 7% | 32% | -1 | |
| Military/defence | 20% | 50% | 23% | 7% | 20% | – | |
| Assistance to businesses | 13% | 47% | 33% | 7% | 10% | +3 | |
| Assistance to the needy in the rest of the world | 12% | 33% | 48% | 7% | 11% | +1 |
The areas with majority support for increasing spending were health care (67% support), age pensions (56%), education (55%) and affordable housing (52%).
Since this time last year, the main changes have been increased support for spending on assistance to the unemployed (up 11%), age pensions (up 8%), more affordable housing (up 8%) and assistance to the needy in Australia (up 8%).
The areas with the highest support for decreasing spending were assistance to the needy in the rest of the world (48% support), assistance to businesses (33%) and military/defence (23%).
Q. In general, do you expect the Federal Budget, will be good or bad for the following?
| Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | Total Good (May ’17) | Total Bad (May ’17) | ||
| People who are well off | 55% | 8% | 27% | 28% | 26% | 6% | 2% | 11% | 44% | 7% | |
| Australian business | 47% | 8% | 10% | 37% | 31% | 7% | 1% | 12% | 43% | 8% | |
| The economy overall | 35% | 19% | 6% | 29% | 34% | 15% | 4% | 12% | 21% | 24% | |
| Average working people | 24% | 29% | 4% | 20% | 36% | 24% | 5% | 10% | 12% | 35% | |
| Australian families | 23% | 31% | 5% | 18% | 33% | 24% | 7% | 11% | 14% | 36% | |
| People of lower incomes | 22% | 43% | 5% | 17% | 25% | 27% | 16% | 11% | 11% | 48% | |
| Older Australians | 20% | 24% | 5% | 15% | 27% | 28% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 45% | |
| Younger Australians | 19% | 28% | 4% | 15% | 41% | 20% | 8% | 12% | 11% | 33% | |
| You personally | 18% | 24% | 5% | 13% | 47% | 18% | 6% | 11% | 10% | 30% |
55% thought that the Federal Budget would be good for people who are well off (up 11% from last year’s budget). 47% thought it would be good for Australian business (up 4%), and 35% thought it would be good for the economy overall (up 14%). Less than 25% thought the budget would be good for any another group – although for each group, respondents were more optimistic than last year.
18% thought the Federal Budget would be good for them personally (up 8% from last year’s budget), and 24% thought it would be bad for them (down 6%).
Q. Which of the following areas do you think is most important for the Government to address?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| More funding to schools and hospitals | 28% | 32% | 26% | 35% | 21% | |
| Supporting industries that create jobs | 22% | 19% | 29% | 13% | 25% | |
| Personal tax cuts | 17% | 16% | 18% | 11% | 22% | |
| Building infrastructure | 12% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 9% | |
| Fully funding the NDIS | 8% | 11% | 4% | 11% | 14% | |
| Don’t know | 13% | 11% | 9% | 10% | 9% |
28% thought that more funding to schools and hospitals was the most important area for the Government to address, 22% nominated supporting industries that create jobs and 17% wanted personal tax cuts.
Labor (32%) and Greens (35%) voters were more likely to prefer more funding for schools and hospitals while 29% of Liberal National voters nominated supporting industries that create jobs.
Q. What is the lowest amount of personal tax cut that would make a difference to you and your family?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Less than $15 per week | 10% | 14% | 7% | 14% | 9% | |
| At least $15 per week | 10% | 9% | 13% | 12% | 11% | |
| At least $25 per week | 18% | 21% | 21% | 13% | 17% | |
| At least $35 per week | 12% | 12% | 16% | 12% | 11% | |
| More than $35 per week | 22% | 22% | 18% | 20% | 32% | |
| Don’t know | 27% | 22% | 26% | 29% | 20% |
34% say that they would require $35 or more per week in personal tax cuts to make a difference. Only 20% say that a tax cut of $15 would make a difference – while a tax cut of $25 per week would make a difference to 38%.
48% of those earning $1,000-1,500 per week said a tax cut of $25 per week would make a difference compared to 36% of those earning more than $1,500.
Q. Do you do any of the following things to relieve stress?
| Total | Men | Women | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | |||
| Watch TV | 57% | 50% | 64% | 57% | 57% | 58% | ||
| Go for a walk | 54% | 50% | 57% | 54% | 53% | 54% | ||
| Listen to music | 53% | 51% | 55% | 60% | 53% | 46% | ||
| Exercise | 39% | 38% | 39% | 47% | 36% | 32% | ||
| Read a book | 38% | 32% | 45% | 32% | 35% | 50% | ||
| Spend time with friends | 35% | 26% | 43% | 41% | 29% | 34% | ||
| Eat chocolate | 30% | 21% | 40% | 40% | 31% | 19% | ||
| Have a drink | 29% | 29% | 29% | 30% | 33% | 23% | ||
| Do gardening | 26% | 23% | 30% | 16% | 22% | 43% | ||
| Meditation | 17% | 15% | 19% | 22% | 15% | 15% | ||
| Listen to radio/podcasts | 14% | 12% | 16% | 17% | 14% | 9% | ||
| Yoga | 12% | 11% | 12% | 24% | 6% | 5% | ||
| None of them | 8% | 9% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 11% |
The most commonly reported ways to relieve stress were watching TV (57%), going for a walk (54%) and listening to music (53%).
Women were more likely to watch TV (64%), read a book (45%), spend time with friends (43%) and eat chocolate (40%).
Those aged under 35 were more likely to listen to music (60%), exercise (47%), eat chocolate (40%) and do yoga (24%).
Those aged 55+ were more likely to read a book (50%) and do gardening (43%).
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? If don’t know – Well which party are you currently leaning to?
| Total | 2 weeks ago 10/4/18 | 4 weeks ago 27/3/18 | Election 2 Jul 16 | |||
| Liberal | 35% | 35% | 35% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 37% | 38% | 38% | 42.0% | ||
| Labor | 36% | 37% | 36% | 34.7% | ||
| Greens | 11% | 10% | 9% | 10.2% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 2% | 2% | 2% | |||
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 8% | 7% | 8% | |||
| Other/Independent | 6% | 7% | 7% | 13.1% | ||
| 2 party preferred | ||||||
| Liberal National | 47% | 47% | 48% | 50.4% | ||
| Labor | 53% | 53% | 52% | 49.6% |