Q. Which of the following issues are the most important for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months? Select up to 3.
| Total | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | |||
| Cost of living | 51% | 22% | 14% | 15% | 52% | 44% | 42% | 57% | ||
| Improving our health system | 36% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 40% | 35% | 32% | 32% | ||
| Creating jobs and reducing unemployment | 32% | 13% | 11% | 8% | 29% | 33% | 31% | 36% | ||
| Housing affordability | 29% | 7% | 10% | 12% | 29% | 26% | 28% | 26% | ||
| Improving workers wages and conditions | 22% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 29% | 18% | 20% | 20% | ||
| National security and terrorism | 21% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 14% | 26% | 10% | 34% | ||
| Promoting economic growth | 21% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 18% | 31% | 12% | 15% | ||
| Tax avoidance by big companies | 20% | 5% | 7% | 8% | 23% | 16% | 29% | 21% | ||
| Promoting renewable energy | 19% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 19% | 12% | 49% | 13% | ||
| Income tax cuts | 15% | 4% | 6% | 5% | 17% | 15% | 4% | 11% | ||
| Reducing the budget deficit | 14% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 7% | 23% | 4% | 22% | ||
| More funds for education | 13% | 2% | 5% | 6% | 15% | 13% | 28% | 9% | ||
| Business tax cuts | 6% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 7% | 6% | 3% |
The most important issues for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months were –
Labor voters were more likely to think Improving workers wages and conditions (29%) was important.
Liberal/National voters were more likely to think promoting economic growth (31%) and reducing the budget deficit (23%) were important.
Greens voters were more likely to think tax avoidance by big companies (29%), promoting renewable energy (49%) and more funds for education (28%) were important.
Other voters were more likely to think cost of living (57%), national security and terrorism (34%) and reducing the budget deficit (22%) were important.
Q. Australia’s population has nearly reached 25 million and is growing by about 400,000 a year. Do you think Australia’s population growth rate is too fast, too slow or about right?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Apr 2013 | |||
| Too fast | 54% | 53% | 50% | 44% | 77% | 45% | ||
| Too slow | 4% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 1% | 5% | ||
| About right | 31% | 31% | 38% | 44% | 10% | 37% | ||
| Don’t know | 11% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 11% | 13% |
54% think that Australia’s population growth rate is too fast – up from 45% recorded 5 years ago. 31% think the growth rate is about right and 4% think it is too slow.
A majority of most voter groups believed the growth rate was too fast although Greens voters were divided 44% too fast/44% about right.
Q. Overall, do you think the level of immigration into Australia over the last ten years has been too high, too low or about right?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Oct 2016 | |||
| Total too high | 64% | 62% | 68% | 35% | 86% | 50% | ||
| Total too low | 5% | 6% | 4% | 21% | 2% | 12% | ||
| Much too high | 37% | 34% | 37% | 17% | 64% | 28% | ||
| A little too high | 27% | 28% | 31% | 18% | 22% | 22% | ||
| About right | 23% | 24% | 26% | 37% | 9% | 28% | ||
| A little too low | 4% | 5% | 3% | 16% | 1% | 8% | ||
| Much too low | 1% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 1% | 4% | ||
| Don’t know | 7% | 7% | 3% | 8% | 3% | 10% |
64% think that the level of immigration into Australia over the last ten years has been too high – up from 50% recorded in October 2016. 23% think it is about right and only 5% think it is too low. Over 60% of both Labor and Liberal National voters think it is too high.
57% of those aged under 45 think it is too high compared to 71% of those aged 45+.
Q. Australia migration intake is currently made up of about 190,000 permanent migrants each year and more than one million people here on temporary visas at any given time. For each of the following classes of migration would you like to see more or fewer?
| More | Fewer | No change | Don’t know | |
| Short-term business visas | 13% | 34% | 36% | 16% |
| Short-term student visas | 19% | 29% | 39% | 13% |
| Short-term working holiday visas | 16% | 33% | 38% | 13% |
| Skilled working visas | 22% | 36% | 29% | 13% |
| Short-term working visas (eg 457s) | 12% | 47% | 26% | 15% |
| Permanent family reunion | 22% | 34% | 30% | 14% |
| Permanent refugee | 19% | 46% | 21% | 14% |
47% think there should be fewer short-tern working visas and 46% want fewer permanent refugees. About one third wanted fewer in each of the other visa categories. Respondents were more likely to want no change in short-term student visas (39%), short-term working holiday visas (38%) and short-term business visas (36%).
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | ||
| Bringing in foreign workers on short-term visas undermines local jobs | 63% | 25% | 26% | 37% | 20% | 5% | 12% | |
| Our cities can’t cope with further population growth and we should reduce immigration until the infrastructure in in place | 62% | 25% | 30% | 32% | 19% | 6% | 13% | |
| Overall immigration has made a positive contribution to Australian society | 61% | 26% | 17% | 44% | 16% | 10% | 13% | |
| Immigration should be slowed as it causes too much change to our society | 55% | 33% | 23% | 32% | 24% | 9% | 14% | |
| Australia has a fragile environment that cannot bear further increases in population | 51% | 34% | 20% | 31% | 27% | 7% | 16% | |
| Migrants provide skills we need in the workforce to keep the economy strong. | 49% | 40% | 9% | 40% | 28% | 12% | 11% | |
| With an aging population, we need immigration to ensure we have enough younger, working age people to pay taxes and deliver services. | 42% | 45% | 10% | 32% | 31% | 14% | 13% | |
| Australia has the space and resources to cope with a much larger population | 37% | 51% | 8% | 29% | 31% | 20% | 13% | |
| Without immigration the rate of economic growth will fall, reducing living standards for all of us. | 31% | 51% | 8% | 23% | 33% | 18% | 18% |
A solid majority agreed that –
A majority disagreed that –
Q. Which of the following are the main problems for our major cities? Rank your top 3 from 1 to 3 where 1 = the most important, 2 = second and 3 = third.
| Total | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | |||
| Housing affordability pushing people to the fringes of major cities | 66% | 24% | 24% | 18% | 68% | 65% | 70% | 51% | ||
| Lack of government investment in infrastructure like roads and public transport | 62% | 28% | 15% | 19% | 62% | 60% | 63% | 59% | ||
| The lack of employment opportunities in the regions, driving people to the cities | 62% | 18% | 23% | 21% | 58% | 66% | 59% | 61% | ||
| Poor planning that means people live too far from where they work | 45% | 9% | 18% | 18% | 46% | 42% | 54% | 37% | ||
| Excessive levels of immigration | 37% | 15% | 9% | 13% | 34% | 40% | 16% | 62% | ||
| Lack of regulations for property developers | 29% | 7% | 11% | 11% | 32% | 26% | 39% | 30% |
The main problems for major cities (each nominated by around two thirds of respondents) were – Housing affordability pushing people to the fringes of major cities, Lack of government investment in infrastructure like roads and public transport and The lack of employment opportunities in the regions, driving people to the cities.
Lack of regulations for property developers (29%) was the least important problem.
Q. Which of the following statements do you most agree with?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Mar 2015 | |||
| Multiculturalism and cultural diversity has enriched the social and economic lives of all Australians | 55% | 59% | 57% | 84% | 29% | 55% | ||
| Multiculturalism has failed and caused social division and dangerous extremism in Australia | 32% | 31% | 31% | 11% | 60% | 33% | ||
| Don’t know | 13% | 10% | 13% | 5% | 11% | 12% |
A majority (55%) agree more that “Multiculturalism and cultural diversity has enriched the social and economic lives of all Australians” while 32% agree more that “Multiculturalism has failed and caused social division and dangerous extremism in Australia”.
Those most likely to agree that multiculturalism has enriched Australia were aged under 35 (62%), Greens voters (84%) and university educated (72%).
Those most likely to agree that multiculturalism has failed were aged 65+ (47%) and other party voters (60%).
Overall results were unchanged since this question was asked in March 2015.
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 27/3/18 | 4 weeks ago 13/3/18 | Election 2 Jul 16 | |||
| Liberal | 35% | 35% | 33% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 38% | 38% | 36% | 42.0% | ||
| Labor | 37% | 36% | 38% | 34.7% | ||
| Greens | 10% | 9% | 9% | 10.2% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 2% | 2% | 3% | |||
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 7% | 8% | 8% | |||
| Other/Independent | 7% | 7% | 7% | 13.1% | ||
| 2 party preferred | ||||||
| Liberal National | 47% | 48% | 46% | 50.4% | ||
| Labor | 53% | 52% | 54% | 49.6% |