Q. Would you approve or disapprove of forcing businesses to pass on a certain proportion of their tax cuts as pay rises for their workers?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total approve | 72% | 79% | 73% | 72% | 71% | |
| Total disapprove | 10% | 6% | 15% | 3% | 14% | |
| Strongly approve | 28% | 38% | 22% | 30% | 26% | |
| Approve | 44% | 41% | 51% | 42% | 45% | |
| Disapprove | 8% | 5% | 13% | 2% | 9% | |
| Strongly disapprove | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 5% | |
| Don’t know | 18% | 15% | 12% | 25% | 15% |
72% approve of forcing businesses to pass on a certain proportion of their tax cuts as pay rises for their workers and only 10% disapprove. There were only small differences across voter groups – and over 70% of each voter group approved.
74% of full-time workers and 71% of part-time workers approved.
Q. Indian mining company Adani wants to build a new coal mine in Queensland which would produce coal to be exported back to India. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total dis-agree | Strongly agree | Agree | Dis-agree | Strongly dis-agree | Don’t know | Qld. agree | Qld dis-agree | |||
| The mine will create jobs that Queensland badly needs | 58% | 25% | 15% | 43% | 13% | 12% | 18% | 72% | 19% | ||
| The mine will undermine jobs in Queensland tourism by contributing to damage to the great Barrier Reef | 53% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 16% | 6% | 24% | 42% | 39% | ||
| The mine will divert investment that would better be spent on developing the renewable industry | 51% | 25% | 23% | 28% | 18% | 7% | 24% | 47% | 33% | ||
| The mine will undermine attempts to act on climate change | 52% | 26% | 24% | 28% | 17% | 9% | 21% | 48% | 37% |
A majority agreed with each statement with around one quarter disagreeing.
However, Queensland respondents were more likely to agree that the mine will create jobs that Queensland badly needs, and somewhat less likely to agree with the other statements.
The views of Labor voters were similar to the average while LNP voters were more likely to agree that the mine will create jobs that Queensland badly needs (70%) and more likely to disagree with the other statements.
Q. If it goes ahead, the Adani mine would be the first of nine coal mines in the Galilee Basin in Central Queensland. Which of the following statements is closest to your view?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Allow all mines to go ahead subject to environmental approvals | 13% | 13% | 17% | 11% | 9% | |
| Independently assess each mine proposal on its economic and environmental merit | 48% | 50% | 58% | 25% | 49% | |
| Ban expansion of coal mines in the Galilee Basin altogether | 22% | 25% | 15% | 46% | 30% | |
| Don’t know | 16% | 12% | 10% | 18% | 12% |
48% think that any new mine should be assessed on its economic and environmental merit, 22% think coal mining in the Galilee basin should be banned and 13% think all mines should go ahead subject to environmental approvals.
Those most likely to favour assessment of each proposal were LNP voters (58%) and Queenslanders (54%).
Those most likely to favour banning expansion of coal mines were Greens voters (46%) and other voters (30%).
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 16/1/18 | Election 2 Jul 16 | |||
| Liberal | 32% | 34% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 35% | 37% | 42.0% | ||
| Labor | 36% | 38% | 34.7% | ||
| Greens | 10% | 9% | 10.2% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 3% | 3% | |||
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 8% | 6% | |||
| Other/Independent | 8% | 7% | 13.1% | ||
| 2 party preferred | |||||
| Liberal National | 46% | 47% | 50.4% | ||
| Labor | 54% | 53% | 49.6% |
Q. Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Liberal | Labor | Don’t know | Differ-ence | Differ-ence
Jun2017 |
||
| Security and the war on terrorism | 42% | 24% | 35% | +18 | +20 | |
| Management of the economy | 40% | 30% | 29% | +10 | +15 | |
| Controlling interest rates | 34% | 30% | 36% | +4 | +10 | |
| Managing population growth | 30% | 27% | 43% | +3 | +6 | |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 32% | 31% | 37% | +1 | +1 | |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 31% | 30% | 39% | +1 | -5 | |
| Political leadership | 31% | 33% | 37% | -2 | +8 | |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 28% | 38% | 34% | -10 | -13 | |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 28% | 39% | 34% | -11 | -10 | |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 29% | 40% | 32% | -11 | -11 | |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 28% | 39% | 33% | -11 | -11 | |
| Housing affordability | 24% | 36% | 40% | -12 | -12 | |
| Protecting the environment | 24% | 36% | 41% | -12 | -14 | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 27% | 40% | 34% | -13 | -14 | |
| Addressing climate change | 22% | 36% | 43% | -14 | -16 |
The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war on terrorism (+18, down 2 since June) and management of the economy (+10, down 5).
The Labor Party is trusted more to handle addressing climate change (+14, down 2), a fair industrial relations system (+13, down 1), protecting the environment (+12, down 2) and housing affordability (+12, no change).
Since this question was asked in June, the Labor Party has improved its position against the Liberal Party on political leadership (up 10), controlling interest rates (up 6) and management of the economy (up 5).
Q. Thinking about our current political and economic system – that is, the rules and laws that govern the way Australian society operates – which of the following best describes your view?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Jan 2017 | Nov 2017 | |||
| The system needs to be fundamentally changed | 32% | 33% | 22% | 39% | 49% | 40% | 32% | ||
| The system is fundamentally sound but needs to be refined | 48% | 54% | 54% | 46% | 37% | 44% | 44% | ||
| The system works well as it is and should not be changed in any substantial way | 8% | 4% | 14% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 10% | ||
| Don’t know | 12% | 9% | 10% | 8% | 7% | 11% | 14% |
48% think Australia’s political and economic system is fundamentally sound but needs to be refined and 32% think the system needs to be fundamentally changed. Only 8% think it should not be changed in any way.
Those thinking the system just needs to be refined has increased 4 points from 44% since November.
Those most likely to think it needs fundamental change were “other” voters (49%) and Greens voters (39%).
Those most likely to think the system just needs to be refined were LNP voters (54%), Labor voters (54%) and aged 55+ (54%).
Q. Do you think the following have become better or worse compared to 12 months ago?
| Total better | Total worse | A lot better | A little better | No change | A little worse | A lot worse | Don’t know | Total better Feb 2016 | Total worse Feb 2016 | |||
| Company profits | 42% | 12% | 14% | 28% | 27% | 8% | 4% | 20% | 30% | 22% | ||
| Unemployment | 32% | 33% | 5% | 27% | 29% | 21% | 12% | 7% | 13% | 53% | ||
| The economy overall | 30% | 32% | 4% | 26% | 31% | 23% | 9% | 7% | 12% | 55% | ||
| Your personal financial situation | 25% | 40% | 4% | 21% | 32% | 23% | 17% | 4% | 18% | 42% | ||
| Wages | 10% | 39% | 2% | 8% | 40% | 25% | 14% | 10% | 14% | 35% | ||
| National debt | 17% | 47% | 3% | 14% | 23% | 28% | 19% | 14% | 9% | 56% | ||
| Job security | 13% | 47% | 2% | 11% | 33% | 30% | 17% | 8% | 11% | 53% | ||
| Cost of living | 7% | 73% | 2% | 5% | 16% | 41% | 32% | 3% | 7% | 71% | ||
| Electricity costs | 6% | 75% | 2% | 4% | 14% | 32% | 43% | 5% | 9% | 62% |
A substantial majority believe that, in the last 12 months, cost of living (73%) and electricity costs (75%) have all got worse. The only economic measure that has got better is company profits (42% better/12% worse).
Compared the last time this question was asked in February 2016, there has been an increase in the percentage that think electricity costs (up 13% to 75%) have got worse. However, there has also been an increase in the percentage that think company profits (+12), unemployment (+19) and the economy overall (+18) have got better.
Q. In the last two years, do you think your and your household’s income has gone up more than the cost of living, fallen behind or stayed even with the cost of living?
| Total | Work full time | Work part time | Income less than $600 pw | Income $600-$1,000
pw |
Income $1,000-$1,500 pw | Income $1,500 – $2,000 pw | Income $2,000+ pw | Oct 2014 | Mar 2015 | Nov 2015 | Feb 2016 | Aug 2017 | |||
| Gone up more | 14% | 20% | 13% | 10% | 13% | 11% | 17% | 20% | 13% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 15% | ||
| Fallen behind | 51% | 46% | 50% | 64% | 58% | 59% | 44% | 41% | 48% | 50% | 54% | 51% | 53% | ||
| Stayed even | 28% | 30% | 29% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 34% | 34% | 31% | 27% | 26% | 29% | 25% | ||
| Don’t know | 7% | 4% | 8% | 4% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 7% | 6% |
51% (down 2% since August) believe that, in the last two years, their income has fallen behind the cost of living. 28% (up 3%) think it has stayed even with the cost of living and 14% (down 1%) think it has gone up more.
64% of those earning under $600 pw and 58% of those earning $600-1,000 pw think their income has fallen behind while 54% of those earning over $2,000 pw think it has stayed the same or gone up.