Q. What do you think should be the main priorities for the new Government? (select up to 3)
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Jul 2016 | Change | |||
| Invest more in hospitals and health services | 46% | 51% | 40% | 36% | 47% | 55% | -9 | ||
| Ensuring big businesses pay their fair share of tax | 30% | 32% | 27% | 27% | 38% | 29% | +1 | ||
| Do more to address unemployment | 26% | 28% | 26% | 11% | 30% | 25% | +1 | ||
| Invest more in education | 24% | 27% | 18% | 32% | 19% | 31% | -7 | ||
| Invest more in renewable energy | 23% | 22% | 22% | 45% | 17% | 17% | +6 | ||
| Invest more in infrastructure e.g. rail and roads | 21% | 19% | 28% | 8% | 18% | 19% | +2 | ||
| Cut spending to reduce the deficit | 20% | 10% | 36% | 2% | 26% | 27% | -7 | ||
| Vote on same sex marriage | 19% | 23% | 14% | 35% | 13% | 15% | +4 | ||
| Do more to address climate change | 16% | 19% | 10% | 41% | 7% | 13% | +3 | ||
| Do more to assist first home buyers | 15% | 15% | 15% | 12% | 13% | 12% | +3 | ||
| More support for local industries | 15% | 13% | 17% | 6% | 22% | 11% | +4 | ||
| Build the NBN | 10% | 13% | 9% | 10% | 7% | 13% | -3 | ||
| Cut company tax | 3% | 1% | 5% | 1% | 4% | 4% | -1 | ||
| Make changes to superannuation | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 4% | -1 |
46% thought the one of the Government’s main priorities was to invest more in hospitals and health services. Other important priorities were ensuring big businesses pay their fair share of tax (30%), do more to address unemployment (26%), investing more in education (24%) and investing more in renewable energy (23%). Cutting company tax and making changes to superannuation were the least important issues (both 3%).
Main changes since this question was asked last July were increases for investing in renewable energy (up 6%), vote on same sex marriage (up 4%) and more support for local industries (up 4%) and decreases for investing more in hospitals and health (down 9%), investing more in education (down 7%) and cutting spending to reduce the deficit (down 7%).
For Labor voters the main priorities were investing in hospitals and health (51%), ensuring big businesses pay their share of tax (32%), doing more to address unemployment (28%) and investing more in education (27%).
For Liberal/National voters the main priorities were investing in hospitals and health (40%), cutting spending to reduce the deficit (36%) and investing more in infrastructure (28%).
For Greens voters the main priorities were investing more in renewable energy (45%), doing more to address climate change (41%), investing in hospitals and health (36%) and voting on same sex marriage (35%).
Q. How important is it for Australia to have a close relationship with the following nations?
| Very import-ant | Quite import-ant | Not very import-ant | Don’t know | Very impor-tant
Mar 11 |
Very import-ant
Nov 13 |
Very import-ant
Oct 14 |
Very import-ant
Feb 15 |
Very import-ant
May 15 |
Very import-ant
Jul 16 |
Change | ||
| United States | 47% | 40% | 8% | 6% | 60% | 59% | 53% | 44% | 44% | 49% | -2 | |
| United Kingdom | 47% | 41% | 6% | 6% | 56% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 39% | 41% | +6 | |
| China | 43% | 43% | 6% | 7% | 48% | 54% | 44% | 41% | 39% | 42% | +1 | |
| Japan | 30% | 50% | 11% | 9% | 39% | 35% | 31% | 30% | 31% | 25% | +5 | |
| Indonesia | 25% | 46% | 19% | 9% | 31% | 40% | 32% | 22% | 21% | 26% | -1 | |
| Canada | 25% | 49% | 17% | 9% | na | na | 26% | 22% | 24% | 22% | +3 | |
| Germany | 20% | 49% | 21% | 10% | 23% | 20% | 22% | 18% | 20% | 19% | +1 | |
| India | 17% | 47% | 25% | 11% | 26% | 26% | 22% | 20% | 22% | 19% | -2 | |
| Russia | 17% | 38% | 34% | 12% | na | na | 16% | 11% | 13% | 17% | – | |
| Saudi Arabia | 13% | 37% | 36% | 14% | na | na | 17% | 12% | 14% | 13% | – |
47% of respondents think it is very important to have a close relationship with the United States and 47% think it is very important to have a close relationship with the United Kingdom and 43% with China. Relations with Russia (17%) and Saudi Arabia (13%) were thought to be the least important.
A close relationship with the United States is considered very important by 59% of Liberal/National voters, 45% of Labor voters and 35% of Greens voters.
Since this question was asked in July last year, the importance of our relationship with the United Kingdom has increased 6% and the importance of our relationship with Japan increased 5%.
Q. Do you think Australia’s relationship with the United States is becoming better or worse?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total better | 6% | 5% | 11% | 7% | 4% | |
| Total worse | 41% | 48% | 35% | 54% | 40% | |
| Much better | 2% | 3% | 3% | 1% | 1% | |
| Better | 4% | 2% | 8% | 6% | 3% | |
| Staying about the same | 44% | 41% | 50% | 33% | 48% | |
| Worse | 35% | 40% | 30% | 51% | 34% | |
| Much worse | 6% | 8% | 5% | 3% | 6% | |
| Don’t know | 9% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 7% |
41% think that Australia’s relationship with the US is becoming worse, 6% think it is becoming better and 44% think it is staying about the same.
Those most likely to think it is getting worse were Labor voters (48%) and Greens voters (54%).
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposal by the Federal Government to invest $2 billion to expand the Snowy Hydro scheme to increase its electricity production by 50 per cent?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total approve | 59% | 57% | 72% | 45% | 59% | |
| Total disapprove | 12% | 14% | 8% | 19% | 13% | |
| Strongly approve | 19% | 19% | 28% | 8% | 16% | |
| Approve | 40% | 38% | 44% | 37% | 43% | |
| Disapprove | 8% | 9% | 7% | 11% | 9% | |
| Strongly disapprove | 4% | 5% | 1% | 8% | 4% | |
| Don’t know | 30% | 29% | 21% | 36% | 28% |
59% approve of the Federal Government’s proposal to expand the Snowy Hydro scheme and 12% disapprove. 30% could not give an opinion.
Those most likely to support the proposal were Liberal/National voters (72%), men (66%) and aged 55+ (73%).
Q. Which of the following are the most important characteristics you would want to see in Australia’s political leaders? (select up to 3)
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Accountable | 66% | 61% | 66% | 65% | 74% | |
| Realistic | 56% | 56% | 57% | 39% | 57% | |
| Ethical | 49% | 47% | 47% | 72% | 43% | |
| Level headed | 32% | 34% | 35% | 20% | 34% | |
| Objective | 25% | 20% | 31% | 21% | 25% | |
| Collaborative | 21% | 26% | 16% | 32% | 13% | |
| Modest | 10% | 10% | 8% | 8% | 12% | |
| Curious | 5% | 7% | 5% | 9% | 1% | |
| Humorous | 4% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
The most important characteristics for Australia’s political leaders were considered to be accountable (66%), realistic (56%) and ethical (49%).
Greens voters were more likely to select “ethical” (72%) and other voters more likely to want leaders to be “accountable” (74%).
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 | Last week 14/3/17 | 2 weeks ago 7/3/17 | 4 weeks ago 21/2/17 | Election 2 Jul 16 | |||
| Liberal | 31% | 32% | 34% | 33% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 34% | 35% | 37% | 36% | 42.0% | ||
| Labor | 37% | 36% | 37% | 34% | 34.7% | ||
| Greens | 9% | 9% | 9% | 10% | 10.2% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 3% | 3% | 3% | 4% | |||
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 10% | 11% | 9% | 10% | |||
| Other/Independent | 6% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 13.1% | ||
| 2 party preferred | |||||||
| Liberal National | 45% | 47% | 47% | 48% | 50.4% | ||
| Labor | 55% | 53% | 53% | 52% | 49.6% |
Q. Here is a list of things both favourable and unfavourable that have been said about various political parties. Which statements do you feel fit the Labor Party?
| Total | Change | Jul 2009 | April 2011 | Aug 2013 | Nov 2015 | Mar 2016 | Jun 2016 | ||
| Will promise to do anything to win votes | 63% | -1 | 57% | 72% | 65% | 64% | 62% | 64% | |
| Looks after the interests of working people | 61% | +5 | 39% | 53% | 55% | 50% | 56% | ||
| Moderate | 58% | +4 | 65% | 51% | 48% | 56% | 47% | 54% | |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 52% | +3 | 62% | 40% | 50% | 48% | 43% | 49% | |
| Have a vision for the future | 52% | +4 | 43% | 49% | 42% | 40% | 48% | ||
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 50% | +4 | 44% | 61% | 51% | 52% | 53% | 46% | |
| Have good policies | 50% | +4 | 46% | 42% | 38% | 46% | |||
| Divided | 49% | – | 30% | 66% | 66% | 58% | 54% | 49% | |
| Clear about what they stand for | 47% | +4 | 28% | 38% | 37% | 35% | 43% | ||
| Has a good team of leaders | 41% | +2 | 60% | 34% | 36% | 33% | 30% | 39% | |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests | 40% | +5 | 46% | 31% | 37% | 35% | 35% | ||
| Trustworthy | 35% | +2 | 30% | 34% | 29% | 33% | |||
| Keeps its promises | 34% | +3 | 44% | 20% | 27% | 29% | 28% | 31% | |
| Extreme | 28% | -2 | 25% | 38% | 34% | 30% | 35% | 30% |
The Labor Party’s main attributes were – will promise anything to win votes (63%), looks after the interests of working people (61%) and moderate (58%).
Since this question was asked in June last year, overall there has been a small improvement in most positive attributes. The main changes have been for looks after the interest of working people (up 5%) and too close to the big corporate and financial interests (up 5+).
Q. And which statements do you feel fit the Liberal Party?
| Total | Change | Jul 2009 | April 2011 | Aug 2013 | Nov 2015 | Mar 2016 | Jun 2016 | ||
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests | 71% | +5 | 60% | 60% | 67% | 62% | 66% | ||
| Will promise to do anything to win votes | 71% | +6 | 67% | 65% | 65% | 68% | 63% | 65% | |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 68% | +5 | 62% | 54% | 58% | 62% | 58% | 63% | |
| Divided | 68% | +16 | 74% | 49% | 31% | 56% | 61% | 52% | |
| Moderate | 49% | +2 | 50% | 55% | 48% | 51% | 47% | 47% | |
| Have a vision for the future | 45% | -6 | 48% | 51% | 54% | 46% | 51% | ||
| Clear about what they stand for | 41% | -5 | 44% | 45% | 46% | 39% | 46% | ||
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 41% | -3 | 44% | 51% | 48% | 46% | 41% | 44% | |
| Have good policies | 36% | -5 | 38% | 43% | 39% | 41% | |||
| Extreme | 36% | -2 | 36% | 36% | 39% | 39% | 36% | 38% | |
| Has a good team of leaders | 33% | -9 | 29% | 40% | 36% | 48% | 41% | 42% | |
| Looks after the interests of working people | 30% | -1 | 38% | 36% | 32% | 31% | 31% | ||
| Trustworthy | 28% | -2 | 30% | 29% | 28% | 30% | |||
| Keeps its promises | 25% | -5 | 28% | 33% | 32% | 25% | 27% | 30% |
The Liberal Party’s main attributes were – too close to the big corporate and financial interest (71%), will promise anything to win votes (71%), out of touch with ordinary people (68%) and divided (68%).
Main changes since June last year were – divided (up 16%) and has a good team of leaders (down 9%).