Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |||
| I might not personally agree with everything she says but she is speaking for a lot of ordinary Australians | 62% | 30% | 26% | 36% | 12% | 18% | 8% | ||
| Paul Hanson’s election to the Senate is a backward step for Australian democracy | 38% | 48% | 21% | 17% | 28% | 20% | 13% | ||
| I agree with a lot of what Pauline Hanson says and it’s good to see her back in Parliament | 42% | 45% | 16% | 26% | 18% | 27% | 12% | ||
| Pauline Hanson talks about issues other politicians too scared to tackle | 65% | 28% | 29% | 36% | 12% | 14% | 9% | ||
| Pauline Hanson’s views do not reflect Australian values and she should not be given so much media coverage | 45% | 44% | 23% | 22% | 25% | 19% | 11% | ||
| Given the rising number terrorist incidents around world there should be a national debate on Pauline Hanson’s call to ban Muslim immigration | 48% | 36% | 18% | 30% | 17% | 19% | 15% | ||
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
13/9/16 |
2 weeks ago
6/9/16 |
4 weeks ago
23/8/16 |
Election 2 Jul 16 | |||
| Liberal | 34% | 35% | 36% | 36% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 37% | 38% | 39% | 39% | 42.0% | ||
| Labor | 37% | 37% | 37% | 36% | 34.7% | ||
| Greens | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10.2% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 4% | 4% | 3% | 4% | |||
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 6% | 5% | 5% | ||||
| Other/Independent | 7% | 7% | 6% | 12% | 13.1% | ||
| 2 party preferred | |||||||
| Liberal National | 48% | 48% | 48% | 49% | 50.4% | ||
| Labor | 52% | 52% | 52% | 51% | 49.6% |
NB. Sample = 1,830. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived from the first preference/leaning to voting questions. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ are not included in the results. The two-party preferred estimate is calculated by distributing the votes of the other parties according to their preferences at the 2016 election.
Q. The Federal Government intends to hold a national vote on same sex marriage in February next year. If the question was “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?” how would you vote?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Men | Women | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | Aug 2016 | ||||
| Yes | 60% | 70% | 55% | 88% | 47% | 55% | 65% | 72% | 58% | 50% | 57% | |||
| No | 30% | 22% | 37% | 5% | 46% | 36% | 24% | 20% | 31% | 40% | 28% | |||
| Don’t know | 10% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 9% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 10% | 15% |
60% would vote “yes” in a plebiscite on same-sex marriage and 30% would vote “no”. 10% did not know how they would vote – down 5% since August.
Those most likely to vote “yes” were Greens voters (88%), Labor voters (70%) and voters aged 18-34 (72%).
50% of those aged 65+ would vote “no”.
Q. As part of the national plebiscite on same-sex marriage, the Government has decided that tax-payer funding of $7.5 million be provided for advertising for both the in favour and against campaigns. Do you approve or disapprove of the Government providing funding for campaign costs in the lead-up to the vote?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Vote yes | Vote no | |||
| Total approve | 22% | 22% | 29% | 16% | 25% | 24% | 22% | ||
| Total disapprove | 68% | 67% | 62% | 83% | 72% | 67% | 73% | ||
| Strongly approve | 6% | 8% | 8% | 4% | 4% | 8% | 5% | ||
| Approve | 16% | 14% | 21% | 12% | 21% | 16% | 17% | ||
| Disapprove | 22% | 23% | 25% | 17% | 20% | 21% | 21% | ||
| Strongly disapprove | 46% | 44% | 37% | 66% | 52% | 46% | 52% | ||
| Don’t know | 10% | 11% | 8% | 1% | 3% | 9% | 5% |
68% disapprove of the Government’s proposal to provide funding to both sides of the same-sex marriage campaigns and 22% approve. More than 60% of all voter groups disapprove.
Those who would vote no to same sex marriage in a national vote were a little more likely to oppose Government funding of the campaigns (73% disapprove).
Q. How concerned are you that a holding a plebiscite on same-sex marriage may result in “hate speech” and abuse of gay and lesbian communities?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Vote yes | Vote no | |||
| Total concerned | 48% | 59% | 41% | 81% | 47% | 64% | 25% | ||
| Total not concerned | 39% | 28% | 52% | 18% | 46% | 26% | 64% | ||
| Very concerned | 22% | 28% | 13% | 59% | 15% | 31% | 9% | ||
| Somewhat concerned | 26% | 31% | 27% | 22% | 32% | 33% | 16% | ||
| Not very concerned | 19% | 17% | 24% | 7% | 18% | 17% | 20% | ||
| Not at all concerned | 20% | 11% | 28% | 11% | 28% | 9% | 44% | ||
| Don’t know | 12% | 14% | 9% | 2% | 6% | 9% | 11% |
48% say they are concerned that a holding a plebiscite on same-sex marriage may result in “hate speech” and abuse of gay and lesbian communities and 39% are not concerned.
Those more likely to be concerned were Labor voters (59%), Greens voters (81%) and aged 18-24 (70%).
64% of those who would vote yes to same sex marriage in a national vote were concerned about “hate speech” compared to 25% of those who would vote no
Q. If the legislation required to conduct a same-sex marriage plebiscite is blocked by the Senate, should there be a vote in Parliament on same-sex marriage?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Vote yes | Vote no | |||
| Should be a vote in Parliament | 53% | 60% | 46% | 82% | 53% | 74% | 22% | ||
| Should not be a vote in Parliament | 29% | 23% | 38% | 11% | 32% | 14% | 61% | ||
| Don’t know | 18% | 17% | 16% | 7% | 14% | 13% | 17% |
53% agree that if the legislation required to conduct a same-sex marriage plebiscite is blocked by the Senate, should there be a vote in Parliament on same-sex marriage and 29% think there should not be a vote.
Those most likely to favour a vote were Labor voters (60%), Greens voters (82%) and aged 18-24 (61%).
74% of those who would vote yes to same sex marriage in a national vote think there should be a vote in Parliament if the plebiscite is blocked by the Senate and 61% of those who would vote no think their should not be a vote in Parliament.
Q. Overall, how would you describe the current state of the Australian economy?
| Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | May 2012 | Apr 2013 | Apr 2014 | Mar 2015 | Jan 2016 | Jul 2016 | |||
| Total good | 30% | 30% | 36% | 39% | 23% | 35% | 45% | 38% | 27% | 28% | 30% | ||
| Total poor | 27% | 27% | 21% | 21% | 37% | 29% | 26% | 24% | 33% | 31% | 26% | ||
| Very good | 3% | 3% | 5% | 1% | 1% | 6% | 8% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% | ||
| Good | 27% | 27% | 31% | 38% | 22% | 29% | 37% | 35% | 24% | 24% | 26% | ||
| Neither good nor poor | 40% | 41% | 41% | 37% | 39% | 33% | 28% | 34% | 36% | 36% | 41% | ||
| Poor | 20% | 21% | 17% | 17% | 25% | 20% | 17% | 19% | 24% | 24% | 20% | ||
| Very poor | 7% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 12% | 9% | 9% | 5% | 9% | 7% | 6% | ||
| Don’t know | 4% | 3% | 2% | 4% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
30% described the economy as good or very good and 27% poor/very poor – 40% said it was neither. This represents little change since July.
Liberal National and Greens voters were somewhat more optimistic than other voters. Among Labor voters 30% (up 4%) thought it was good and 27% (down 3%) poor; for Liberal/National voters 36% (down 8%) said it was good and 21% (up 3%) poor.
Q. From what you have read and heard, do you think the Australian economy is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?
| Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | May 2010 | May 2011 | Jun 2012 | Apr 2013 | Apr 2014 | May 2015 | Jul 2016 | |||
| The right direction | 33% | 26% | 52% | 26% | 25% | 51% | 45% | 43% | 36% | 39% | 35% | 33% | ||
| The wrong direction | 36% | 45% | 22% | 40% | 48% | 25% | 29% | 32% | 39% | 34% | 40% | 35% | ||
| Don’t know | 31% | 29% | 26% | 34% | 27% | 24% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 26% | 25% | 31% |
33% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction and 36% think it is heading in the wrong direction. This represents little change since July.
26% (up 4%) of Labor voters, 52% (down 7%) of Liberal/National voters and 26% (up 8%) of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction. 45% (down 2%) of Labor voters, 22% (up 2%) of Liberal/National voters and 40% (down 4%) of Greens voters think it is heading in the wrong direction.