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Performance of Anthony Albanese compared to expectations
Q. Since the federal election in May 2019, how has the performance of Anthony Albanese compared to your expectations?
| Performance of Anthony Albanese | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
| Total | NET: Approve | NET: Disapprove | Don’t know | Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | |
| Has exceeded my expectations | 8% | 16% | 3% | 2% | 11% | 6% | 10% | 6% |
| Has met my expectations | 48% | 67% | 21% | 50% | 55% | 47% | 46% | 30% |
| Has fallen short of my expectations | 44% | 18% | 77% | 48% | 34% | 47% | 44% | 64% |
| Base (n) | 1,035 | 441 | 461 | 133 | 339 | 356 | 106 | 116 |
- Less than half of participants say that Anthony Albanese has met their expectations since the election, with 77% of those who disapprove of his performance saying he fell short of their expectations.
- Labor voters are most likely to say that he has met their expectations (55%) whereas 64% of other party or independent voters say he has fallen short of their expectations.
Last 12 months
Q. Thinking about the last 12 months, has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good | Total bad | NET | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | 2018 NET | |||
| The Australian cricket team | 44% | 10% | +34 | 13% | 32% | 26% | 6% | 4% | 12% | +2 | ||
| Large companies and corporations | 41% | 18% | +23 | 10% | 31% | 31% | 13% | 5% | 10% | +9 | ||
| You and your family overall | 41% | 22% | +19 | 9% | 32% | 35% | 15% | 7% | 3% | +28 | ||
| Your workplace | 30% | 16% | +14 | 7% | 23% | 29% | 10% | 6% | 23% | +28 | ||
| Your personal financial situation | 30% | 32% | -2 | 6% | 24% | 35% | 19% | 13% | 3% | – | ||
| The average Australian | 27% | 31% | -4 | 7% | 21% | 37% | 22% | 9% | 4% | -1 | ||
| The Australian Government | 29% | 36% | -7 | 7% | 22% | 31% | 22% | 14% | 5% | -41 | ||
| Trade unions | 19% | 30% | -11 | 5% | 14% | 35% | 21% | 9% | 10% | -2 | ||
| Small business | 24% | 36% | -12 | 4% | 20% | 31% | 27% | 9% | 9% | +6 | ||
| The Australian economy | 25% | 38% | -13 | 5% | 20% | 31% | 26% | 12% | 5% | +6 | ||
| Australian politics in general | 21% | 41% | -20 | 5% | 16% | 32% | 24% | 18% | 4% | -50 | ||
| The planet | 20% | 49% | -29 | 6% | 14% | 27% | 28% | 21% | 4% | -19 |
- Participants believe that 2019 has been a good year for the Australian cricket team (+34, up from +2 in 2018), large companies and corporations (+23, up from +9 in 2018) and them and their families.
- This year has been bad for the planet (-29, down 10pts from 2018) and Australian politics in general (-20).
- Australian politics in general and the Australian Government have the greatest swing compared to 2018 with Australian politics in general up from -50 to -20 and the Australian Government up from -41 to -7.
- The Australian economy also saw a large swing from 2018, dropping from +6 in 2018 to -13 in 2019; which is mirrored by small businesses (from +6 in 2018 to -12 in 2019).
- Trade unions are similarly seen as having a bad year, falling from -2 in 2018 to -11 in 2019.
Impact of same-sex marriage
Q. Same-sex marriage has now been legal in Australia for two years (since December 2017). To what extent do you think allowing same-sex people to marry has had a positive or negative impact on Australia?
| Total | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| Strong positive impact | 24% | 28% | 18% | 43% | 22% |
| Somewhat positive impact | 23% | 27% | 24% | 22% | 10% |
| Neither positive, nor negative impact | 38% | 33% | 43% | 27% | 38% |
| Somewhat negative impact | 7% | 5% | 8% | 4% | 10% |
| Strong negative impact | 8% | 7% | 8% | 5% | 21% |
| NET: Positive impact | 47% | 55% | 42% | 65% | 31% |
| NET: Negative impact | 15% | 12% | 15% | 8% | 31% |
| Base (n) | 1,035 | 339 | 356 | 106 | 116 |
- 47% of participants say allowing same-sex people to marry has had a positive impact on Australia with only 15% saying this has had a negative impact.
- Greens voters are most likely to say this has had a positive impact (65%) whereas 31% of other party or independent voters believe this has had a negative impact.
Attitudes towards unions
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about unions?
| NET: Agree | NET: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | Unsure | |
| Union officials should be disqualified for breaching administrative laws such as failing to file annual financial reports | 68% | 18% | 30% | 38% | 13% | 5% | 14% |
| The government seems to be more concerned about the actions of union officials than the CEO’s of banks and other corporations | 62% | 24% | 29% | 34% | 18% | 6% | 14% |
| Union officials should be disqualified for taking unprotected industrial action, such as snap strikes | 51% | 32% | 20% | 31% | 22% | 10% | 17% |
| Overall unions have too much power in Australia today | 49% | 37% | 18% | 31% | 24% | 13% | 14% |
- Two-thirds of participants agree that ‘union officials should be disqualified for breaching administrative laws such as failing to file annual financial reports’ (68%) and 62% agree that the government seems to be more concerned about the actions of union officials than the CEO’s of banks and other corporations.
- Half of participants agree that union officials should be disqualified for taking unprotected industrial action, such as snap strikes (51%) and 49% agree that overall unions have too much power in Australia today.
- Capital city residents are more likely than non-capital city residents to agree that overall unions have too much power in Australia today, with 53% of capital city and 41% of non-capital city residents agreeing with the statement.
- Broadly, Coalition voters and those over 55 years old were most likely to agree with statements that are more negative towards unions.
Angus Taylor and Sydney Lord Mayor
Q. Over the past few weeks the Opposition has been raising concern about Energy Minister Angus Taylor, in regards to false information which was critical of the Sydney Lord Mayor.
Which of the following best describes your perspective on the issue?
| Total | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| The Prime Minister should have stood the Minister down from Cabinet | 35% | 47% | 29% | 42% | 35% |
| The Prime Minster was right not to stand the Minister down from Cabinet | 17% | 11% | 27% | 13% | 15% |
| I have not been following the issue | 48% | 42% | 44% | 45% | 50% |
| Base (n) | 1,035 | 339 | 356 | 106 | 116 |
- Almost half of participants have not been following the issue between Angus Taylor the Sydney Lord Mayor (48%).
- Coalition voters are least likely to say that the PM should have stood the Minister down (29% versus 44% all other voters).
Federal ICAC
Q. To what extent would you support or oppose the establishment of an independent federal corruption body to monitor the behaviour of our politicians and public servants?
| Total | Voting Intention | Sep’18 | ||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | |||
| Strongly support | 42% | 49% | 48% | 37% | 51% | 46% |
| Support | 33% | 35% | 28% | 45% | 30% | 36% |
| Oppose | 7% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 5% | 4% |
| Strongly oppose | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 1% |
| Unsure | 17% | 8% | 15% | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| NET: Support | 75% | 84% | 76% | 82% | 80% | 82% |
| NET: Oppose | 8% | 8% | 10% | 8% | 8% | 5% |
| Base (n) | 1,035 | 339 | 356 | 106 | 116 | 1,030 |
- 75% of participants support the establishment of an independent federal corruption body to monitor the behaviour of our politicians and public servants – this is lower than Sep’18, when 82% supported of an independent body.
Climate Change
Q. Do you believe that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate which happens from time to time?
| Nov’19 | Mar’19 | Oct’18 | Sep’17 | Aug’16 | |
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 61% | 62% | 63% | 64% | 57% |
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 28% | 27% | 25% | 24% | 26% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 17% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 1,089 | 1,027 | 1,011 | 1,022 |
| Total | Gender | Age | Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 61% | 59% | 63% | 74% | 61% | 50% | 74% | 47% | 89% | 44% |
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 28% | 32% | 25% | 18% | 25% | 41% | 16% | 43% | 1% | 48% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 9% | 12% | 8% | 15% | 9% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 7% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 527 | 556 | 329 | 369 | 385 | 342 | 373 | 93 | 162 |
61% believe that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity. This is consistent with previous results in Mar’19 (62%) and Oct’18 (63%).
- 28% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate, no change from earlier in the year (27% in March).
- By age groups, those aged 18-34 were most likely to believe in man-made climate change (74%) and those over 55+ least so (50%).
- Less than half of Coalition votes (47%) believe that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity.
Addressing Climate Change
Q. As far as you know, do you think Australia is doing enough, not enough or too much to address climate change?
| Nov’19 | Mar’19 | Dec’18 | Oct’18 | Sep’17 | Aug’16 | |
| Not doing enough | 60% | 51% | 53% | 56% | 56% | 52% |
| Doing enough | 22% | 27% | 24% | 23% | 20% | 22% |
| Doing too much | 8% | 11% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
| Don’t know | 10% | 12% | 14% | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 1,089 | 1,032 | 1,027 | 1,011 | 1,022 |
| Total | Gender | Age | Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| Not doing enough | 60% | 57% | 63% | 69% | 59% | 53% | 72% | 46% | 87% | 48% |
| Doing enough | 22% | 24% | 20% | 19% | 19% | 28% | 13% | 35% | 3% | 27% |
| Doing too much | 8% | 11% | 6% | 5% | 9% | 11% | 5% | 12% | 1% | 17% |
| Don’t know | 10% | 8% | 12% | 8% | 13% | 9% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 8% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 527 | 556 | 329 | 369 | 385 | 342 | 373 | 93 | 162 |
- 60% now think Australia is not doing enough to address climate change, this has increased from 51% in March 2019.
- Those people most likely to think Australia was not doing enough include young people aged 18-34 (69%), Greens voters (87%) and Labor voters (72%).
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 14 May 2019
Labor
51.5%-0.5
Coalition
48.5%+0.5
In this week's report:
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