Q. If Hillary Clinton was elected President do you think Australia’s relationship with the United States would become better or worse?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total better | 24% | 28% | 30% | 19% | 9% | |
| Total worse | 13% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 18% | |
| Much better | 8% | 11% | 12% | – | 2% | |
| Better | 16% | 17% | 18% | 19% | 7% | |
| Make no difference | 54% | 54% | 55% | 60% | 64% | |
| Worse | 5% | 3% | 3% | 6% | 10% | |
| Much worse | 4% | 4% | 3% | 1% | 8% | |
| Don’t know | 13% | 11% | 9% | 14% | 10% |
24% think that the election of Hillary Clinton as US President would make our relationship with the US better and 13% think it would be worse. 54% think it would make no difference. The views of Liberal/National voters and Labor voters were similar.
Q. How much trust do you have in Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Government to handle Australia’s international relations?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Nov 2013 | Jun 2014 | Oct 2014 | Feb 2015 | May 2015 | |||
| Total a lot/some | 47% | 30% | 81% | 35% | 36% | 41% | 35% | 40% | 33% | 35% | ||
| Total little/no trust | 46% | 65% | 17% | 52% | 62% | 53% | 59% | 53% | 62% | 58% | ||
| A lot of trust | 12% | 5% | 28% | – | 3% | 20% | 17% | 17% | 12% | 13% | ||
| Some trust | 35% | 25% | 53% | 35% | 33% | 21% | 18% | 23% | 21% | 22% | ||
| A little trust | 24% | 28% | 16% | 32% | 27% | 18% | 16% | 18% | 22% | 20% | ||
| No trust | 22% | 37% | 1% | 20% | 35% | 35% | 43% | 35% | 40% | 38% | ||
| Don’t know | 7% | 6% | 2% | 13% | 3% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
Overall, 47% have a lot or some trust in Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Government to handle Australia’s international relations and 46% have a little or no trust. This represent a substantial increase in trust since a similar question was asked last May about the Tony Abbott Government.
However, most of the shift has been an increase for “some trust”. Only 12% (down 1%) have “a lot of trust” and 22% (down 26%) have no trust.
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 |
Change | ||
| United States | 49% | 37% | 6% | 8% | 60% | 59% | 53% | 44% | 44% | +5 | |
| China | 42% | 42% | 9% | 7% | 48% | 54% | 44% | 41% | 39% | +3 | |
| United Kingdom | 41% | 42% | 9% | 9% | 56% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 39% | +2 | |
| Indonesia | 26% | 42% | 22% | 10% | 31% | 40% | 32% | 22% | 21% | +4 | |
| Japan | 25% | 50% | 15% | 9% | 39% | 35% | 31% | 30% | 31% | -6 | |
| Canada | 22% | 43% | 24% | 10% | na | na | 26% | 22% | 24% | -2 | |
| India | 19% | 44% | 25% | 11% | 26% | 26% | 22% | 20% | 22% | -3 | |
| Germany | 19% | 44% | 26% | 11% | 23% | 20% | 22% | 18% | 20% | -1 | |
| Russia | 17% | 35% | 36% | 12% | na | na | 16% | 11% | 13% | +4 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 13% | 34% | 39% | 13% | na | na | 17% | 12% | 14% | -1 |
49% of respondents think it is very important to have a close relationship with the United States and 42% think it is very important to have a close relationship with China and 41% with the United Kingdom. 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, 49% of Labor voters and 32% of Greens voters.
Since this question was asked in May last year, the importance of our relationship with the US has increased 5% and the importance of our relationship with japan decreased 6%.
Q. What do you think should be the main priorities for the new Government? (can select up to 3)
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Invest more in hospitals and health services | 55% | 66% | 49% | 43% | 55% | |
| Invest more in education | 31% | 40% | 22% | 29% | 33% | |
| Ensuring big businesses pay their fair share of tax | 29% | 24% | 29% | 34% | 45% | |
| Cut spending to reduce the deficit | 27% | 12% | 48% | 5% | 22% | |
| Do more to address unemployment | 25% | 28% | 25% | 21% | 19% | |
| Invest more in infrastructure e.g. rail and roads | 19% | 15% | 24% | 12% | 21% | |
| Invest more in renewable energy | 17% | 14% | 14% | 40% | 23% | |
| Vote on same sex marriage | 15% | 21% | 7% | 27% | 11% | |
| Do more to address climate change | 13% | 16% | 5% | 45% | 10% | |
| Build the NBN | 13% | 18% | 10% | 13% | 12% | |
| Do more to assist first home buyers | 12% | 13% | 10% | 12% | 9% | |
| More support for local industries | 11% | 9% | 13% | 3% | 15% | |
| Cut company tax | 4% | 2% | 7% | 1% | 2% | |
| Make changes to superannuation | 4% | 5% | 4% | <1% | 2% |
55% thought the one of the Government’s main priorities was to invest more in hospitals and health services. Other important priorities were investing more in education (31%), Ensuring big businesses pay their fair share of tax (29%), cut spending to reduce the deficit (27%) and do more to address unemployment (25%). Cutting company tax and making changes to superannuation were the least important issues (both 4%).
For Labor voters the main priorities were investing in hospitals and health (66%), investing more in education (40%) and doing more to address unemployment (28%).
For Liberal/National voters the main priorities were investing in hospitals and health (49%), cutting spending to reduce the deficit (48%) and ensuring big businesses pay their fair share of tax (29%).
For Greens voters the main priorities were doing more to address climate change (45%), investing in hospitals and health (43%) and investing more in renewable energy (40%).
Q. How important to you were the following issues in deciding who you voted for in the recent Federal election?
| Very import-ant | Somewhat import-ant | Not so import-ant | Don’t know | |
| Health policies | 60% | 30% | 6% | 5% |
| Medicare | 58% | 30% | 7% | 5% |
| Economic management | 53% | 34% | 6% | 6% |
| Better for me and my family | 53% | 35% | 6% | 6% |
| Education policies | 43% | 36% | 15% | 5% |
| Taxation policies | 38% | 44% | 12% | 6% |
| Superannuation policies | 36% | 39% | 19% | 6% |
| Environment, climate change policies | 34% | 38% | 21% | 6% |
| The party leader | 28% | 42% | 24% | 7% |
| The actual candidate | 27% | 44% | 23% | 7% |
| The CFA issue | 17% | 29% | 31% | 22% |
| Very important | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | |
| Health policies | 60% | 75% | 50% | 65% | 56% | |
| Medicare | 58% | 79% | 42% | 63% | 55% | |
| Economic management | 53% | 53% | 68% | 25% | 50% | |
| Better for me and my family | 53% | 64% | 51% | 33% | 52% | |
| Education policies | 43% | 53% | 32% | 60% | 43% | |
| Taxation policies | 38% | 44% | 38% | 36% | 34% | |
| Superannuation policies | 36% | 40% | 38% | 35% | 35% | |
| Environment, climate change policies | 34% | 43% | 18% | 71% | 35% | |
| The party leader | 28% | 28% | 33% | 14% | 28% | |
| The actual candidate | 27% | 28% | 27% | 20% | 33% | |
| The CFA issue | 17% | 17% | 18% | 13% | 21% |
The most important issues in voting at the recent Federal election were health policies (60% very important), Medicare (58%), economic management (53%) and which party was better for me and my family (53%).
The most important issues for Labor voters were Medicare (79%), health policies (75%) and better for me and my family (53%). The most important issues for Liberal/National voters were economic management (68%), better for me and my family (51%) and health policies (50%). The most important issues for Greens voters were environment and climate change policies (71%), health policies (65%), Medicare (63%) and education policies (60%).
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
12/7/16 |
2 weeks ago
5/7/16 |
4 weeks ago
21/6/16 |
Election 7 Sep 13 | |||
| Liberal | 35% | 37% | 38% | 37% | |||
| National | 4% | 4% | 3% | 3% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 39% | 41% | 41% | 40% | 45.6% | ||
| Labor | 36% | 36% | 37% | 37% | 33.4% | ||
| Greens | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 8.6% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 4% | 3% | 2% | 4% | – | ||
| Other/Independent | 10% | 10% | 10% | 9% | 12.4% | ||
| 2 party preferred | |||||||
| Liberal National | 49% | 49% | 50% | 49% | 53.5% | ||
| Labor | 51% | 51% | 50% | 51% | 46.5% |
NB. Sample = 1,833. 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 2013 election.
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 | Apr 2016 | |||
| Total good | 30% | 26% | 44% | 26% | 14% | 35% | 45% | 38% | 27% | 28% | 32% | ||
| Total poor | 26% | 30% | 18% | 20% | 41% | 29% | 26% | 24% | 33% | 31% | 27% | ||
| Very good | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 1% | 6% | 8% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 3% | ||
| Good | 26% | 22% | 40% | 21% | 13% | 29% | 37% | 35% | 24% | 24% | 29% | ||
| Neither good nor poor | 41% | 42% | 36% | 48% | 43% | 33% | 28% | 34% | 36% | 36% | 37% | ||
| Poor | 20% | 23% | 16% | 16% | 29% | 20% | 17% | 19% | 24% | 24% | 21% | ||
| Very poor | 6% | 7% | 2% | 4% | 12% | 9% | 9% | 5% | 9% | 7% | 6% | ||
| Don’t know | 4% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
30% described the economy as good or very good and 26% poor/very poor – 41% said it was neither. This represents little change since April.
Liberal National voters were substantially more optimistic than other voters. Among Labor voters 26% (up 3%) thought it was good and 30% (down 1%) poor; for Liberal/National voters 44% (down 5%) said it was good and 18% (down 1%) 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 | Jan 2016 | Apr 2016 | |||
| The right direction | 33% | 22% | 59% | 18% | 21% | 51% | 45% | 43% | 36% | 39% | 35% | 30% | 32% | ||
| The wrong direction | 35% | 47% | 20% | 44% | 46% | 25% | 29% | 32% | 39% | 34% | 40% | 38% | 37% | ||
| Don’t know | 31% | 31% | 21% | 38% | 33% | 24% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 26% | 25% | 31% | 31% |
33% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction and 35% think it is heading in the wrong direction. This represents little change since April.
22% (no change) of Labor voters, 59% (up 3%) of Liberal/National voters and 18% (up 5%) of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction. 47% (up 1%) of Labor voters, 20% (no change) of Liberal/National voters and 44% (down 13%) of Greens voters think it is heading in the wrong direction.