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
17/5/16 |
2 weeks ago
10/5/16 |
4 weeks ago
26/4/16 |
Election 7 Sep 13 | |||
| Liberal | 38% | 39% | 38% | 36% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 41% | 42% | 42% | 40% | 45.6% | ||
| Labor | 37% | 38% | 38% | 39% | 33.4% | ||
| Greens | 9% | 9% | 10% | 10% | 8.6% | ||
| Nick Xenophon Team | 3% | 3% | na | na | – | ||
| Palmer United Party | na | na | 1% | 1% | 5.5% | ||
| Other/Independent | 9% | 8% | 9% | 11% | 6.9% | ||
| 2 party preferred | |||||||
| Liberal National | 49% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 53.5% | ||
| Labor | 51% | 51% | 51% | 52% | 46.5% |
NB. Sample = 1,794. 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.
leader attributes, malcolm turnbull
Q: Which of the following describe your opinion of the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull?
| Total | May 3 2016 | Difference | |||
| Intelligent | 76% | 77% | -1 | ||
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 63% | 56% | +7 | ||
| Hard-working | 60% | 65% | -5 | ||
| A capable leader | 55% | 59% | -4 | ||
| Arrogant | 51% | 46% | +5 | ||
| Good in a crisis | 48% | 49% | -1 | ||
| Superficial | 48% | 46% | +2 | ||
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 47% | 52% | -5 | ||
| Narrow-minded | 41% | 41% | – | ||
| Visionary | 40% | 41% | -1 | ||
| Trustworthy | 37% | 40% | -3 | ||
| More honest than most politicians | 36% | 39% | -3 | ||
| Erratic | 34% | 34% | – | ||
| Intolerant | 34% | 34% | – | ||
| Aggressive | 31% | 28% | +3 |
Malcolm Turnbull’s key attributes were intelligent (76%), out of touch with ordinary people (63%), hard working (60%) and a capable leader (55%).
Over the last 3 weeks, the main changes have been for out of touch with ordinary people (up 7%), hard-working (down 5%), arrogant (up 5%) and understands the problems facing Australia (down 5%).
Bill Shorten, leader attributes
Q: Which of the following describe your opinion of the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten?
| Total | May 3 2016 | Change | |||
| Hard working | 60% | 62% | -2 | ||
| Intelligent | 60% | 60% | – | ||
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 50% | 50% | – | ||
| Superficial | 44% | 43% | +1 | ||
| A capable leader | 43% | 41% | +2 | ||
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 42% | 44% | -2 | ||
| Narrow-minded | 40% | 40% | – | ||
| Arrogant | 40% | 38% | +2 | ||
| Erratic | 37% | 37% | – | ||
| Good in a crisis | 37% | 34% | +3 | ||
| Trustworthy | 31% | 33% | -2 | ||
| Aggressive | 30% | 33% | -3 | ||
| Intolerant | 30% | 31% | -1 | ||
| Visionary | 28% | 29% | -1 | ||
| More honest than most politicians | 26% | 26% | – |
Bill Shorten’s key attributes were hard working (60%), intelligent (60%) and understands the problems facing Australia (50%).
There have been no significant changes over the last 3 weeks.
Bill Shorten, leader attributes, malcolm turnbull
| Malcolm Turnbull | Bill Shorten | Difference | ||
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 63% | 42% | +21 | |
| Intelligent | 76% | 60% | +16 | |
| A capable leader | 55% | 43% | +12 | |
| Visionary | 40% | 28% | +12 | |
| Arrogant | 51% | 40% | +11 | |
| Good in a crisis | 48% | 37% | +11 | |
| More honest than most politicians | 36% | 26% | +10 | |
| Trustworthy | 37% | 31% | +6 | |
| Superficial | 48% | 44% | +4 | |
| Intolerant | 34% | 30% | +4 | |
| Narrow-minded | 41% | 40% | +1 | |
| Aggressive | 31% | 30% | +1 | |
| Hard-working | 60% | 60% | – | |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 47% | 50% | -3 | |
| Erratic | 34% | 37% | -3 |
Compared to Bill Shorten, Malcolm Turnbull is more likely to be considered out of touch with ordinary people (+21), intelligent (+16%), a capable leader (+12%) and visionary (+12%).
Election Issues, Labor Party, Liberal Party, party trust
Q: Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Liberal | Labor | Don’t know | Difference | ||
| Security and the war on terrorism | 42% | 19% | 39% | +23 | |
| Management of the economy | 42% | 22% | 36% | +20 | |
| Controlling interest rates | 34% | 22% | 44% | +12 | |
| Political leadership | 36% | 25% | 40% | +11 | |
| Managing population growth | 33% | 22% | 45% | +11 | |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 33% | 25% | 41% | +8 | |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 26% | 26% | 47% | – | |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 27% | 35% | 38% | -8 | |
| Housing affordability | 25% | 35% | 40% | -10 | |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 28% | 39% | 34% | -11 | |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 26% | 37% | 37% | -11 | |
| Addressing climate change | 22% | 33% | 45% | -11 | |
| Protecting the environment | 22% | 34% | 43% | -12 | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 27% | 39% | 34% | -12 | |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 26% | 39% | 35% | -13 |
The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war of terrorism (+23), management of the economy (+20) and controlling interest rates (+12).
The Labor Party is trusted more to handle protecting jobs and local industries (+13), a fair industrial relations system (+12) and protecting the environment (+12).
Bill Shorten, Election Issues, leader trust, malcolm turnbull
Q: Which leader – Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten – would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Malcolm Turnbull | Bill Shorten | Don’t know | Difference | ||
| Regulating the banking and finance sector | 33% | 27% | 39% | +6 | |
| Supporting Australia’s manufacturing industries | 30% | 31% | 39% | -1 | |
| Ensuring big companies pay their share of tax | 28% | 34% | 38% | -6 | |
| Protecting the Great Barrier Reef | 21% | 27% | 52% | -6 | |
| Funding hospitals | 27% | 35% | 38% | -8 | |
| Addressing climate change | 21% | 29% | 50% | -8 | |
| Making housing more affordable for first home buyers | 23% | 32% | 44% | -9 | |
| Looking after the needs of pensioners | 21% | 35% | 44% | -14 | |
| Funding public schools | 24% | 40% | 36% | -16 | |
| Maintaining workers’ wages and conditions | 21% | 43% | 35% | -22 |
Bill Shorten is trusted more for maintaining workers’ wages and conditions (+22), funding public schools (+16) and looking after the needs of pensioners (+14).
asylum seekers, Coalition government
Q: If the Labor Party was elected into Government at the next election, do you think they would keep the Coalition Government’s policy on asylum seekers arriving by boat or do you think they would change the policy?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Would keep the policy | 28% | 38% | 27% | 30% | 26% | |
| Would change the policy | 38% | 26% | 54% | 29% | 46% | |
| Don’t know | 34% | 36% | 20% | 41% | 28% |
38% think that if the Labor Party is elected, they would change the Coalition Government’s policy on asylum seekers and 28% think they would keep the Coalition policy.
More than half the Liberal/National voters think Labor would change the Coalition policy.
Q. Each year Australia accepts thousands of migrants – mainly skilled migrants and family reunion programs but also some refugees fleeing persecution. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about migrants and refugees in Australia?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | ||
| The level of immigration into Australia over the last ten years has been too high | 59% | 28% | 26% | 33% | 20% | 8% | 13% | |
| Overall, migrants have made a positive contribution to Australian society | 63% | 25% | 19% | 44% | 17% | 8% | 13% | |
| Multiculturalism and cultural diversity has enriched the social and economic lives of all Australians. | 62% | 27% | 18% | 44% | 19% | 8% | 11% | |
| Multiculturalism has failed and caused social division and religious extremism in Australia. | 46% | 40% | 19% | 27% | 28% | 12% | 13% | |
| I would trust the Liberal Party to have the right policies on immigration | 41% | 36% | 13% | 28% | 17% | 19% | 24% | |
| I would trust the Labor Party to have the right policies on immigration | 28% | 47% | 7% | 21% | 25% | 22% | 25% | |
| Australia should increase its intake of refugees due to the refugee crisis in Europe. | 28% | 57% | 8% | 20% | 25% | 32% | 15% | |
| Accepting refugees is something a wealthy nation like Australia should do to support poorer nations | 38% | 48% | 11% | 27% | 25% | 23% | 14% |
| Born overseas agree | Born overseas disagree | Parents born overseas agree | Parents born overseas disagree | Australian born agree | Australian born disagree | |||
| The level of immigration into Australia over the last ten years has been too high | 60% | 28% | 58% | 28% | 60% | 27% | ||
| Overall, migrants have made a positive contribution to Australian society | 69% | 20% | 60% | 26% | 60% | 27% | ||
| Multiculturalism and cultural diversity has enriched the social and economic lives of all Australians. | 71% | 23% | 62% | 24% | 57% | 31% | ||
| Multiculturalism has failed and caused social division and religious extremism in Australia. | 43% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 49% | 38% | ||
| I would trust the Liberal Party to have the right policies on immigration | 45% | 32% | 44% | 33% | 37% | 39% | ||
| I would trust the Labor Party to have the right policies on immigration | 34% | 42% | 32% | 42% | 22% | 52% | ||
| Australia should increase its intake of refugees due to the refugee crisis in Europe. | 31% | 56% | 27% | 55% | 27% | 58% | ||
| Accepting refugees is something a wealthy nation like Australia should do to support poorer nations | 40% | 48% | 39% | 44% | 37% | 50% |