The Government is proposing to change the way we vote for the Senate. Currently voters have to either vote “1” above the line or number all boxes below the line. If voting above the line, preferences are distributed (if required) according to that party’s voting ticket. The proposed change is to tell voters that they can vote above the line by numbering at least 6 boxes in the order of their choice. It will be permissible to number less than 6. However, preferences will only be distributed according to the numbered boxes, not the party ticket. Some people say this will stop minor parties from being elected by swapping preferences. Do you approve or disapprove of this change to Senate voting?
| Total | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Labor | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total approve | 53% | 71% | 52% | 46% | 42% | |
| Total disapprove | 16% | 9% | 19% | 29% | 29% | |
| Strongly approve | 19% | 32% | 14% | 11% | 15% | |
| Approve | 34% | 39% | 38% | 35% | 27% | |
| Disapprove | 10% | 7% | 11% | 21% | 13% | |
| Strongly disapprove | 6% | 2% | 8% | 8% | 16% | |
| Don’t know | 30% | 21% | 28% | 25% | 29% |
53% approve of the proposed changes to Senate voting and 16% disapprove. 30% could not give an opinion. There was majority support from both Liberal/National voters (71%) and Labor voters (52%).
Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?
| Total | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Labor | Vote Greens | Vote other | Jan 2010 | Jun 2011 | Jul 2012 | Jul 2013 | Apr 2014 | Nov 2015 | |||
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 43% | 40% | 49% | 40% | 46% | 48% | 49% | 47% | 42% | 50% | 46% | ||
| Management of the economy | 37% | 56% | 27% | 17% | 25% | 63% | 61% | 64% | 45% | 54% | 47% | ||
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 35% | 36% | 34% | 21% | 48% | 33% | 32% | 41% | 39% | 37% | 39% | ||
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 29% | 30% | 28% | 20% | 33% | 14% | 17% | 18% | 20% | 20% | 30% | ||
| Housing affordability | 23% | 13% | 29% | 20% | 20% | 14% | 16% | 13% | 17% | 17% | 21% | ||
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 21% | 16% | 24% | 19% | 23% | 23% | 26% | 26% | 25% | 27% | 23% | ||
| Security and the war on terrorism | 21% | 28% | 17% | 6% | 19% | 9% | 8% | 5% | 8% | 5% | 17% | ||
| Political leadership | 14% | 19% | 11% | 8% | 19% | 23% | 17% | 25% | 21% | 15% | 9% | ||
| Protecting the environment | 13% | 8% | 15% | 40% | 11% | 16% | 15% | 11% | 12% | 13% | 12% | ||
| Addressing climate change | 12% | 7% | 14% | 41% | 7% | 16% | 15% | 9% | 11% | 10% | 10% | ||
| Managing population growth | 10% | 12% | 9% | 9% | 13% | na | 12% | 8% | 9% | 9% | 6% | ||
| A fair industrial relations system | 8% | 4% | 10% | 17% | 13% | na | 8% | 12% | 10% | 12% | 8% | ||
| Controlling interest rates | 9% | 11% | 8% | 4% | 5% | 15% | 13% | 9% | 13% | 9% | 7% | ||
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 7% | 4% | 8% | 22% | `10% | na | 5% | 10% | 14% | 8% | 8% | ||
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 5% | 6% | 4% | 7% | 4% | 12% | 5% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 4% |
The most important election issues were ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (43%), management of the economy (37%), Australian jobs and protection of local industries (35%) and ensuring a fair taxation system (29%).
Liberal/National voters were more likely to think management of the economy (56%) was important.
Labor voters were more likely to nominate the health system (49%) while Greens voters were more likely to nominate addressing climate change (41%), protecting the environment (40%) and treatment of asylum seekers (22%).
The main change since this question was asked in November was for management of the economy (down 10%).
Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Liberal | Labor | Don’t know | Difference Liberal – Labor | ||
| Security and the war on terrorism | 40% | 20% | 40% | +20 | |
| Management of the economy | 41% | 22% | 36% | +19 | |
| Controlling interest rates | 37% | 21% | 42% | +16 | |
| Political leadership | 37% | 21% | 42% | +16 | |
| Managing population growth | 33% | 21% | 45% | +12 | |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 31% | 26% | 42% | +5 | |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 33% | 29% | 38% | +4 | |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 28% | 25% | 47% | +3 | |
| Housing affordability | 28% | 32% | 40% | -4 | |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 29% | 33% | 37% | -4 | |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 30% | 35% | 35% | -5 | |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 29% | 35% | 36% | -6 | |
| Addressing climate change | 25% | 33% | 42% | -8 | |
| Protecting the environment | 24% | 33% | 44% | -9 | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 28% | 38% | 33% | -10 |
The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war on terrorism (40% to 20%), management of the economy (41%/22%), controlling interest rates (37%/21%), political leadership (37%/21%) and managing population growth (33%/21%).
The Labor Party is trusted more to handle a fair industrial relations system (38% to 28%), protecting the environment (33%/24%) and addressing climate change (33%/25%).
Do you think the following parties are too right wing/conservative, too left wing/progressive or about right?
| Too right wing/ conservative | Too left wing/ progressive | About right | Don’t know | Labor voters
Too right wing/ conservative |
Labor voters
Too left wing/ progressive |
Labor voters
About right |
Labor voters
Don’t know |
Lib/Nat voters Too right wing/ conservative | Lib/Nat voters Too left wing/ progressive | Lib/Nat voters About right | Lib/Nat voters Don’t know | |
| The Labor Party | 16% | 19% | 30% | 35% | 15% | 6% | 51% | 28% | 17% | 34% | 22% | 27% |
| The Liberal Party | 26% | 9% | 31% | 34% | 41% | 9% | 16% | 34% | 11% | 9% | 58% | 22% |
| The Greens | 7% | 31% | 21% | 41% | 9% | 25% | 24% | 42% | 9% | 45% | 13% | 33% |
Respondents were evenly divided over whether the Labor Party was too right wing (16%) or left wing (19%) but more likely to think that the Liberal Party was too right wing (26%) and the Greens were too left wing (31%).
However, 51% of Labor voters think the Labor Party is about right and 58% of Liberal/National voters think the Liberal party is about right. Labor voters were a little more likely to think the Labor Party was too right wing (15%) than left wing (6%) whereas Liberal/National voters were more evenly divided (11% too right wing/9% too left wing).
Do you think over the last few years, these parties have become more right wing/conservative, more left wing/progressive or stayed about the same?
| More right wing/ conservative | More left wing/ progressive | About the same | Don’t know | Labor voters
More right wing/ conservative |
Labor voters
More left wing/ progressive |
Labor voters
About the same |
Labor voters
Don’t know |
Lib/Nat voters More right wing/ conservative | Lib/Nat voters More left wing/ progressive | Lib/Nat voters About the same | Lib/Nat voters Don’t know | |
| The Labor Party | 19% | 15% | 33% | 32% | 19% | 9% | 42% | 30% | 18% | 25% | 34% | 23% |
| The Liberal Party | 19% | 12% | 36% | 33% | 28% | 9% | 29% | 34% | 10% | 16% | 52% | 22% |
| The Greens | 7% | 21% | 35% | 37% | 7% | 16% | 39% | 37% | 7% | 29% | 34% | 30% |
Respondents were fairly evenly divided over whether the Labor and Liberal Parties have become more right wing or left wing – but slightly more likely to think both the Labor Party and the Liberal Party had become more right wing.
However, Liberal voters were more inclined to think all parties had become more left wing, and Labor voters were more inclined to think both the Labor Party and especially the Liberal Party had become more right wing.
Do you think the Federal election should be held later this year as scheduled or should the Government call an early election?
| Total | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Labor | Vote Greens | Vote other | Sep 2015 | |||
| Hold election later this year | 56% | 62% | 59% | 43% | 62% | 63% | ||
| Call an early election | 23% | 24% | 23% | 35% | 26% | 21% | ||
| Don’t know | 21% | 14% | 17% | 22% | 13% | 16% |
56% favour holding the Federal election later this year as scheduled and 23% think there should be an early election. Greens voters (35%) were more likely to favour an early election than Labor voters (23%) and Liberal/National voters (24%).
Since this question was asked in September, there has been a shift toward holding an early election.
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
16/2/16 |
2 weeks ago
9/2/16 |
4 weeks ago
26/1/16
|
Election 7 Sep 13 | |||
| Liberal | 41% | 40% | 39% | 40% | |||
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 4% | |||
| Total Liberal/National | 44% | 43% | 43% | 44% | 45.6% | ||
| Labor | 35% | 33% | 35% | 35% | 33.4% | ||
| Greens | 10% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 8.6% | ||
| Palmer United Party | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 5.5% | ||
| Other/Independent | 10% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 6.9% | ||
| 2 party preferred | |||||||
| Liberal National | 52% | 52% | 51% | 52% | 53.5% | ||
| Labor | 48% | 48% | 49% | 48% | 46.5% |
NB: 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.
Do you think the following have become better or worse compared to 12 months ago?
| Total better | Total worse | A lot better | A little better | No change | A little worse | A lot worse | Don’t know | Total better Nov
2015 |
Total worse Nov 2015 | |
| Company profits | 30% | 22% | 10% | 20% | 31% | 15% | 7% | 17% | 37% | 18% |
| Your personal financial situation | 18% | 42% | 3% | 15% | 37% | 29% | 13% | 3% | 20% | 43% |
| Wages | 14% | 35% | 2% | 12% | 41% | 24% | 11% | 9% | 16% | 38% |
| The economy overall | 12% | 55% | 3% | 9% | 26% | 35% | 20% | 6% | 15% | 53% |
| National debt | 9% | 56% | 3% | 6% | 25% | 30% | 26% | 10% | 11% | 51% |
| Job security | 11% | 53% | 3% | 8% | 29% | 31% | 22% | 7% | 10% | 56% |
| Unemployment | 13% | 53% | 2% | 11% | 26% | 31% | 22% | 8% | 10% | 59% |
| Electricity costs | 9% | 62% | 2% | 7% | 24% | 33% | 29% | 4% | 8% | 70% |
| Cost of living | 7% | 71% | 2% | 5% | 18% | 40% | 31% | 3% | 7% | 75% |
A substantial majority believe that, in the last 12 months, cost of living (71%), electricity costs (62%) and national debt (56%) and the economy overall (55%) have all got worse. The only economic measure that has got better is company profits (30% better/22% worse).
Compared the last time this question was asked in November, there has been a drop in the percentage that think electricity costs (down 8% to 62%) and unemployment (down 6% to 53%) have got worse. However, those thinking the national debt has got worse have increased 5 points to 56%.