Q. Would you approve or disapprove of the Government paying private companies or not-for-profit organisations to run any of the following services?
|
Total approve |
Total dis- approve |
Strongly approve |
Approve |
Dis- approve |
Strongly dis- approve |
Don’t know |
||
|
Public transport |
37% |
47% |
9% |
28% |
22% |
25% |
17% |
|
|
Prisons |
33% |
50% |
7% |
26% |
23% |
27% |
17% |
|
|
Water supply |
29% |
54% |
8% |
21% |
24% |
30% |
17% |
|
|
Ambulance service |
29% |
55% |
9% |
20% |
22% |
33% |
16% |
|
|
Hospitals |
28% |
56% |
9% |
19% |
23% |
33% |
16% |
|
|
Child welfare |
27% |
54% |
9% |
20% |
24% |
30% |
18% |
|
|
Secondary schools |
27% |
56% |
7% |
20% |
25% |
31% |
17% |
|
|
Primary schools |
25% |
58% |
7% |
18% |
25% |
33% |
16% |
Overall, respondents were more likely to disapprove of the Government paying private companies or not-for-profit organisations to run any of these services.
They were most strongly opposed to non-government organisations or companies running primary schools (58%), secondary schools (56%), hospitals (56%) and the ambulance service (55%).
The issue where opinion was most divided was public transport – with 37% approve and 47% disapprove.
Q. Over the last few years, do you think that the threat of terrorism happening in Australia has increased, decreased or stayed much the same?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
Sep 2014 |
Mar 2015 |
|||
|
Total increased |
75% |
75% |
81% |
58% |
79% |
57% |
75% |
||
|
Total decreased |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
6% |
2% |
||
|
Increased a lot |
38% |
27% |
50% |
12% |
49% |
22% |
39% |
||
|
Increased a little |
37% |
48% |
31% |
46% |
30% |
35% |
36% |
||
|
Stayed about the same |
20% |
20% |
17% |
36% |
16% |
33% |
20% |
||
|
Decreased a little |
1% |
* |
1% |
1% |
1% |
3% |
1% |
||
|
Decreased a lot |
* |
* |
– |
– |
1% |
3% |
1% |
||
|
Don’t know |
3% |
4% |
1% |
4% |
3% |
4% |
4% |
75% think that the threat of terrorism happening in Australia has increased – no change from when this question was asked in March. 20% (no change) think it has stayed about the same and 1% (down 1%) think it has decreased.
Those most likely to think it has increased were Liberal/National voters (81%) and those aged 55+ (92%). For those aged 18-35, 64% think it has increased and 30% stayed the same.
Q. Do you think that Australia conducting airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria will make Australia more or less safe from the threat of terrorism?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
||
|
Total more safe |
13% |
15% |
14% |
7% |
13% |
|
|
Total less safe |
45% |
46% |
42% |
48% |
49% |
|
|
A lot more safe |
4% |
3% |
5% |
2% |
5% |
|
|
A little more safe |
9% |
12% |
9% |
5% |
8% |
|
|
Make no difference |
33% |
30% |
38% |
37% |
32% |
|
|
A little less safe |
25% |
25% |
24% |
28% |
27% |
|
|
A lot less safe |
20% |
21% |
18% |
20% |
22% |
|
|
Don’t know |
9% |
9% |
6% |
9% |
5% |
45% think that conducting airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria will make Australia less safe from the threat of terrorism and 13% think it will make Australia less safe. 33% think it makes no difference.
51% of women think it will make Australia less safe compared to 39% of men.
2PP, party preference, Voting intention
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?
Q: If don’t know -Well which party are you currently leaning to?
(sample size = 1,774 respondents)
| First preference/leaning to | Election
7 Sep 13 |
4 weeks ago
8/09/15 |
2 weeks ago 22/09/15 | Last week
29/9/15 |
This week 6/10/15 | |
| Liberal | 36% | 37% | 40% | 41% | ||
| National | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | ||
| Total Liberal/National | 45.6% | 40% | 41% | 44% | 44% | |
| Labor | 33.4% | 38% | 37% | 35% | 35% | |
| Greens | 8.6% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 10% | |
| Palmer United Party | 5.5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | |
| Other/Independent | 6.9% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% |
| 2 Party Preferred | Election
7 Sep 13 |
4 weeks ago
8/09/15 |
2 weeks ago 22/09/15 | Last week
29/9/15 |
This week 6/10/15 | |
| Liberal National | 53.5% | 48% | 49% | 52% | 52% | |
| Labor | 46.5% | 52% | 51% | 48% | 48% |
NB. Except 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.
malcolm turnbull, Prime Minister
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing as Prime Minister?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Malcolm Turnbull as Opposition leader
Nov 2009 |
Tony Abbott as PM
Sep 2015 |
|||
| Total approve | 47% | 38% | 70% | 40% | 24% | 25% | 33% | ||
| Total disapprove | 17% | 23% | 7% | 31% | 36% | 55% | 57% | ||
| Strongly approve | 11% | 4% | 22% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 9% | ||
| Approve | 36% | 34% | 48% | 36% | 21% | 23% | 24% | ||
| Disapprove | 11% | 16% | 4% | 22% | 20% | 33% | 25% | ||
| Strongly disapprove | 6% | 7% | 3% | 9% | 16% | 22% | 32% | ||
| Don’t know | 35% | 37% | 22% | 29% | 40% | 19% | 10% |
47% of respondents approve of the job Malcolm Turnbull is doing as Prime Minister and 17% disapprove – a net approval rating of +30.
70% of Liberal/National voters approve of Malcolm Turnbull’s performance with 7% disapproving. 38% of Labor voters and 40% of Greens voters approve of Malcolm Turnbull’s performance.
By gender, men were 51% approve/20% disapprove and women 43% approve/16% disapprove.
Bill Shorten, Opposition leader
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader?
| Total | Vote ALP |
Vote Lib/Nat | Vote GRN |
Vote Other | Nov ’13 | June ’14 | Dec ’14 | Mar ’15 | Jun ’15 | Jul ’15 | Aug ’15 | Sep ’15 | |||
| Total approve | 30% | 57% | 20% | 27% | 13% | 31% | 38% | 35% | 34% | 32% | 27% | 29% | 29% | ||
| Total disapprove | 42% | 21% | 66% | 40% | 60% | 27% | 40% | 39% | 39% | 45% | 52% | 52% | 50% | ||
|
Strongly approve |
6% | 12% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 5% | ||
| Approve | 24% | 45% | 17% | 22% | 10% | 26% | 31% | 28% | 29% | 26% | 22% | 25% | 24% | ||
|
Disapprove |
25% | 18% | 33% | 34% | 29% | 17% | 22% | 23% | 21% | 27% | 28% | 31% | 27% | ||
|
Strongly disapprove |
17% | 3% | 33% | 6% | 31% | 10% | 18% | 16% | 18% | 18% | 24% | 21% | 23% | ||
|
Don’t know |
27% | 21% | 14% | 34% | 27% | 43% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 22% | 21% | 19% | 21% |
30% (up 1%) of respondents approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing as opposition leader and 42% (down 8%) disapprove – a change in his net rating from -21 to -12. Don’t know has increased from 21% to 27%.
57% (down 1%) of Labor voters approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing and 21% (no change) disapprove.
30% of men and 29% of women approve of Bill Shorten. 48% of men and 37% of women disapprove.
Bill Shorten, malcolm turnbull, Prime Minister
Q: Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Sep 2015 | Abbott Shorten
Sep 2015 |
||||
| Malcolm Turnbull | 48% | 28% | 80% | 34% | 36% | 53% | 32% | |||
| Bill Shorten | 19% | 41% | 5% | 27% | 12% | 17% | 35% | |||
| Don’t know | 33% | 30% | 14% | 39% | 51% | 30% | 32% |
48% (down 5% from 2 weeks ago) of respondents think Malcolm Turnbull would make the better Prime Minister and 19% (up 2%) think Bill Shorten would make the better Prime Minister.
50% of men prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 20% prefer Bill Shorten.
46% of women prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 18% prefer Bill Shorten.
economy, Education, environment, Health, party trust
Q: Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Liberal | Labor | Greens | Don’t know | Difference | Difference
Sep 2015 |
|||
| Management of the economy | 41% | 23% | 4% | 32% | +18 | +16 | ||
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 28% | 35% | 7% | 30% | -7 | -4 | ||
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 28% | 33% | 8% | 30% | -5 | -2 | ||
| Protecting the environment | 18% | 16% | 39% | 26% | -21 | -20 | ||
| A fair industrial relations system | 27% | 38% | 5% | 30% | -11 | -8 | ||
| Political leadership | 38% | 20% | 7% | 36% | +18 | +9 | ||
| Addressing climate change | 19% | 23% | 31% | 27% | -12 | -12 | ||
| Controlling interest rates | 36% | 22% | 4% | 37% | +14 | +16 | ||
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 28% | 35% | 6% | 31% | -7 | -5 | ||
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 25% | 20% | 24% | 31% | +5 | +7 | ||
| Housing affordability | 24% | 31% | 7% | 38% | -7 | – | ||
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 31% | 31% | 6% | 32% | – | +4 | ||
| Security and the war on terrorism | 41% | 19% | 5% | 36% | +22 | +20 | ||
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 28% | 21% | 17% | 34% | +7 | +12 | ||
| Managing population growth | 32% | 19% | 9% | 40% | +13 | +11 |
Note – Differences are calculated by subtracting Labor % from Liberal % – except for the two issues on which the Greens lead in which case it is Liberal minus Greens.
The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war on terrorism (+22), management of the economy (+18), political leadership (+18) and controlling interest rates (+14). The Labor Party is trusted more to handle a fair industrial relations system (-11) and Australian jobs, protection of local industries (-7), ensuring a quality education (-7) and housing affordability (-7).
Main changes since this question was asked last month have been an improvement for the Liberal Party on political leadership (up net 9 points), and improvement for the Labor Party on housing affordability (up 7) and treatment of asylum seekers (up 5).