Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Joe Hockey is doing as Treasurer?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/ Nat |
Vote Greens | Vote other | Nov 2013 | Aug 2014 | Mar 2015 | May 2015
Pre-budget |
May 2015
Post-budget |
|||
| Total approve | 30% | 9% | 64% | 8% | 19% | 45% | 35% | 27% | 30% | 34% | ||
| Total disapprove | 52% | 77% | 20% | 84% | 62% | 28% | 44% | 51% | 48% | 44% | ||
| Strongly approve | 5% | 1% | 13% | – | 2% | 13% | 11% | 6% | 6% | 8% | ||
| Approve | 25% | 8% | 51% | 8% | 17% | 32% | 24% | 21% | 24% | 26% | ||
| Disapprove | 24% | 28% | 16% | 28% | 36% | 15% | 20% | 25% | 25% | 23% | ||
| Strongly disapprove | 28% | 49% | 4% | 56% | 26% | 13% | 24% | 26% | 23% | 21% | ||
| Don’t know | 19% | 14% | 15% | 8% | 18% | 27% | 21% | 22% | 23% | 22% |
30% approve of the job Joe Hockey is doing as Treasurer and 52% disapprove. 19% could not give an opinion.
Since May 2014 (post-budget), Hockey’s disapproval rating has risen from 44% to 52%. Overall his net approval rating has dropped from -10 to -22. This is lower than his pre-budget 2015 net approval rating of -18.
64% of Liberal/National voters approve of the job Joe Hockey is doing as Treasurer – 20% disapprove. 77% of Labor and 84% of Greens voters disapprove of the job Joe Hockey is doing as Treasurer.
By gender – 33% of men approve and 43% disapprove; 27% of women approve and 49% disapprove. Hockey’s approval rating by women is -22 and for men is -11.
royal commission, Trade Unions
Q. Dyson Heydon, the head of the Royal Commission into trade unions has ruled that he will continue as the head of the Royal Commission after being accused of bias for agreeing to appear at a Liberal Party fund-raiser. Do you think Dyson Heydon should continue as Royal Commissioner or should he stand down?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Should continue | 32% | 14% | 62% | 17% | 23% | |
| Should stand down | 42% | 64% | 16% | 66% | 50% | |
| Don’t know | 27% | 22% | 22% | 17% | 27% |
The largest proportion of Australian’s believes that Dyson Heydon should stand down (42%), however 32% think he should continue. 27% can give no opinion.
Amongst Liberal/National voters the majority (62%) think he should continue, while amongst Labor (64%), Greens (66%) and Other voters (50%) the majority think he should stand down.
Note: by way of comparison the question below was published in the Essential Report on the 25th August 2015.
Q. Reports that the Trade Union Royal Commissioner, Dyson Heydon, had accepted an invitation to speak at Liberal Party event has led to allegations of conflict of interest. Which of the following statements is closest to your view?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| There is a conflict of interest and he should step down as Royal Commissioner | 38% | 56% | 18% | 55% | 45% | |
| There is no conflict of interest and he should continue as Royal Commissioner | 25% | 9% | 50% | 6% | 21% | |
| Don’t know | 37% | 35% | 32% | 39% | 34% |
royal commission, Trade Unions
Q. Do you believe the Royal Commission into Trade Unions is biased against unions and the Labor Party?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Yes – biased against unions | 5% | 6% | 4% | 2% | 7% | |
| Yes – biased against Labor Party | 7% | 9% | 7% | 16% | 6% | |
| Yes – based against both unions and Labor | 24% | 43% | 4% | 43% | 26% | |
| No – not biased at all | 29% | 11% | 60% | 6% | 21% | |
| Don’t know | 35% | 31% | 26% | 33% | 40% |
29% of Australians – the largest proportion who gave an answer – believe that the Royal Commission into Trade Unions is not biased.
However, 35% could not give an opinion.
24% believe the Royal Commission is biased against both unions and the Labor Party, while a further 5% believe it to be biased against just unions and 7% biased just against the Labor party.
Q. It has recently been reported that international students working at 7-Eleven stores have been systematically underpaid. Which of the following statements most reflects your view?
| Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| International students are lucky to get any work and should be happy with whatever they are paid. | 10% | 10% | 13% | 7% | 8% | |
| Just like any workers, international students deserve to receive a fair wage. | 71% | 64% | 75% | 82% | 83% | |
| If international students are underpaid it drives down wages for others. | 11% | 16% | 7% | 8% | 5% | |
| Don’t know | 9% | 10% | 5% | 3% | 4% |
The majority if Australians (71%) believe that just like any workers, international students deserve to receive a fair wage.
Just 10% believe that international students are lucky to get any work and should be happy with whatever they are paid. 11% believe that if international students are underpaid it drives down wages for others.
64% of Labor, 75% of Liberal/National and 82% of Greens voters believe that just like any workers, international students deserve to receive a fair wage.
Q. Who do you think is mainly responsible for the underpayment of 7-Eleven workers?
| Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| The workers themselves | 3% | 3% | 6% | – | 2% | |
| The individual store owners | 33% | 35% | 37% | 19% | 32% | |
| The 7-Eleven company | 49% | 50% | 46% | 67% | 52% | |
| The Government | 4% | 5% | 3% | 6% | 4% | |
| Don’t know | 10% | 7% | 9% | 9% | 11% |
The largest proportion of Australians (49%) believe that the 7-Eleven company is mainly responsible for the underpayment of workers.
A further 33% believe that the individual store owners are responsible.
Just 3% blame the workers themselves, and 4% the government. 10% don’t know.
Greens voters (67%) were more likely than the other voting groups to blame the 7-Eleven company.
Q. Would you support or oppose cutting income tax and raising the GST to 15%?
| Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
| Total support | 27% | 18% | 41% | 17% | 29% | |
| Total oppose | 52% | 63% | 43% | 64% | 53% | |
| Strongly support | 7% | 4% | 13% | 2% | 3% | |
| Support | 20% | 14% | 28% | 15% | 26% | |
| Oppose | 26% | 25% | 28% | 29% | 26% | |
| Strongly oppose | 26% | 38% | 15% | 35% | 27% | |
| Don’t know | 21% | 19% | 16% | 19% | 18% |
The majority (52%) of Australians are opposed to cutting income tax and raising the GST to 15%. 27% support this policy.
Although more likely than the average to support this policy (41%), in total a slightly larger proportion of Liberal/National voters oppose it (43%).
Labor (63%) and Greens (64%) voters were more likely to oppose this policy.
Males (33%) were more likely than females (20%) to support this policy. Likewise females (51%) were more likely than males (43%) to oppose it.
Opposition was high across the three largest states with 49% in NSW, 47% in QLD and 45% in VIC opposing this policy. 25% in NSW, 29% in QLD and 28% in VIC support the policy.
federal politics 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 = 1,799 respondents
|
First preference/leaning to |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
4 weeks ago 4/8/15 |
2 weeks ago 18/8/15 |
Last week 25/8/15 |
This week 1/9/15 |
|
|
Liberal |
36% |
38% |
38% |
37% |
||
|
National |
3% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
||
|
Total Liberal/National |
45.6% |
39% |
41% |
41% |
40% |
|
|
Labor |
33.4% |
38% |
38% |
37% |
38% |
|
|
Greens |
8.6% |
12% |
10% |
10% |
11% |
|
|
Palmer United Party |
5.5% |
1% |
2% |
1% |
2% |
|
|
Other/Independent |
6.9% |
9% |
9% |
10% |
10% |
|
2 Party Preferred |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
4 weeks ago 4/8/15 |
2 weeks ago 18/8/15 |
Last week 25/8/15 |
This week 1/9/15 |
|
|
Liberal National |
53.5% |
47% |
48% |
49% |
48% |
|
|
Labor |
46.5% |
53% |
52% |
51% |
52% |
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.
Q. Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
|
Liberal |
Labor |
Greens |
Don’t know |
Difference |
Difference Feb 2015 |
|||
|
Management of the economy |
40% |
24% |
5% |
31% |
+16 |
+17 |
||
|
Ensuring a quality education for all children |
29% |
33% |
8% |
31% |
-4 |
-10 |
||
|
Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system |
29% |
31% |
8% |
31% |
-2 |
-10 |
||
|
Protecting the environment |
20% |
15% |
40% |
25% |
-20 |
-25 |
||
|
A fair industrial relations system |
27% |
35% |
7% |
31% |
-8 |
-10 |
||
|
Political leadership |
32% |
23% |
8% |
36% |
+9 |
+7 |
||
|
Addressing climate change |
21% |
19% |
33% |
27% |
-12 |
-17 |
||
|
Controlling interest rates |
37% |
21% |
5% |
37% |
+16 |
+13 |
||
|
Australian jobs and protection of local industries |
29% |
34% |
6% |
31% |
-5 |
-9 |
||
|
Ensuring a quality water supply |
27% |
20% |
21% |
32% |
+7 |
+6 |
||
|
Housing affordability |
27% |
27% |
7% |
38% |
– |
-6 |
||
|
Ensuring a fair taxation system |
32% |
28% |
7% |
33% |
+4 |
-2 |
||
|
Security and the war on terrorism |
40% |
20% |
5% |
34% |
+20 |
+19 |
||
|
Treatment of asylum seekers |
31% |
19% |
19% |
31% |
+12 |
+13 |
||
|
Managing population growth |
31% |
20% |
8% |
41% |
+11 |
+12 |
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 (+20), management of the economy (+16), controlling interest rates (+16) and treatment of asylum seekers (+12). The Labor Party is trusted more to handle a fair industrial relations system (-8) and Australian jobs and protection of local industries (-5).
Main changes since this question was asked in February have been an improvement for the Liberal Party on the health system (up net 8 points), education (up 6), housing affordability (up 6) and taxation (up 6).