Q. Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way the Liberal-National Coalition government is handling the federal budget?
Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | May 2014 | |||
Total approve | 34% | 12% | 75% | 5% | 19% | 30% | ||
Total disapprove | 33% | 55% | 5% | 71% | 42% | 52% | ||
Strongly approve | 8% | 3% | 19% | – | – | 10% | ||
Approve | 26% | 9% | 56% | 5% | 19% | 20% | ||
Neither approve nor disapprove | 26% | 28% | 18% | 19% | 34% | 14% | ||
Disapprove | 19% | 30% | 4% | 35% | 29% | 19% | ||
Strongly disapprove | 14% | 25% | 1% | 36% | 13% | 33% | ||
Don’t know | 8% | 4% | 2% | 5% | 6% | 4% |
About one third (34%) of respondents approve of the way the Liberal/National Coalition government is handling the federal budget – up 4% compared to last year’s budget. 33% disapprove (down 19%) and 26% neither approve nor disapprove (up 12%).
Labor (55%) and Greens (71%) voters were far more likely to disapprove. Liberal/National voters were more likely to approve (75%).
Those on higher incomes ($1,600+ pw) were more likely to approve (42% approve/28% disapprove).
Q. Do you think Australia’s economy is heading in the right or wrong direction?
|
Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | May 2010 | May 2011 | Jun 2012 | Apr 2013 | Apr 2014 | Aug 2014 | ||
The right direction | 35% | 19% | 67% | 9% | 23% | 51% | 45% | 43% | 36% | 39% | 35% | ||
The wrong direction | 40% | 58% | 14% | 65% | 58% | 25% | 29% | 32% | 39% | 34% | 41% | ||
Don’t know | 25% | 23% | 19% | 27% | 19% | 24% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 26% | 24% |
35% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction and 40% think it is heading in the wrong direction. This represents no significant change since this question was asked last August.
19% (down 5%) of Labor voters, 67% (up 11%) of Liberal/National voters and 9% (down 17%) of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction. 58% (up 4%) of Labor voters, 65% (up 11%) of Greens voters and 48% of those earning less than $1,000pw think the economy is heading in the wrong direction.
Q. Does this budget make you feel more confident or less confident in the Government’s ability to manage the economy?
Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
Total more confident | 31% | 15% | 60% | 9% | 17% | |
Total less confident | 31% | 50% | 7% | 58% | 34% | |
A lot more confident | 7% | 2% | 16% | – | – | |
A little more confident | 24% | 13% | 44% | 9% | 17% | |
Makes no difference | 31% | 32% | 28% | 27% | 41% | |
A little less confident | 14% | 20% | 5% | 26% | 17% | |
A lot less confident | 17% | 30% | 2% | 32% | 17% | |
Don’t know | 7% | 4% | 4% | 6% | 7% |
31% say the budget makes them feel more confident in the Government’s ability to manage the economy and 31% say it makes them less confident.
31% say it makes no difference.
There were no substantial differences across demographic groups.
Q. Do you think this budget is better or worse than last year’s budget?
Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | ||
Total better | 45% | 39% | 65% | 28% | 43% | |
Total worse | 15% | 21% | 6% | 33% | 20% | |
Much better | 11% | 7% | 23% | 1% | 4% | |
A little better | 34% | 32% | 42% | 27% | 39% | |
About the same | 31% | 35% | 25% | 31% | 30% | |
A little worse | 10% | 12% | 5% | 21% | 14% | |
Much worse | 5% | 9% | 1% | 12% | 6% | |
Don’t know | 9% | 5% | 4% | 7% | 7% |
45% think this year’s budget is better than last year’s and 15% think it is worse. 31% think it is about the same.
Those most likely to think it is better were Liberal/National voters (65%) and respondents aged 55+ (63%).
Q. In general, do you think the Federal Budget, announced on Tuesday 12th May 2015 will be good or bad for?
Total good | Total bad
|
Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | 2014 good | 2014 bad | |||
You personally | 15% | 28% | 3% | 12% | 48% | 19% | 9% | 9% | 13% | 52% | ||
Average working people | 22% | 27% | 3% | 19% | 41% | 20% | 7% | 11% | 14% | 59% | ||
Australian business | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 36% | 23% | ||
Small businesses | 66% | 6% | 22% | 44% | 18% | 4% | 2% | 11% | – | – | ||
Big businesses | 34% | 10% | 12% | 22% | 42% | 8% | 2% | 16% | – | – | ||
The economy over all | 30% | 22% | 5% | 25% | 37% | 16% | 6% | 11% | 40% | 32% | ||
People who are well off | 36% | 14% | 13% | 23% | 39% | 12% | 2% | 11% | 45% | 16% | ||
People on lower incomes | 22% | 34% | 3% | 19% | 33% | 21% | 13% | 11% | 11% | 66% | ||
Australian families | 29% | 27% | 5% | 24% | 34% | 19% | 8% | 11% | 11% | 62% | ||
Older Australians | 20% | 34% | 3% | 17% | 35% | 23% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 66% | ||
Younger Australians | 21% | 29% | 3% | 18% | 37% | 20% | 9% | 13% | 16% | 55% |
Two thirds (66%) of respondents think the budget will be good for small businesses.
Respondents also thought the budget was more likely to be good for big businesses (34% good/10% bad), the economy overall (30%/22%) and people who are well off (36%/14%).
Compared to last year’s budget, this year’s budget was considered better (or less bad) for all groups except the economy overall where good has dropped from 40% to 30% – and bad has dropped similarly, from 32% to 22%. For all groups, those who say the budget will be neither good nor bad has increased.
Q. Please indicate whether – in general – you agree with the following statements about the Federal budget that was handed down on Tuesday 12th May.
Total agree | Total dis-
agree
|
Strongly agree | Agree | Neither | Dis-
agree |
Strongly dis-
agree |
Don’t know | ||
Overall, the budget is fair and balanced | 28% | 32% | 4% | 24% | 28% | 21% | 11% | 12% | |
This budget does not do enough to reduce the deficit | 37% | 18% | 10% | 27% | 30% | 15% | 3% | 14% | |
This was the budget Australia needs at this time | 28% | 31% | 4% | 24% | 28% | 19% | 12% | 14% | |
This budget favours businesses over workers | 47% | 12% | 16% | 31% | 28% | 10% | 2% | 13% | |
This budget fixes the problems in last year’s budget | 20% | 37% | 3% | 17% | 29% | 26% | 11% | 14% | |
This budget is more about improving the Government’s popularity than improving the economy | 50% | 19% | 22% | 28% | 20% | 13% | 6% | 11% |
About half the respondents agree that the budget is “more about improving the Government’s popularity than improving the economy” (50%) and that the budget “favours businesses over workers” (47%). They were also more likely to think that the budget “does not do enough to reduce the deficit” (37% agree/18% disagree).
They were more likely to disagree that “this budget fixes the problems in last year’s budget” (20% agree/37% disagree) but split over whether the budget is “fair and balanced” or is “the budget Australia needs at this time”.
Q. Some people say that there is a “budget emergency” in Australia. Which of the following is closest to your view?
Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | May 2014 | |||
I agree that there is a ‘budget emergency’ in Australia, and I believe that the recently announced budget changes will help bring the budget back into line. | 19% | 9% | 39% | 1% | 8% | 32% | ||
I agree that there is a ‘budget emergency’ in Australia, but I don’t think the recently announced budget changes will help bring the budget back into line. | 32% | 34% | 32% | 26% | 42% | 24% | ||
I do not believe we have a budget emergency in Australia | 30% | 40% | 19% | 54% | 31% | 32% | ||
Don’t know | 19% | 17% | 10% | 19% | 19% | 11% |
Overall, 51% of Australians agree that there is a budget emergency – down 5% since this time last year.
19% agree that there is a budget emergency and that the recent budget will help bring the budget back into line – down 13%. 32% (up 8%) agree that there is a budget emergency, but that the recent budget will not bring the budget back into line.
30% (down 2%) do not believe there is a budget emergency.
Labor (40%) and Greens (54%) voters were more likely to think that we do not have a budget emergency in Australia.
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 = 1,773 respondents
First preference/leaning to | Election 7 Sep 13 | 4 weeks ago14/4/15 | 2 weeks ago 28/4/15 | Last week5/5/15 | This week 12/5/15 | |
Liberal | 37% | 36% | 37% | 38% | ||
National | 3% | 4% | 3% | 3% | ||
Total Liberal/National | 45.6% | 41% | 40% | 40% | 41% | |
Labor | 33.4% | 39% | 39% | 39% | 39% | |
Greens | 8.6% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 11% | |
Palmer United Party | 5.5% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | |
Other/Independent | 6.9% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 8% |
2 Party Preferred | Election 7 Sep 13 | 4 weeks ago14/4/15 | 2 weeks ago 28/4/15 | Last week5/5/15 | This week 12/5/15 | |
Liberal National | 53.5% | 48% | 47% | 47% | 48% | |
Labor | 46.5% | 52% | 53% | 53% | 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.