Q. Which has more to do with why a person is rich?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
Income less than $600 pw |
Income $600-$1,000 pw |
Income $1,000-$1,600 pw |
Income over $1,600 pw |
|
| Because he or she worked harder than others |
28% |
16% |
45% |
14% |
23% |
18% |
24% |
29% |
34% |
||
| Because he or she had more advantages |
56% |
72% |
41% |
69% |
54% |
59% |
63% |
58% |
52% |
||
| Don’t know |
16% |
12% |
14% |
17% |
23% |
23% |
13% |
14% |
14% |
56% think that a person is more likely to be rich because he or she had more advantages and 28% think it is more likely to be because he or she worked harder than others.
Those most likely to think it is because he or she worked harder than others were Liberal/National voters (45%), aged 65+ (37%) and those on incomes over $1,600 pw (34%).
Q. Which of the following would do more to reduce the gap between the rich and poor in Australia?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
Income less than $600 pw |
Income $600-$1,000 pw |
Income $1,000-$1,600 pw |
Income over $1,600 pw |
|
| Raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations to increase support for those on low incomes |
57% |
71% |
41% |
74% |
67% |
71% |
60% |
62% |
52% |
||
| Lowering taxes on the wealthy and corporations to encourage investment and economic growth |
18% |
12% |
30% |
12% |
13% |
12% |
14% |
19% |
25% |
||
| Don’t know |
25% |
17% |
29% |
13% |
20% |
17% |
27% |
19% |
22% |
57% support raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations to increase support for those on low incomes and 18% support lowering taxes on the wealthy and corporations to encourage investment and economic growth.
Those most likely to support increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations were Greens voters (74%), Labor voters 71%) and those earning less than $600 pw (71%).
Q. Compared to five years ago, do you think mining is more important to Australia’s economy, less important to our economy or is it about the same importance?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
| More important than 5 years ago |
22% |
23% |
27% |
14% |
21% |
|
| Less important than 5 years ago |
24% |
26% |
21% |
30% |
28% |
|
| About the same importance |
42% |
40% |
48% |
49% |
34% |
|
| Don’t know |
12% |
11% |
5% |
7% |
17% |
42% think mining is of about the same importance to the economy as five years ago – 24% think it is less important and 22% think it is more important.
Those more likely to think it is less important were aged 18-34 (29%) and Greens voters (30%).
Q. How much do the following groups benefit from Australian mining exports?
|
|
Benefit a lot |
Some benefit |
A little benefit |
No benefit |
Don’t know |
| Mining company executives |
67% |
14% |
5% |
1% |
12% |
| Mining company shareholders |
40% |
37% |
10% |
1% |
12% |
| Foreign companies |
37% |
32% |
11% |
1% |
18% |
| Federal government |
27% |
39% |
18% |
2% |
14% |
| State governments |
22% |
40% |
21% |
2% |
15% |
| Regional communities |
8% |
27% |
35% |
15% |
16% |
| All Australians |
4% |
25% |
41% |
16% |
15% |
| Poor people in the countries we export to |
3% |
11% |
24% |
43% |
20% |
Respondents believed those who benefit most from Australian mining exports are mining company executives (67% benefit a lot), mining company shareholders (40%) and foreign companies (37%).
Those that benefit least are poor people in the countries we export to (67% little/no benefit), all Australians (57%) and regional communities (50%).
Australian Government, budget, Finance
Q. The government is considering savings and taxing options to pay for the war in Iraq, lower commodity prices and its inability to pass savings from its May budget this year. Would you approve or disapprove of the following actions it might take?
|
|
Total approve |
Total dis-approve |
|
Strongly approve |
Approve |
Dis-approve |
Strongly dis-approve |
Don’t know |
| Higher corporate tax |
68% |
22% |
26% |
42% |
15% |
7% |
10% |
|
| Abandon its paid parental leave scheme |
56% |
31% |
31% |
25% |
17% |
14% |
12% |
|
| Cuts to tax concessions in areas like superannuation |
21% |
67% |
4% |
17% |
33% |
34% |
13% |
|
| Higher income taxes |
21% |
69% |
5% |
16% |
31% |
38% |
10% |
|
| Cuts to social services, health or education |
12% |
81% |
2% |
10% |
26% |
55% |
7% |
A majority approve of higher corporate tax (68%) and abandoning the paid parental leave scheme (56%) to pay for the war in Iraq, lower commodity prices and the Government’s inability to pass savings from its May budget this year.
A majority would disapprove of cuts to social services, health or education (81%), higher income taxes (69%) and cuts to tax concessions in areas like superannuation (67%).
Federal Election, 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 = 1,796 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 9/9/14 |
2 weeks ago 23/9/14 |
Last week 30/9/14 |
This week 7/10/14 |
| Liberal |
|
36% |
36% |
37% |
38% |
|
| National |
|
3% |
3% |
2% |
2% |
|
| Total Liberal/National |
45.6% |
39% |
39% |
40% |
40% |
|
| Labor |
33.4% |
38% |
39% |
39% |
39% |
|
| Greens |
8.6% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
10% |
|
| Palmer United Party |
5.5% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
|
| Other/Independent |
6.9% |
9% |
8% |
8% |
7% |
| 2 Party Preferred |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 9/9/14 |
2 weeks ago 23/9/14 |
Last week 30/9/14 |
This week 7/10/14 |
| Liberal National |
53.5% |
48% |
47% |
48% |
48% |
|
| Labor |
46.5% |
52% |
53% |
52% |
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.
Federal Government, government decisions
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the following decisions the Federal Government has made over the last 12 months?
|
Total approve |
Total dis-approve |
Net |
|
Strongly approve |
Approve |
Dis-approve |
Strongly dis-approve |
No opinion |
|
| Turning back asylum seeker boats |
61% |
30% |
+31 |
37% |
24% |
15% |
15% |
10% |
|
| Freezing foreign aid at current levels |
58% |
27% |
+31 |
25% |
33% |
14% |
13% |
15% |
|
| Dumping the carbon tax |
53% |
34% |
+19 |
24% |
29% |
14% |
20% |
12% |
|
| Sending military aid to Iraq |
44% |
43% |
+1 |
12% |
32% |
20% |
23% |
13% |
|
| Dumping the mining tax |
41% |
42% |
-1 |
15% |
26% |
19% |
23% |
18% |
|
| A six-month wait for under-30’s before they can receive unemployment benefits |
38% |
52% |
-14 |
16% |
22% |
21% |
31% |
10% |
|
| Cutting public sector jobs |
34% |
52% |
-18 |
10% |
24% |
28% |
24% |
14% |
|
| Cutting $120 million in future funding to the ABC |
25% |
58% |
-33 |
11% |
14% |
28% |
30% |
17% |
|
| Increasing the pension age |
28% |
63% |
-35 |
9% |
19% |
28% |
35% |
9% |
|
| $7 co-payment for visits to the doctor |
27% |
66% |
-39 |
7% |
20% |
22% |
44% |
8% |
|
| Deregulating university fees |
22% |
63% |
-41 |
6% |
16% |
23% |
40% |
14% |
|
| Cutting $20 billion from future hospital funding to the states |
12% |
81% |
-69 |
4% |
8% |
27% |
54% |
8% |
The most approved Government decisions were turning back asylum seeker boats (61% approve), freezing foreign aid (58%) and dumping the carbon tax (53%). The most disapproved decisions were cutting $20 billion from hospital funding (81% disapprove), $7 co-payment for doctor visits (66%), deregulating university fees (63%) and increasing the pension age (63%).
Sending military aid to Iraq was approved by men (51% approve/39% disapprove) but disapproved by women (37% approve/47% disapprove).
The $7 co-payment was disapproved by 72% of those aged 45-64 and 71% of those earning less than $1,000 pw.
Deregulating university fees was disapproved by 77% of those aged 18-24.
Q. How would you rate the government’s management of the Australian economy compared to how governments in other countries around the world have managed their economies?
|
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
May 2013 |
May 2014 |
| Total Good |
39% |
21% |
68% |
25% |
19% |
39% |
40% |
||
| Total Poor |
28% |
44% |
7% |
52% |
38% |
32% |
31% |
||
| Very good |
11% |
5% |
22% |
4% |
2% |
11% |
9% |
||
| Good |
28% |
16% |
46% |
21% |
17% |
28% |
31% |
||
| Neither good nor poor |
28% |
31% |
24% |
18% |
34% |
24% |
24% |
||
| Poor |
15% |
22% |
6% |
20% |
20% |
17% |
14% |
||
| Very poor |
13% |
22% |
1% |
32% |
18% |
15% |
17% |
||
| Don’t know |
5% |
3% |
1% |
4% |
9% |
5% |
5% |
39% of Australians would rate the government’s management of the economy, compared to other countries around the world, as good.
28% would rate their management of the economy as poor.
There have been no major shifts in attitudes since this question was asked in May.
Labor (21%), Greens (25%) and other (19%) voters were less likely to rate the government’s management of the economy as ‘good’. Lib/Nat voters (68%) were more likely to rate the government’s management of the economy as ‘good’.
47% of those earning $1,600+ pw rate the government’s management ‘good’ and 35% of those earning less than $1,000 pw rate it ‘poor’.