economic issue, electricity costs, petrol prices
Q. How concerned are you personally about the following economic issues?
|
Very concerned |
Somewhat concerned |
Not so concerned |
Not at all concerned |
Don’t know |
|
| Cost of electricity and gas |
57% |
28% |
12% |
2% |
2% |
| Cost of petrol |
49% |
33% |
11% |
4% |
3% |
| Cost of food and groceries |
45% |
37% |
13% |
3% |
2% |
| Housing affordability |
40% |
35% |
18% |
4% |
3% |
| Job security |
35% |
34% |
21% |
8% |
3% |
| Wealth disparity |
33% |
30% |
22% |
7% |
9% |
| Unemployment |
31% |
41% |
19% |
6% |
4% |
| Tax levels |
28% |
36% |
25% |
8% |
4% |
| Interest rates |
25% |
31% |
30% |
11% |
3% |
| Value of the Australian dollar |
22% |
31% |
34% |
8% |
5% |
| The current budget deficit |
21% |
33% |
29% |
11% |
6% |
| National debt |
21% |
33% |
30% |
11% |
5% |
Economic issues of most concern were cost of electricity/gas (57% very concerned), cost of petrol (49%), cost of food and groceries (45%) and housing affordability (40%).
68% of those aged 45+ were very concerned about the cost of electricity/gas.
Women were more concerned than men about cost of food and groceries (51% vs 39% very concerned), cost of electricity/gas (62% vs 52%) and cost of petrol (56% vs 43%).
Q. Thinking about housing supply and affordability – which of the following would be the best way to make housing more affordable? And which would second?
|
Best way to make housing affordable |
Second best way to make housing affordable |
Total |
|
| Make it easier for first home buyers to get a mortgage |
20% |
17% |
37% |
| Increase the first home buyers grant |
13% |
15% |
28% |
| Scrap negative gearing (which is a tax benefit to investors) |
17% |
10% |
27% |
| Open up more land for development around the city fringes |
11% |
12% |
23% |
| Build more medium density housing |
9% |
13% |
22% |
| Build more public housing |
11% |
9% |
20% |
| Build more high rise housing |
2% |
5% |
7% |
| Don’t know |
15% |
6% |
15% |
The best ways to make housing more affordable were thought to be making it easier for first home buyers to get a mortgage (37%), increasing the first home buyers grant (28%) and scrapping negative gearing (27%).
Among those aged 18-35, 38% favoured making it easier to get a mortgage and 38% favoured increasing the first home buyers grant.
36% of those aged 55+ favoured scrapping negative gearing.
Q. Do you consider that the amount of income tax you pay is too high, too low or about right?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Too high |
42% |
41% |
42% |
40% |
41% |
|
| About right |
40% |
39% |
46% |
47% |
38% |
|
| Too low |
3% |
2% |
2% |
5% |
6% |
|
| Not sure |
15% |
18% |
10% |
8% |
15% |
42% think that the amount of income tax they pay is too high and 40% think it is about right.
Those more likely to think it is too high were full-time workers (52%), aged 35-54 (52%) and incomes over $1,600 pw (49%).
Those more likely to think it is about right were aged 55+ (53%) and incomes $1,000-$1,600 pw (47%).
Q. Would you rather have more government services if that meant more taxes, less government services in order to reduce taxes or services and taxes about as we have them now?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| More services and more taxes |
19% |
25% |
13% |
31% |
21% |
|
| Less services and reduce taxes |
28% |
24% |
33% |
19% |
28% |
|
| Services and taxes as now |
35% |
33% |
39% |
31% |
31% |
|
| Don’t know |
19% |
17% |
14% |
20% |
20% |
35% are satisfied with the balance of taxes and services as we have them now, 28% want less services and reduced taxes and 19% would pay more taxes for more services.
Those most likely to want lower taxes and services were Liberal/National voters (33%) and full-time workers (33%).
Those most likely to prefer more services and taxes were Greens voters (31%) and those with university education (26%).
corporations, cost to taxpayers
Q. Do you think that making big corporations pay more tax would be good for the economy because it would increase Government revenue or bad for the economy because the companies would be less competitive?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Good for the economy |
59% |
68% |
52% |
76% |
60% |
|
| Bad for the economy |
17% |
13% |
26% |
8% |
20% |
|
| Don’t know |
24% |
20% |
22% |
16% |
21% |
59% think that making big corporations pay more tax would be good for the economy and 17% think it would be bad.
A majority of all voter groups thought it would be good for the economy – although Liberal/National voters were the most likely to think it would be bad for the economy (26%).
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 = 1,796 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 2/9/14 |
2 weeks ago 16/9/14 |
Last week 23/9/14 |
This week 30/9/14 |
| Liberal |
|
36% |
35% |
36% |
37% |
|
| National |
4% |
3% |
3% |
2% |
||
| Total Liberal/National |
45.6% |
40% |
39% |
39% |
40% |
|
| Labor |
33.4% |
38% |
38% |
39% |
39% |
|
| Greens |
8.6% |
9% |
11% |
10% |
10% |
|
| Palmer United Party |
5.5% |
5% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
|
| Other/Independent |
6.9% |
8% |
9% |
8% |
8% |
| 2 Party Preferred |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 2/9/14 |
2 weeks ago 16/9/14 |
Last week 23/9/14 |
This week 30/9/14 |
| 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.
Q. Do you believe that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate which happens from time to time?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/ |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Nov 09 |
Dec 10 |
Jun 11 |
Oct 12 |
Oct 13 |
Jan 14 |
Apr 14 |
Jun 14 |
|
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity |
56% |
72% |
32% |
92% |
55% |
53% |
45% |
50% |
48% |
52% |
51% |
56% |
53% |
||
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate |
30% |
19% |
51% |
4% |
35% |
34% |
36% |
39% |
39% |
36% |
39% |
34% |
35% |
||
| Don’t know |
14% |
9% |
16% |
4% |
10% |
13% |
19% |
12% |
13% |
12% |
11% |
10% |
12% |
56% (up 3% since June) agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 30% (down 5%) believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is the equal highest recorded belief in climate change – and the lowest level of disbelief.
By age groups, those aged under 35 split 70%/16% and those aged 55+ split 50%/41%. People with higher education were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those with university degrees split 69%/20%.
climate change, global warming
Q. Over the last 2 years, have you become more concerned or less concerned about the environmental effects of global warming or do you feel about the same as you did 2 years ago?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total more concerned |
52% |
61% |
34% |
89% |
52% |
|
| Total less concerned |
9% |
10% |
14% |
2% |
6% |
|
| Much more concerned |
22% |
27% |
11% |
65% |
18% |
|
| A little more concerned |
30% |
34% |
23% |
24% |
34% |
|
| About the same |
35% |
28% |
49% |
7% |
40% |
|
| A little less concerned |
6% |
8% |
8% |
2% |
1% |
|
| Much less concerned |
3% |
2% |
6% |
– |
5% |
|
| Don’t know |
4% |
2% |
3% |
2% |
3% |
52% say they have become more concerned about the environmental effects of global warming over the last two years and 9% have become less concerned – 35% feel about the same.
Those most likely to have become more concerned were Labor voters (61%), Greens voters (89%), aged 18-34 (59%) and people with university degrees (63%).