federal politics, federal politics voting intention, 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 = 1,823 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 29/7/14 |
2 weeks ago 12/8/14 |
Last week 19/8/14 |
This week 26/8/14 |
| Liberal |
|
38% |
38% |
37% |
36% |
|
| National |
2% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
||
| Total Lib/Nat |
45.6% |
41% |
41% |
40% |
39% |
|
| Labor |
33.4% |
38% |
39% |
38% |
37% |
|
| Greens |
8.6% |
9% |
8% |
9% |
10% |
|
| Palmer United Party |
5.5% |
5% |
5% |
6% |
6% |
|
| Other/Independent |
6.9% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
8% |
| 2 Party Preferred |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 29/7/14 |
2 weeks ago 12/8/14 |
Last week 19/8/14 |
This week 26/8/14 |
| Liberal National |
53.5% |
49% |
49% |
48% |
48% |
|
| Labor |
46.5% |
51% |
51% |
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.
aboriginal, aboriginal people, referendum
Q. If a referendum was held to include recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution, would you vote for or against?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Vote for |
58% |
69% |
50% |
74% |
50% |
|
| Vote against |
10% |
6% |
16% |
2% |
15% |
|
| Not sure |
32% |
24% |
35% |
24% |
35% |
58% would vote in a referendum to include recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution and only 10% would vote against. 32% were not sure how they would vote.
74% of Greens voters and 69% of Labor voters would vote for the change compared to 50% of Liberal/National voters.
Social Class, social class in australia
Q. Do you believe social classes still exist in Australia?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Income under $600pw |
Income $600 – $1,000pw |
Income $1,000 – $1,600pw |
Income $1,600+ |
|
| Yes |
79% |
82% |
78% |
81% |
78% |
74% |
80% |
77% |
84% |
||
| No |
7% |
5% |
9% |
8% |
8% |
8% |
6% |
9% |
5% |
||
| Don’t know |
14% |
12% |
13% |
11% |
15% |
18% |
14% |
14% |
11% |
79% agreed that social class still exists in Australia – only 7% disagreed. There was little variation across voter and demographic groups.
Middle class, Social Class, Working class
Q. Do you consider yourself –
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/ |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Income under $600 |
Income $600 – $1,000 |
Income $1,000 – $1,600 |
Income $1,600+ |
|
April 2013 |
|
| Working class |
31% |
36% |
27% |
24% |
38% |
39% |
42% |
32% |
24% |
33% |
|||
| Middle class |
49% |
46% |
58% |
51% |
39% |
29% |
36% |
54% |
64% |
53% |
|||
| Upper class |
2% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
3% |
2% |
* |
1% |
3% |
2% |
|||
| None of them |
13% |
11% |
10% |
16% |
17% |
25% |
17% |
10% |
6% |
10% |
|||
| Don’t know |
6% |
5% |
3% |
8% |
3% |
5% |
5% |
4% |
4% |
3% |
49% of respondents described themselves as “middle class” and 31% as “working class” – only 2% claimed to be “upper class”.
Those on higher incomes were more likely to identify as “middle class” while those on lower incomes were less likely to identify with any of these descriptions.
The results are not substantially different from those when this question was asked last year.
Q. Whose interests do you think the Labor Party mainly represent?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Working class |
Middle class |
|
April 2013 |
|
| Working class |
41% |
53% |
39% |
27% |
35% |
44% |
45% |
30% |
|||
| Middle class |
14% |
18% |
10% |
27% |
16% |
10% |
18% |
16% |
|||
| Upper class |
8% |
3% |
10% |
14% |
13% |
11% |
6% |
13% |
|||
| All of them |
8% |
14% |
3% |
11% |
6% |
6% |
8% |
8% |
|||
| None of them |
16% |
3% |
30% |
6% |
19% |
17% |
15% |
22% |
|||
| Don’t know |
13% |
10% |
8% |
15% |
11% |
12% |
8% |
11% |
41% believe that the Labor Party mainly represents working class people and 16% don’t think they represent any class. 53% of Labor voters think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class and 27% of Greens voters think they mainly represent the middle class. 30% of Liberal/National voters don’t think they represent any class.
44% of respondents who describe themselves as working class and 45% of those who say they are middle class think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class.
Since this question was asked in April 2013, the proportion thinking that Labor represents the working class has increased from 30% to 41%.
parties, political parties, Social Class
Q. Whose interests do you think the Liberal Party mainly represent?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Working class |
Middle class |
|
April 2013 |
|
| Working class |
4% |
2% |
7% |
– |
3% |
7% |
3% |
5% |
|||
| Middle class |
17% |
7% |
31% |
12% |
11% |
13% |
22% |
20% |
|||
| Upper class |
47% |
74% |
20% |
65% |
55% |
54% |
49% |
40% |
|||
| All of them |
14% |
4% |
32% |
2% |
8% |
11% |
15% |
17% |
|||
| None of them |
8% |
6% |
6% |
6% |
10% |
7% |
5% |
8% |
|||
| Don’t know |
11% |
7% |
4% |
14% |
13% |
8% |
7% |
9% |
47% believe that the Liberal Party mainly represents upper class people and 17% think they represent the middle class. 74% of Labor voters and 65% of Greens voters think the Liberal Party mainly represent the upper class. 31% of Liberal/National voters think they represent the middle class and 32% think they represent all classes.
54% of respondents who describe themselves as working class and 49% of those who say they are middle class think the Liberal Party mainly represents the upper class.
Since this question was asked in April 2013, the proportion thinking that the Liberals represent the upper class has increased from 40% to 47%.
Q. Which of the following do you think has been Australia’s best Treasurer?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Paul Keating |
23% |
36% |
12% |
21% |
29% |
|
| Peter Costello |
30% |
16% |
54% |
18% |
24% |
|
| Wayne Swan |
8% |
16% |
3% |
8% |
6% |
|
| Joe Hockey |
5% |
– |
10% |
1% |
4% |
|
| Don’t know |
35% |
33% |
21% |
52% |
38% |
Of the four options given, 30% think Peter Costello has been Australia’s best Treasurer and 23% think Paul Keating had been the best Treasurer.
36% of Labor voters favour Paul Keating and 54% of Liberal/National voters favour Peter Costello.
Australia's economy, economic, economic management
Q. Which party – Labor or Liberal – do you think is best when it comes to:
|
Labor |
Liberal |
No Difference |
Don’t Know |
Difference (Labor v. Liberal) |
|
Difference May 2014 |
|
| Representing the interests of Australian working families |
48% |
17% |
25% |
11% |
+31% |
+27% |
|
| Representing the interests of you and people like you |
35% |
27% |
27% |
11% |
+8% |
+10% |
|
| Standing up for the middle class in Australia |
30% |
28% |
27% |
15% |
+2% |
+14% |
|
| Representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests |
9% |
59% |
19% |
13% |
-50% |
-41% |
|
| Being more concerned about the interests of working families in Australia than the rich and large business and financial interests |
47% |
15% |
24% |
14% |
+32% |
+29% |
|
| Handling the economy overall |
23% |
37% |
27% |
14% |
-14% |
-14% |
|
| Handling the economy in a way that tries to take the interests of working families into consideration as much as it takes the interests of the large corporate and financial groups |
34% |
23% |
27% |
15% |
+11% |
+10% |
|
| Handling the economy in a way that best helps small business |
24% |
32% |
27% |
17% |
-8% |
-5% |
|
| Handling the economy in a way that best helps the middle class |
25% |
32% |
28% |
14% |
-7% |
+1% |
|
| Handling the economy in a way that helps you and people like you the most. |
32% |
27% |
27% |
14% |
+5% |
+8% |
Labor was more likely to be selected as the party best at all of the items, except for ‘Representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests’ (59% Liberal, 9% Labor), ‘Handling the economy overall’ (37% Liberal, 23% Labor), ‘Handling the economy in a way that best helps small business’ (32% Liberal, 24% Labor) and ‘Handling the economy in a way that best helps the middle class’ (32% Liberal, 25% Labor).
Since this question was asked in May, the main shifts have been for “Standing up for the middle class in Australia “ (Labor down 12%), “Handling the economy in a way that best helps the middle class” (Labor down 8%) and “Representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests” (Liberals up 9%).