Australian economy, China, foreign investment
Q. Do you think investment in mining and ports by Chinese companies is good or bad for the Australian economy?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total good |
38% |
37% |
50% |
34% |
29% |
|
| Total bad |
36% |
34% |
30% |
38% |
52% |
|
| Very good |
6% |
7% |
7% |
4% |
4% |
|
| Good |
32% |
30% |
43% |
30% |
25% |
|
| Bad |
22% |
24% |
18% |
24% |
28% |
|
| Very bad |
14% |
10% |
12% |
14% |
24% |
|
| Don’t know |
26% |
29% |
20% |
28% |
20% |
38% think that investment in mining and ports by Chinese companies is good for the Australian economy and 36% think it is bad.
Liberal/National voters are more likely to think it is good for the economy (50%), while Labor and Greens voters are almost evenly divided on this issue.
Those most likely to think it is good for the economy were men (48%) and full-time workers (46%). Those most likely to think it is bad were aged 55+ (46%).
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 = 1,838 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 22/7/14 |
2 weeks ago 5/8/14 |
Last week 12/8/14 |
This week 19/8/14 |
| Liberal |
|
37% |
39% |
38% |
37% |
|
| National |
|
3% |
2% |
3% |
3% |
|
| Total Lib/Nat |
45.6% |
40% |
41% |
41% |
40% |
|
| Labor |
33.4% |
38% |
39% |
39% |
38% |
|
| Greens |
8.6% |
9% |
9% |
8% |
9% |
|
| Palmer United Party |
5.5% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
6% |
|
| Other/Independent |
6.9% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
7% |
| 2 Party Preferred |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
4 weeks ago 15/7/14 |
2 weeks ago 29/7/14 |
Last week 5/8/14 |
This week 12/8/14 |
| Liberal National |
53.5% |
48% |
49% |
49% |
48% |
|
| Labor |
46.5% |
52% |
51% |
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. Overall, how would you describe the current state of the Australian economy?
|
|
May 2012 |
Apr 2013 |
Sep 2013 |
Jan 2014 |
Apr 2014 |
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| Total good |
35% |
45% |
40% |
34% |
38% |
37% |
36% |
44% |
41% |
22% |
||
| Total poor |
29% |
26% |
25% |
26% |
24% |
26% |
33% |
19% |
18% |
35% |
||
| Very good |
6% |
8% |
6% |
4% |
3% |
6% |
6% |
6% |
7% |
3% |
||
| Good |
29% |
37% |
34% |
30% |
35% |
31% |
30% |
38% |
34% |
19% |
||
| Neither good nor poor |
33% |
28% |
32% |
36% |
34% |
35% |
29% |
37% |
39% |
42% |
||
| Poor |
20% |
17% |
20% |
21% |
19% |
18% |
21% |
15% |
16% |
20% |
||
| Very poor |
9% |
9% |
5% |
5% |
5% |
8% |
12% |
4% |
2% |
15% |
||
| Don’t know |
2% |
2% |
3% |
4% |
4% |
3% |
2% |
1% |
3% |
1% |
37% described the economy as good or very good and 26% poor/very poor – 35% said it was neither. This represents a small net decline from +14 to +11 since April.
Those most likely to think the economy was good/very good were people with university education (47%). Liberal/National voters (44%) were more likely that Labor voters (36%) to think the economy was good.
Q. From what you have read and heard, do you think the Australian economy is heading in the right direction or the wrong direction?
|
|
May 2010 |
May 2011 |
Jun 2012 |
Apr 2013 |
Sep 2013 |
Jan 2014 |
Apr 2014 |
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/ Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| The right dir-ection |
51% |
45% |
43% |
36% |
44% |
38% |
39% |
35% |
24% |
56% |
26% |
23% |
||
| The wrong dir-ection |
25% |
29% |
32% |
39% |
26% |
33% |
34% |
41% |
54% |
22% |
54% |
54% |
||
| Don’t know |
24% |
25% |
25% |
25% |
30% |
29% |
26% |
24% |
22% |
22% |
19% |
23% |
35% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction and 41% think it is heading in the wrong direction. This represents a net change from +5 to -6 since April – and the most pessimistic response recorded over the last four years.
24% (down 1%) of Labor voters, 56% (down 11%) of Liberal/National voters and 26% (up 4%) of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction. 54% of Labor and Greens voters and 50% of those earning less than $600pw think the economy is heading in the wrong direction.
Concern about job losses, unemployment
Q. How concerned are you that you or some member of your immediate family will lose their job in the next year or so: very concerned, somewhat concerned, or not at all concerned?
|
Total
|
|
Male |
Female |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Aug 2012 |
Feb 2014 |
May 2014 |
|
| Total Concerned |
58% |
56% |
61% |
65% |
52% |
54% |
66% |
47% |
55% |
57% |
|||
| Very concerned |
22% |
23% |
21% |
30% |
14% |
14% |
30% |
13% |
22% |
23% |
|||
| Somewhat concerned |
36% |
33% |
40% |
35% |
38% |
40% |
36% |
34% |
33% |
34% |
|||
| Not at all concerned |
32% |
33% |
32% |
26% |
42% |
35% |
24% |
37% |
31% |
29% |
|||
| Don’t know |
4% |
3% |
5% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
3% |
8% |
6% |
7% |
|||
| No employees in the immediate family |
5% |
8% |
3% |
6% |
3% |
6% |
6% |
7% |
8% |
7% |
More than half (58%) of respondents were concerned that they, or a member of their immediate family will lose their jobs in the next year or so – little change since May.
Females (61%) are more likely to be concerned than males (56%).
Labor (65%) and other (66%) voters are more likely to be concerned. Liberal/National (52%) are less likely to be concerned.
64% of those earning less than $600pw were concerned compared to 52% of those earning more than $1,600pw.
Q. Do you think the Government’s budget will be good or bad for employment in Australia?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total good |
21% |
8% |
46% |
3% |
11% |
|
| Total bad |
49% |
76% |
15% |
74% |
67% |
|
| Very good |
4% |
4% |
8% |
– |
1% |
|
| Good |
17% |
4% |
38% |
3% |
10% |
|
| Neither good nor bad |
21% |
13% |
31% |
12% |
16% |
|
| Bad |
24% |
30% |
13% |
37% |
31% |
|
| Very bad |
25% |
46% |
2% |
37% |
36% |
|
| Don’t know |
9% |
4% |
8% |
11% |
5% |
49% think that the Government’s budget will be bad for employment in Australia and 21% think it will be good for employment.
Among those earning less than $600pw, 17% think it will be good and 60% think it will be bad.
Q. If the Senate refuses to pass major parts of the Government’s budget (e.g. $7 Medicare co-payment, deregulating university fees) which of the following actions do you think the Government should take?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Introduce a new budget |
38% |
22% |
60% |
32% |
30% |
|
| Call an election |
43% |
67% |
19% |
52% |
55% |
|
| Don’t know |
19% |
11% |
20% |
16% |
16% |
If the Senate refuses to pass major parts of the Government’s budget, 43% think the Government should call an election and 38% think they should introduce a new budget.
Liberal/National voters favour introducing a new budget (60%) while 67% of Labor voters think the Government should call an election. A majority of Greens (52%) and other voters (55%) also favour an election.
Q. Would you approve or disapprove of Australia sending troops to Iraq if the USA asks for our support?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total approve |
28% |
21% |
39% |
15% |
30% |
|
| Total disapprove |
60% |
67% |
49% |
68% |
65% |
|
| Strongly approve |
6% |
6% |
9% |
– |
6% |
|
| Approve |
22% |
15% |
30% |
15% |
24% |
|
| Disapprove |
34% |
36% |
31% |
34% |
30% |
|
| Strongly disapprove |
26% |
31% |
18% |
34% |
35% |
|
| Don’t know |
13% |
12% |
12% |
17% |
5% |
60% would disapprove of Australia sending troops to Iraq if the USA asks for our support and 28% would approve.
About two-thirds of Labor, Greens and other voters disapprove. Liberal/National voters were divided, but were more likely to disapprove (39% approve/49% disapprove).