28 January 2014, 280114, Federal Government, welfare payments
Q. Overall, do you think the Federal Government spends too much, not enough or about the right amount on welfare payments – such as age pensions, disability support pensions, unemployment benefits, parenting payments?
|
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| Too much |
24% |
12% |
36% |
18% |
25% |
|
| Not enough |
41% |
56% |
27% |
47% |
40% |
|
| About right |
27% |
27% |
29% |
29% |
27% |
|
| Don’t know |
9% |
5% |
9% |
7% |
8% |
41% think the Government does not spend enough on welfare payments, 27% think spending is about right and 24% think it spends too much.
Those most likely to think it spends too much were Liberal/National voters (36%), full-time workers (33%) and those on income over $1,600pw (34%).
Those most likely to think it doesn’t spend enough were Labor voters (56%) and those on incomes under $600pw (64%).
28 January 2014, 280114, age pension, disability support pension, parenting payment, Pension and benefit
Q. Do you think the following pensions and benefits are too high, too low or about right?
|
Too high |
Too low |
About right |
Don’t know |
|
Too high |
Too low |
About right |
Don’t know |
||
| Age pension |
2% |
64% |
25% |
8% |
Age pension ($827 a fortnight for a single person) |
5% |
52% |
35% |
8% |
|
| Disability support pension |
8% |
47% |
31% |
14% |
Disability support pension ($813 a fortnight) |
8% |
47% |
35% |
10% |
|
| Unemployment benefit |
27% |
27% |
35% |
11% |
Unemployment benefit ($501 a fortnight for a single person without children) |
25% |
35% |
31% |
9% |
|
| Parenting payment |
31% |
23% |
32% |
14% |
Parenting payment ($700 a fortnight for a single parent) |
26% |
34% |
29% |
10% |
Note: Half the sample was asked this question without specifying the payment amounts and half was asked with the payment amounts specified.
For half the sample that were not told the specific payment amount, 64% thought the age pension was too low and 47% thought the disability support pension was too low. Opinions on unemployment benefits and parenting payments were split – on unemployment benefits the most common response was “about right” (35%) and about right (32%) or too high (31%) for parenting payments.
The half that were told the payments amounts were less likely to think the age pension was too low (52%), had similar perceptions of the disability support pension and were more likely to think unemployment benefits (35%) and parenting payments (34%) were too low.
For the age pension while 58% of those aged 65+ thought it was too low, 76% of those aged 45-64 thought it was too low.
28 January 2014, 280114, disability support pension, eligibility for age pension, parenting payment, tougher eligbility, unemployment benefit
Q. Would you support or oppose making eligibility tougher for the following benefits and pensions?
|
|
Total support |
Total |
|
Strongly support |
Support |
Oppose |
Strongly oppose |
Don’t know |
| Age pension |
17% |
75% |
5% |
12% |
40% |
35% |
8% |
|
| Disability support pension |
37% |
55% |
11% |
26% |
33% |
22% |
9% |
|
| Unemployment benefit |
65% |
28% |
31% |
34% |
19% |
9% |
7% |
|
| Parenting payment |
55% |
34% |
24% |
31% |
24% |
10% |
11% |
A majority oppose making eligibility tougher for the age pension (75%) and the disability support pension (55%) but support making it tougher for unemployment benefits (65%) and parenting payments (55%).
Strongest opposition to making eligibility tougher for the age pension came from those aged 45-64 (85%).
Liberal/National voters were split over the disability support pension (45% support/47% oppose making it tougher).
76% of Liberal/National voters supported making eligibility for unemployment benefits tougher compared to 55% of Labor voters.
70% of those aged 55+ supported making eligibility for parenting payments tougher.
28 January 2014, 280114, alcohol related violence
Q. As far as you know, do you think alcohol-related violence in Australia has increased or decreased over the last few years or has it not changed much?
|
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| Total increased |
78% |
81% |
81% |
58% |
75% |
|
| Total decreased |
2% |
3% |
2% |
2% |
4% |
|
| Increased a lot |
55% |
53% |
58% |
40% |
57% |
|
| Increased a little |
23% |
28% |
23% |
18% |
18% |
|
| Not changed much |
15% |
12% |
14% |
32% |
16% |
|
| Decreased a little |
2% |
3% |
1% |
2% |
3% |
|
| Decreased a lot |
* |
– |
1% |
– |
1% |
|
| Don’t know |
5% |
3% |
3% |
8% |
5% |
78% think that alcohol-related violence in Australia has increased over the last few years – 55% think it has increased a lot.
70% of those aged 55+ think it has increased a lot compared to 39% of those aged 18-34.
alcohol, alcohol related violence, closing times for pubs, earlier lockout times
Q. Would you support or oppose taking the following measures to address alcohol-related violence?
|
|
Total support |
Total oppose |
|
Strongly support |
Support |
Oppose |
Strongly oppose |
Don’t know |
| Harsher mandatory sentences for alcohol-related assaults |
87% |
8% |
53% |
34% |
6% |
2% |
5% |
|
| Earlier closing times for bottle shops |
63% |
29% |
31% |
32% |
21% |
8% |
7% |
|
| Earlier closing times for pubs and licensed clubs |
69% |
26% |
35% |
34% |
19% |
7% |
6% |
|
| Lockouts on licensed premises (where new patrons aren’t admitted after a specified time) |
76% |
18% |
40% |
36% |
12% |
6% |
7% |
|
| Higher taxes on alcohol |
38% |
55% |
21% |
17% |
31% |
24% |
7% |
|
| Raising the legal age for buying alcohol |
59% |
32% |
31% |
28% |
22% |
10% |
8% |
There was strong majority support for each measure listed – except for higher taxes on alcohol (55% oppose).
Strongest support was shown for harsher mandatory sentencing (87%) and lockouts on licensed premises (76%).
Those aged 55+ were the strongest supporters of each measure listed.
For those aged 18-34, while there was strong support for mandatory sentencing (84%), there was less support for earlier closing time for bottle shops (49% support/40% oppose) and earlier closing time for pubs and licensed clubs (51% support/41% oppose).
21 January 2014, 210114, 2PP, Greens, Labor Party, Liberal Party, two party preferred, 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 = 1,962 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
5 weeks ago 17/12/13 |
This week 21/1/14 |
| Liberal |
|
41% |
40% |
|
| National |
|
3% |
3% |
|
| Total Lib/Nat |
45.6% |
44% |
43% |
|
| Labor |
33.4% |
37% |
37% |
|
| Greens |
8.6% |
7% |
9% |
|
| Palmer United Party |
5.5% |
4% |
4% |
|
| Other/Independent |
6.9% |
8% |
7% |
| 2 Party Preferred |
Election 7 Sep 13 |
|
5 weeks ago 17/12/13 |
This week 21/1/14 |
| Liberal National |
53.5% |
51% |
51% |
|
| Labor |
46.5% |
49% |
49% |
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?
|
|
28 May 12 |
8 Apr 13 |
16 Sep 13 |
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| Total good |
35% |
45% |
40% |
34% |
35% |
40% |
35% |
26% |
||
| Total poor |
29% |
26% |
25% |
26% |
25% |
24% |
26% |
41% |
||
| Very good |
6% |
8% |
6% |
4% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
3% |
||
| Good |
29% |
37% |
34% |
30% |
30% |
36% |
30% |
23% |
||
| Neither good nor poor |
33% |
28% |
32% |
36% |
38% |
35% |
37% |
31% |
||
| Poor |
20% |
17% |
20% |
21% |
19% |
21% |
22% |
31% |
||
| Very poor |
9% |
9% |
5% |
5% |
6% |
3% |
4% |
10% |
||
| Don’t know |
2% |
2% |
3% |
4% |
3% |
2% |
3% |
2% |
34% described the economy as good or very good and 26% poor/very poor – 36% said it was neither. This represents a net decline from +15 to +8 since September.
Those most likely to think the economy was good/very good were people with incomes over $1,600pw (41%). Liberal/National voters (40%) were only slightly more likely that Labor voters (35%) 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?
|
|
17 May 10 |
9 May 11 |
18 Jun 12 |
29 Apr 13 |
16 Sep 13 |
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
| The right direction |
51% |
45% |
43% |
36% |
44% |
38% |
23% |
63% |
21% |
33% |
||
| The wrong direction |
25% |
29% |
32% |
39% |
26% |
33% |
49% |
14% |
54% |
38% |
||
| Don’t know |
24% |
25% |
25% |
25% |
30% |
29% |
28% |
24% |
25% |
29% |
38% of respondents think that Australia’s economy is heading in the right direction – 33% think it is heading in the wrong direction. Since this question was asked in September, “right direction” has decreased 6% and “wrong direction” increased 7%.
23% (down 17%) of Labor voters, 63% (up 11%) of Liberal/National voters and 21% (down 12%) of Greens voters think the economy is heading in the right direction. 42% of men think the economy is heading in the right direction compared to 35% of women.