Australia’s future, Carbon Tax, Childcare Rebate, export of uranium, gambling reforms, Important Decisions, Labor Government, Mining tax, parental leave, Plain packaging, same sex marriage, superannuation
Q. Which of the following decisions made by the Federal Labor Government since they were elected do you think is most important for Australia’s future? And which is second? And which is third?
| First | Second | Third | Total | |
| The mining tax on large profits | 17% | 18% | 13% | 48% |
| Addressing climate change with the carbon tax | 19% | 11% | 13% | 43% |
| Increase compulsory superannuation to 12% | 17% | 13% | 12% | 42% |
| Provide 18 weeks paid parental leave | 7% | 6% | 7% | 20% |
| Childcare rebate increased from 30% to 50% | 4% | 7% | 6% | 17% |
| Allow Labor politicians to have a conscience vote on same-sex marriage | 4% | 6% | 5% | 15% |
| Allow the export of uranium to India | 4% | 5% | 4% | 13% |
| Gambling reforms which require poker machine players to set a limit on losses. | 3% | 5% | 5% | 13% |
| Plain packaging for cigarettes | 3% | 4% | 5% | 12% |
| None of them | 13% | 3% | 3% | 13% |
| Don’t know | 8% | 1% | 2% | 8% |
The three most important decisions made by the Government were the mining tax, the carbon tax and the increase in compulsory superannuation.
ABC TV, Blogs, Commercial TV, current affairs, media, Newspapers, Polling, polls, radio talkback, trust in media, TV news
Q. How much trust do you have in what you read or hear in the following media?
| Total a lot/some
15 Mar 10 |
Total a lot /some
25 Jul 11 |
Total a lot /some | A lot of trust | Some trust | Not much trust | No trust at all | Don’t know | Don’t use | |
| News and opinion in daily newspapers | 62% | 53% | 46% | 3% | 43% | 32% | 13% | 3% | 5% |
| News and opinion in local newspapers | – | 54% | 52% | 4% | 48% | 29% | 11% | 3% | 5% |
| Commercial TV news and current affairs | 64% | 48% | 43% | 5% | 38% | 34% | 19% | 3% | 2% |
| ABC TV news and current affairs | 70% | 71% | 72% | 23% | 49% | 14% | 6% | 3% | 5% |
| Commercial radio news and current affairs | 54% | 46% | 45% | 4% | 41% | 30% | 15% | 3% | 6% |
| ABC radio news and current affairs | 62% | 67% | 67% | 19% | 48% | 14% | 6% | 3% | 10% |
| Commercial radio talkback programs | 38% | 33% | 33% | 5% | 28% | 32% | 22% | 3% | 10% |
| ABC radio talkback programs | 45% | 47% | 47% | 7% | 40% | 28% | 9% | 3% | 13% |
| News and opinion websites | 49% | 41% | 38% | 3% | 35% | 36% | 14% | 4% | 9% |
| Internet blogs | 20% | 20% | 17% | 1% | 16% | 37% | 25% | 5% | 15% |
Since July, trust in media has dropped for daily newspapers (-7%) and commercial TV news and current affairs (-5%).
ABC TV news and current affairs has the highest number of people who have a lot/some trust (72%). This is followed by ABC radio news and current affairs (67%).
The lowest level of trust was recorded for internet blog (17%). This was followed by commercial radio talkback programs (33%).
Australian Press Council, magazines, media, media industry, Newspaper Regulation, Newspapers, Polling, polls, press, Press Council
Q. Newspapers and magazines are regulated by the Australian Press Council which was established by the media industry and comprises representatives of media organisations and as well as independent members.
From what you read, do you think that the Press Council is doing a good or poor job of regulating newspapers in Australia?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total good | 20% | 22% | 25% | 14% |
| Total poor | 25% | 26% | 22% | 37% |
| Very good job | 1% | 3% | 1% | – |
| Good job | 19% | 19% | 24% | 14% |
| Neither good nor poor | 38% | 38% | 40% | 31% |
| Poor job | 17% | 15% | 16% | 24% |
| Very poor job | 8% | 11% | 6% | 13% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 14% | 13% | 18% |
20% believed that the Press Council is doing a good job of regulating newspapers and 25% thought it is doing a poor job. 38% say they are doing neither a good nor poor job and 17% don’t know.
Those most likely to think they are doing a good job were aged under 35 (25%) and Liberal/National voters (25%). Those most likely to think they are doing a poor job were aged 55+ (35%) and Greens voters (37%).
2PP, ER, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, two party preferred, voting, 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 = 1,922 respondents
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 43% | 46% | 45% | 44% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6% | 46% | 48% | 48% | 47% |
| Labor | 38.0% | 35% | 34% | 34% | 34% |
| Greens | 11.8% | 9% | 10% | 11% | 10% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 54% | 55% | 54% | 54% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 46% | 45% | 46% | 46% |
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 2010 election.
2013, 2013 election, early election, Election, Federal Election, Greens, Labor, Labor Government, Liberals, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think the Labor Government should run its full term until 2013 when the next Federal election is due or should a new election be held now?
| 5 Sept 11 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Should run to 2013 | 40% | 47% | 89% | 20% | 73% |
| Should hold election now | 48% | 41% | 7% | 74% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 12% | 4% | 6% | 11% |
47% think that the Labor Government should be allowed to run its full term trough to 2013 and 41% think a new election should be held. This is almost exactly the reverse of the results when this question was previously asked in September when 48% thought an election should be held now and 40% thought the Government should run its full term.
Support for the Government to run its full term has increased among Labor voters (from 82% to 89%) and Liberal/National voters (11% to 20%) but dropped from 80% to 73% for Greens voters.
Election, Election Issues, Federal Election, Federal Government, government, Important election issues, Polling, polls
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?
| First | Second | Third | Total | 6 June 11 | 24 Jan 11 | 11 Oct 10 | 25 Jan 10 | |
| Management of the economy | 39% | 16% | 7% | 62% | 61% | 65% | 62% | 63% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 4% | 8% | 10% | 22% | 26% | 26% | 32% | 23% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 12% | 18% | 17% | 47% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 48% |
| Protecting the environment | 4% | 5% | 4% | 13% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 16% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 3% | 4% | 4% | 11% | 8% | 10% | 11% | * |
| Political leadership | 7% | 6% | 5% | 18% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 23% |
| Addressing climate change | 3% | 4% | 3% | 10% | 15% | 10% | 11% | 16% |
| Controlling interest rates | 2% | 4% | 5% | 11% | 13% | 21% | 17% | 15% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 11% | 12% | 13% | 36% | 32% | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | * | 2% | 2% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 12% |
| Housing affordability | 3% | 4% | 6% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 14% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 3% | 5% | 8% | 16% | 17% | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 1% | 1% | 2% | 4% | 8% | 5% | 6% | 9% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 2% | 3% | 3% | 8% | 5% | 5% | 5% | * |
| Managing population growth | 1% | 3% | 4% | 8% | 12% | 11% | 10% | * |
*Not asked
62% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 47% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 36% Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
Since June, there have been only minor changes in these figures – there has been an increase in the importance of Australian jobs and protection of local industries (+4%) and declines in the importance of addressing climate change (-5%), ensuring a quality education for all children (-4%), managing population growth (-4%) and security and the war on terrorism (-4%).
Election, Election Issues, government, Greens, Labor, Liberals, Nationals, party trust, political parties, Polling, polls
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Management of the economy | 27% | 45% | 2% | 25% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 34% | 36% | 5% | 25% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 31% | 34% | 6% | 29% |
| Protecting the environment | 16% | 23% | 37% | 24% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 38% | 34% | 5% | 23% |
| Political leadership | 23% | 40% | 5% | 33% |
| Addressing climate change | 19% | 25% | 31% | 25% |
| Controlling interest rates | 24% | 42% | 2% | 32% |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 32% | 35% | 4% | 29% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 18% | 30% | 24% | 29% |
| Housing affordability | 23% | 33% | 5% | 38% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 28% | 37% | 4% | 31% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 21% | 40% | 3% | 35% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 17% | 36% | 12% | 35% |
| Managing population growth | 18% | 35% | 9% | 39% |
Labor does not have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party on any item measured. The 9% lead it had in June on “a fair industrial relations system” has been reduced to 4%. There is also little difference between Labor and the Liberals for ensuring a quality education for all children, ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries.
The Liberal Party has maintained strong leads on management of the economy, controlling interest rates, political leadership and security and the war on terrorism.
Overall, there has been a slight weakening of Labor’s position since June.
Christmas, Christmas gifts, Christmas spending, income, personal finances, spending and income
Q. And now about Christmas spending – compared to last year, do you expect to be spending more on gifts at Christmas, less or much the same?
| Dec 08 | Dec 09 | Nov 10 | Dec 11 | |
| Will spend more | 3% | 11% | 10% | 13% |
| Will be spending less | 38% | 38% | 38% | 40% |
| Spend much the same | 55% | 47% | 48% | 44% |
| Don’t know | 5% | 4% | 5% | 3% |
Views about spending on gifts at Christmas remain similar to last year’s. 13% say they will spend more (up 3%), 40% spend less (up 2%) and 44% much the same (down 4%).
23% of those aged under 35 say they will spend more, 46% of those aged 35-44 will spend less and 56% of those aged 55+ will spend much the same. There is no significant relationship between changes in spending and income.