Essential Report, media, media ownership, media regulation, Perceptions of Media, Polling, polls, Rupert Murdoch
Q. Have the recent events in Britain concerning phone hacking by Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper, made you more or less concerned about the conduct of Australian newspapers?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total more concerned | 51% | 56% | 48% | 68% |
| Total less concerned | 5% | 5% | 4% | 3% |
| Much more concerned | 15% | 19% | 11% | 26% |
| A little more concerned | 36% | 37% | 37% | 42% |
| A little less concerned | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Much less concerned | 1% | 1% | >1% | – |
| Makes no difference | 38% | 33% | 44% | 26% |
| Don’t know | 6% | 6% |
Just over half (51%) of respondents are more concerned about the conduct of Australian newspapers following the recent events in Britain. 5% are less concerned, 38% say it makes no difference and 6% stated don’t know.
Green voters were more likely to state that they were more concerned (68%). Labor voters (56%) were more likely than Liberal voters (48%) to state that they were more concerned.
There was no substantial difference between the genders, states or age groups.
Essential Report, Government regulation, media ownership, media regulation, Perceptions of Media, Polling, polls
Q. Rupert Murdoch owns most of Australia’s metropolitan newspapers including the Australian, Herald Sun, the Telegraph and the Courier Mail. Should the Government allow one company to own the majority of Australia’s major newspapers?
| Total
1 Nov 10 |
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Should allow | 15% | 9% | 8% | 13% | 4% |
| Should not allow | 50% | 58% | 60% | 53% | 76% |
| Don’t care | 26% | 23% | 22% | 26% | 12% |
| Don’t know | 9% | 10% | 11% | 8% | 8% |
58% of respondents stated that the Government should not allow one company to own the majority of Australia’s major newspapers. This is an increase on the 50% who stated the same thing in November 2010.
Just 9% of respondents think that the Government should allow one company to own the majority of Australia’s major newspapers (a drop for the 15% who said the same thing in November 2010.
Green voters (76%) were the most likely to state that the Government should not allow one company to own the majority of Australia’s major newspapers, followed by Labor (60%) and Lib/Nat voters (53%).
Females (62%) were more likely than males (54%) to select ‘should not allow’.
Essential Report, media, media regulation, Perceptions of Media, Polling, polls
Q. Thinking about the media in Australia, do you think there needs to be more or less regulation of the media or is the present level of regulation about right?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Needs to be more regulation | 48% | 54% | 39% | 73% |
| Needs to be less regulation | 6% | 5% | 6% | 3% |
| Present regulation about right | 31% | 26% | 40% | 15% |
| Don’t know | 15% | 15% | 13% | 9% |
48% of respondents think that there needs to be more regulation of media in Australia. 31% think that the current level of regulation in about right.
Green voters (73%) are the most likely to think that there needs to be more regulation. This is followed by those that vote Labor (54%) and those that vote Lib/Nat (39%).
There was little difference between the genders, states or ages.
Essential Report, Labor, Labor Party policies, Liberal, Liberal Party policies, Polling, polls
Q. Thinking about the Federal Parliament, how much difference do you think there is between the policies of the Labor Party and the Liberal Party?
| Total
8 Nov 10 |
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Very little difference | 29% | 21% | 20% | 13% | 29% |
| Some difference | 43% | 39% | 41% | 40% | 51% |
| A lot of difference | 19% | 31% | 32% | 44% | 15% |
| Don’t know | 9% | 8% | 6% | 4% | 4% |
21% of respondents think that there is very little difference between the policies of the Labor and Liberal parties. This is less than in November 2010 (29%). 39% of respondents think that there is some difference and 31% think there is a lot of difference (up from 19% in November last year).
Green voters (29%) were more likely to think that there is little difference.
There is little difference between the responses by gender or state.
Those aged 65+ were the most likely to think that there is a lot of difference between the policies of Labor and the Liberal parties (55%).
Essential Report, Labor, Labor Party policies, Liberal, Liberal Party policies, Policy
Q. Do you think that in the last few years, the policies of the Labor Party and the Liberal Party have become more similar or do you think their policies have been moving apart?
| Total
8 Nov 10 |
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Become more similar | 51% | 40% | 41% | 36% | 56% |
| Moving further apart | 17% | 31% | 28% | 41% | 22% |
| No change | 21% | 17% | 24% | 15% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 11% | 7% | 8% | 11% |
40% of respondents think that the Labor and Liberal parties are becoming more similar – a drop from the 51% who thought the same thing in November 2010.
31% think that they are moving further apart – a big increase from the 17% who thought the same thing in November 2010.
Green voters (56%) were the most likely to think that they were becoming more similar. However 41% of Labor voters and 36% of Lib/Nat voters also thought that they were becoming more similar.
Lib/Nat voters were the most likely to think that they were moving further apart (41%).
There was no substantial differences based on gender, state or age
climate change, environment, Essential Report, global warming, Network Ten, Polling, polls, protecting the environment
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? (This question was commissioned by Network Ten).
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total more concerned | 46% | 61% | 35% | 72% | 45% | 47% | 55% | 42% | 42% |
| Total less concerned | 11% | 4% | 19% | 2% | 16% | 6% | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| Much more concerned | 15% | 23% | 7% | 36% | 14% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 16% |
| A little more concerned | 31% | 38% | 28% | 36% | 31% | 31% | 39% | 28% | 26% |
| A little less concerned | 5% | 3% | 8% | 1% | 7% | 3% | 6% | 6% | 3% |
| Much less concerned | 6% | 1% | 11% | 1% | 9% | 3% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
| About the same | 40% | 32% | 45% | 24% | 35% | 45% | 29% | 43% | 48% |
| Don’t know | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 5% | * |
46% say they have become more concerned about the effects of global warming over the last 2 years, 11% are less concerned and 40% say they feel about the same.
Those more likely to be more concerned are Labor voters (61%), Greens voters (72%) and those aged under 35 (55%).
Those more likely to feel about the same are Liberal/National voters (45%), women (45%) and those aged 55+ (48%).
2PP, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, 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 = 1,899
| First preference/leaning to | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 45% | 46% | 47% | 46% | |
| National | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | |
| Total Lib/Nat | 43.6 | 47% | 49% | 50% | 49% |
| Labor | 38.0 | 32% | 32% | 30% | 31% |
| Greens | 11.8 | 12% | 11% | 11% | 11% |
| Other/Independent | 6.6 | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% |
| 2PP | Election
21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 49.9% | 55% | 56% | 57% | 56% |
| Labor | 50.1% | 45% | 44% | 43% | 44% |
NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived 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.
carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, climate change, Essential Report, Polling, polls, tax
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s proposal to introduce a carbon pricing scheme from 1 July 2012, which will require industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?
| 7 March | 14 March | 28 March | 18 April | 23 May | 30 May | 14 June | 11 July | 18 July | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 38% | 34% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 38% | 35% | 39% | 75% | 14% | 75% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 51% | 49% | 44% | 48% | 49% | 53% | 49% | 13% | 79% | 14% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 15% | 35% | 1% | 44% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 25% | 24% | 24% | 40% | 13% | 31% |
| Oppose | 19% | 17% | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 16% | 8% | 22% | 6% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 32% | 32% | 34% | 29% | 29% | 30% | 34% | 33% | 5% | 57% | 8% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 13% | 15% | 12% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 7% | 11% |
39% (up 4%) support the Government’s proposed carbon pricing scheme and 49% (down 4%) oppose. It is supported by 75% of Labor voters and 75% of Greens voters but opposed by 79% of coalition voters. This represents an increase in support since the previous survey (conducted before the Government’s announcement) but is similar to the June results.
By age, those aged under 35 split 44% support/42% oppose, and those aged 55+ split 38% support/55% oppose.
For those who consider themselves very well or somewhat informed about the carbon pricing scheme, 44% support and 53% oppose.