Government regulation, media, media ownership, newspaper, Newspapers, the media
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 | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Should allow | 15% | 13% | 20% | 12% |
| Should not allow | 50% | 56% | 47% | 56% |
| Don’t care | 26% | 24% | 25% | 26% |
| Don’t know | 9% | 8% | 8% | 6% |
50% think Rupert Murdoch should not be allowed to own the majority of Australia’s major newspapers and only 15% think he should be allowed. Those most strongly opposed were aged 55+ (61%) and people earning over $1,600pw (55%). Comments »
ABC, Channel 10, Channel 7, Channel 9, media, News, Sky News, the media, trust, trust in media
Q. How much trust do you have in the news and current affairs on the following TV channels?
| A lot of trust | Some trust | Not much trust | Don’t know | |
| ABC | 42% | 42% | 9% | 6% |
| Channel 7 | 8% | 53% | 33% | 6% |
| Channel 9 | 8% | 54% | 31% | 6% |
| Channel 10 | 7% | 55% | 31% | 6% |
| Sky News | 12% | 40% | 17% | 31% |
42% say they have a lot of trust in the ABC news and current affairs and 42% have some trust. Only 9% have not much trust.
Levels of trust in the free-to-air commercial channels are similar – less than 10% have a lot of trust and over 30% say they have not much trust in them.
Sky News is trusted more than the other commercial channels – 12% say they have a lot of trust and only 17% have not much trust.
Highest levels of trust in the ABC are shown by men (47% a lot of trust), Greens voters (62%) and Labor voters (48%) and those on income over $1,600pw (49%). Comments »
Q. Since the 2007 election, has your opinion of the former Prime Minister, John Howard, become more favourable or less favourable?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| More favourable | 15% | 6% | 27% | 6% |
| Less favourable | 24% | 41% | 12% | 26% |
| Stayed the same | 57% | 52% | 60% | 67% |
| Don’t know | 4% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
15% say their opinion of John Howard has become more favourable since the 2007 election and 24% less favourable – 57% have stayed the same. 41% of Labor voters have become less favourable while 27% of Coalition voters are more favourable and 12% less favourable. Comments »
ALP, asylum seekers, Chris Bowen, detention centres, EMC, Federal Labor Government, immigration, Immigration minister, Julia Gillard, Labor, peter lewis, The Drum
First Published on The Drum 26/10/2010
If political progressives want to stop the ALP from drifting to the Right, energetically backing the decision to move women and children out of immigration detention looks like a good place to start.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Immigration minister Chris Bowen took the new minority government’s first truly brave decision last week, yet all they got was a sullen acceptance from a Left still acting like jilted lovers after the disappointments of the election campaign.
2PP, Election, Federal Election, Greens, Labor, Liberal, 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 = 1,873
| First preference/leaning to | 6 months ago | 4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week |
| Liberal | 36% | 40% | 42% | 42% | 41% |
| National | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Total Lib/Nat | 39% | 43% | 44% | 44% | 44% |
| Labor | 42% | 42% | 41% | 40% | 41% |
| Greens | 9% | 9% | 8% | 9% | 8% |
| Other/Independent | 10% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 7% |
| 2PP | 6 months ago | 4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week
|
This week |
| Total Lib/Nat | 46% | 49% | 49% | 50% | 50% |
| Labor | 54% | 51% | 51% | 50% | 50% |
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.
Australian troops, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Troops in Afghanistan, war in Afghanistan
Q. Thinking about the Australian troops in Afghanistan, do you think Australia should –
| Total
25 Oct 10 |
Labor | Liberal | Greens | 30 March 09 | 21 June 10 | 11 Oct 10 | ||
| Increase the number of troops in Afghanistan |
10% |
10% |
12% |
10% |
14% |
7% |
13% |
|
| Keep the same number of troops in Afghanistan |
30% |
31% |
34% |
23% |
24% |
24% |
24% |
|
| Withdraw our troops from Afghanistan | 47% | 49% | 45% | 55% | 50% | 61% | 49% | |
| Don’t know | 14% | 10% | 8% | 12% | 12% | 8% | 14% |
47% say Australia should withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, 30% say we should keep the same number and 10% say we should increase troop numbers. The support for keeping the same number of troops in Afghanistan has increased by 6% since previous surveys.
Support for withdrawal is highest among Greens voters (55%) and those on higher incomes (54% of those earning over $1,600 per week).
Support for maintaining or increasing troop numbers is highest among Liberal/National voters (46%), men (46%) and those aged 55+ (48%).
afghanistan, Afghanistan involvement, Julia Gillard, Labor Party, Liberal Party, tony abbott, war in Afghanistan
Q. Which leader and party would you trust most to handle our involvement in the war in Afghanistan?
| Julia Gillard and the Labor Party | 33% |
| Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party | 32% |
| Bob Brown and the Greens | 7% |
| Don’t know | 28% |
Respondents were split over which leader and party they would trust most to handle our involvement in the war in Afghanistan. 33% prefer Julia Gillard and the Labor Party and 32% prefer Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party.
Those aged 55+ prefer the Liberal Party over the Labor Party 40% to 34%.
Greens, irrigation, Labor, Liberal, Murray Darling, Murray-Darling management, Murray-Darling river system, water supply, water usage
Q. Do you agree or disagree that the amount of water currently taken from the Murray-Darling river system for irrigation should be reduced?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total agree | 49% | 51% | 47% | 62% |
| Total disagree | 20% | 17% | 30% | 14% |
| Strongly agree | 19% | 21% | 16% | 33% |
| Agree | 30% | 30% | 31% | 29% |
| Disagree | 13% | 11% | 18% | 6% |
| Strongly disagree | 7% | 6% | 12% | 8% |
| Don’t know | 31% | 32% | 23% | 23% |
49% agree that the amount of water currently taken from the Murray-Darling river system for irrigation should be reduced and 20% disagree – 31% could not give an opinion. All demographic groups show higher agreement than disagreement.