investment, jobs, mining, profits, resources super profits tax, RSPT, tax
Q. Which of the following statements is closest to your view in relation to the Government’s proposed resources super profits tax?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | |
| The new tax will result in mining companies cutting back on their investments in Australia and there will be a significant loss of Australian jobs | 42% | 16% | 72% |
| Mining companies will continue to make large profits. They are just trying to avoid paying their fair share of tax. | 40% | 69% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 15% | 11% |
Respondents were split over which statement best described their view of the Government’s proposed resources super profits tax – 42% agreed “the new tax will result in mining companies cutting back on their investments in Australia and there will be a significant loss of Australian jobs” and 40% agreed “mining companies will continue to make large profits. They are just trying to avoid paying their fair share of tax”.
Opinions were strongly related to party preference – 69% of Labor voters agreed that “mining companies will continue to make large profits. They are just trying to avoid paying their fair share of tax” and 72% of Liberal/National voters agreed that “the new tax will result in mining companies cutting back on their investments in Australia and there will be a significant loss of Australian jobs”.
53% of those on low incomes (<$600pw) agreed that “mining companies will continue to make large profits. They are just trying to avoid paying their fair share of tax”. Comments »
brendan nelson, john howard, kevin rudd, kim beazley, leaders, malcolm turnbull, mark latham, paul keating, simon crean, tony abbott
Q. From the following list of current and recent leaders of the Liberal/Labor Party – rate each in terms of whether you think they were a good or poor leader of their party.
| Total good | Total poor | Very good | Good | Average | Poor | Very poor | Don’t know | |
| Tony Abbott | 30% | 34% | 7% | 23% | 29% | 14% | 20% | 7% |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 28% | 33% | 6% | 22% | 32% | 20% | 13% | 8% |
| Brendan Nelson | 13% | 44% | 2% | 11% | 33% | 28% | 16% | 11% |
| John Howard | 51% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 18% | 11% | 15% | 5% |
| Kevin Rudd | 38% | 34% | 10% | 28% | 23% | 15% | 19% | 4% |
| Kim Beazley | 29% | 29% | 7% | 22% | 36% | 17% | 12% | 6% |
| Mark Latham | 7% | 62% | 2% | 5% | 23% | 26% | 36% | 8% |
| Simon Crean | 9% | 47% | 2% | 7% | 32% | 29% | 18% | 12% |
| Paul Keating | 40% | 26% | 14% | 26% | 27% | 12% | 14% | 8% |
Overall, John Howard (51% good/26% poor) was considered the best Liberal Party leader of recent times and Paul Keating (40%/26%) the best Labor leader.
However the current leaders – Kevin Rudd (38% good/34% poor) and Tony Abbott (30%/34%) – were both considered better than the leaders they succeeded.
Among Liberal/National voters Tony Abbott was rated good by 63%, compared to John Howard at 86% and Malcolm Turnbull at 37%.
Among Labor voters Kevin Rudd was rated good by 78%, compared to Paul Keating at 58% and Kim Beazley at 40%. Comments »
asylum, asylum seekers, boat, refugees
Q. Which of the following comes is closest to your view?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| All asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be sent back to the country they came from even if they are genuine refugees | 31% | 26% | 38% | 22% |
| Asylum seekers arriving by boat should only be allowed to stay in Australia if they are found to be genuine refugees | 59% | 67% | 56% | 66% |
| All asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be allowed to stay | 4% | 4% | 2% | 10% |
| Don’t know | 6% | 3% | 4% | 2% |
59% agreed with the statement that “asylum seekers arriving by boat should only be allowed to stay in Australia if they are found to be genuine refugees” and 31% agreed that “all asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be sent back to the country they came from even if they are genuine refugees”. Only 4% (including 10% of Greens voters) agreed that “all asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat should be allowed to stay”.
Women were more likely to think genuine refugees should be allowed to stay (61% compared to 57% of men). 28% of those aged 55+ thought all asylum seekers should be sent back compared to 33% of those aged under 55. Comments »
Campaigning, clive palmer, EMC, mining, peter lewis, unspun
The last time a determined interest group took on a federal government, EMC was behind the wheel – driving the ACTU Rights at Work campaign.
This time the attack is coming from the mining industry, and if reports are to be believed, the miners are forking out in three months $100 million – about four times the three year budget for the Rights at Work campaign.
Having worked on a campaign that most agree shifted government, it’s worth asking – is the Miners campaign as effective? Are the winning the hearts and minds of the battlers? In short, are they going to change the government?
Here are few lessons we learned from Rights at Work, and my initial reactions on how the mining lobby is faring. Comments »
2PP, Family First, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Voting intention
Q. If there was a Federal election held today, to which party would you probably give your first preference?
Q. If you ‘don’t know’ on the above question, which party are you currently leaning to?
1,872 sample size
| First preference/leaning to | 6 months ago | 4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week
|
| Liberal | 30% | 39% | 39% | 39% | 38% |
| National | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Total Lib/Nat | 34% | 42% | 41% | 41% | 40% |
| Labor | 46% | 37% | 40% | 39% | 37% |
| Greens | 9% | 11% | 10% | 9% | 12% |
| Family First | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Other/Independent | 8% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 7% |
| 2PP | 6 months ago | 4 weeks ago | 2 weeks ago | Last week | This week
|
| Total Lib/Nat | 42% | 50% | 48% | 49% | 48% |
| Labor | 58% | 50% | 52% | 51% | 52% |
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.
* Sample is the aggregation of two weeks’ polling data. Comments »
Q. Thinking about the Government Ministers and the Opposition Shadow Ministers in Federal Parliament, who has the best leadership team – Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party or Tony Abbott and the Coalition?
| Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party | 47% |
| Tony Abbott and the Coalition | 31% |
| Don’t know | 23% |
47% think that Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party have the best leadership team and 31% prefer Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party team.
95% of Labor voters think the Labor team is better and 75% of Liberal/National voters prefer the Liberal team. Greens voters prefer the Labor team over the Liberal team (by 55% to 13%), as do other party and independent voters (45% to 24%).
People aged under 35 prefer the Labor team 47% to 18%. Comments »
asylum seekers, Greens, immigration, Labor, Liberal
Q. From what you have read and heard, what percentage of Australia’s annual immigration intake are asylum seekers arriving by boat?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| 50% or more | 10% | 10% | 12% | 6% |
| About 25% | 15% | 15% | 17% | 8% |
| About 10% | 13% | 12% | 15% | 13% |
| About 5% | 15% | 12% | 17% | 18% |
| 1% or less | 18% | 21% | 17% | 26% |
| Don’t know | 30% | 30% | 22% | 28% |
38% of respondents think asylum seekers arriving by boat make up at least 10% of Australia’s immigration intake – 15% think it about 5% and 18% think it is 1% or less.
26% of Greens voters think it is 1% or less and 44% of Liberal/National voters think it is 10% or more.
26% of people aged 45-64 think it is 1% or less. Comments »
Advertising, Greens, Labor, Liberal, mining, resources super profits tax, RSPT
Q. Thinking about the proposed resources super profits tax and the current advertising by the Government and the mining companies, who is more believable – the Government or the mining companies?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other/Ind. | |
| The Government | 33% | 62% | 9% | 51% | 28% |
| The mining companies | 36% | 11% | 68% | 20% | 37% |
| Don’t know | 31% | 28% | 23% | 29% | 35% |
Respondents were divided over the believability of advertising by the Government and the mining industry of the proposed resources super profits tax.
36% think the mining companies’ advertising is more believable and 33% think the Government’s is more believable. 31% don’t know which is more believable.
Opinions are closely associated with voting intention. 62% of Labor voters think the Government’s advertising is more believable and 68% of Liberal/National voters favour the mining companies’. Greens voters are more likely to believe the Government (51%/20%).
There is a significant difference in opinion by gender – men are more likely to believe the Government (Govt. 41%/Mining cos. 36%/Don’t know 24%) and women more likely to believe the mining companies or say they don’t know (26%/35%/38%). Comments »