The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Jun, 2020

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    Government response to Covid-19

    Q. Overall, how would you rate the Government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?

      15/06 08/06 01/06 25/05 18/05 11/05 04/05 27/04 20/04 13/04
    Very poor 3% 4% 5% 4% 3% 4% 4% 4% 5% 6%
    Quite poor 8% 8% 7% 6% 7% 9% 9% 9% 10% 12%
    Neither good, nor poor 16% 18% 20% 16% 17% 16% 20% 17% 21% 20%
    Quite good 42% 40% 39% 43% 41% 39% 38% 44% 42% 40%
    Very good 30% 30% 28% 30% 32% 32% 28% 26% 23% 23%
    TOTAL: Poor 11% 12% 12% 11% 11% 13% 14% 13% 15% 17%
    TOTAL: Good 72% 70% 68% 73% 73% 71% 66% 70% 65% 63%
    Base (n) 1,087 1,073 1,059 1,087 1,073 1,067 1,093 1,054 1,051 1,068

     

        Gender Age Group Location
      Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Capital Non-Capital
    Very poor 3% 5% 1% 5% 2% 2% 3% 2%
    Quite poor 8% 8% 8% 11% 7% 7% 8% 8%
    Neither good, nor poor 16% 17% 16% 26% 15% 9% 17% 15%
    Quite good 42% 40% 44% 41% 48% 38% 43% 41%
    Very good 30% 30% 31% 17% 28% 44% 29% 34%
    TOTAL: Poor 11% 13% 10% 16% 9% 9% 12% 10%
    TOTAL: Good 72% 71% 74% 58% 76% 81% 71% 75%
    Base (n) 1,087 538 549 341 361 385 741 346
  • Jun, 2020

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    State Government response to Covid-19

    Q. How would you rate your state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?

      15/06 08/06 01/06 25/05 18/05 11/05 04/05 27/04 20/04
    Very poor 4% 4% 6% 4% 3% 4% 4% 4% 5%
    Quite poor 8% 7% 6% 7% 8% 8% 8% 9% 9%
    Neither good, nor poor 17% 17% 20% 17% 17% 16% 18% 17% 20%
    Quite good 38% 39% 38% 38% 39% 39% 38% 41% 39%
    Very good 33% 32% 30% 35% 33% 34% 31% 30% 26%
    TOTAL: Poor 12% 11% 12% 11% 11% 12% 12% 13% 14%
    TOTAL: Good 71% 71% 68% 73% 72% 73% 70% 70% 66%
    Base (n) 1,087 1,073 1,059 1,087 1,073 1,067 1,093 1,054 1,051

     

        State
      Total NSW VIC QLD SA WA
    Very poor 4% 4% 6% 6% 1% 3%
    Quite poor 8% 9% 5% 12% 6% 4%
    Neither good, nor poor 17% 22% 13% 15% 17% 17%
    Quite good 38% 41% 39% 39% 40% 28%
    Very good 33% 24% 36% 28% 36% 49%
    TOTAL: Poor 12% 13% 11% 18% 7% 6%
    TOTAL: Good 71% 65% 75% 67% 76% 77%
    Base (n) 1,087 352 275 217 83 107
  • Jun, 2020

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    Importance of unions

    Q. How important are unions for Australian working people today?

      June

    2020

    		 October

    2015

    		 February

    2014

    		 December

    2013

    		 May

    2013

    		 September

    2012

    		 March

    2012
    Very important 24% 26% 27% 22% 21% 16% 19%
    Quite important 37% 36% 34% 35% 35% 36% 37%
    Not very important 17% 21% 21% 22% 24% 28% 27%
    Not at all important 7% 7% 9% 12% 12% 10% 8%
    Don’t know 16% 11% 8% 9% 8% 10% 9%
    TOTAL: Important 60% 62% 61% 57% 56% 52% 56%
    TOTAL: Not important 24% 28% 30% 34% 36% 38% 35%
    Base (n) 1,087 1,012 1,051 1,063 1,050 1,035 1,043

     

        Federal Voting intention
      Total Labor Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other  
    Very important 24% 33% 15% 29% 26%  
    Quite important 37% 40% 35% 41% 35%  
    Not very important 17% 11% 26% 13% 16%  
    Not at all important 7% 3% 12% 4% 6%  
    Don’t know 16% 13% 13% 13% 17%  
    TOTAL: Important 60% 73% 50% 70% 61%  
    TOTAL: Not important 24% 15% 37% 17% 22%  
    Base (n) 1,087 334 412 96 140  
    • 60% of respondents think that unions are very, or quite important for working people. Importance of unions is consistent with 2015 when this measure was last recorded (62% in October 2015). However, there has been an increase since 2012 in the proportion of people saying unions are important, increasing from 52% in September 2012.
    • Unions are considered more important by those intending to vote Labor (73%) or Greens (70%) at the next Federal election than those intending to vote for the Coalition (50%).
  • Jun, 2020

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    Perceptions of trade unions

    Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the role of unions in the workplace?

      TOTAL: Agree TOTAL: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Unsure
    Unions provide essential services to their members to ensure they are paid appropriately and have safe working environments 74% 11% 34% 40% 8% 3% 15%
    A union gives workers more power with employers through a collective voice 74% 12% 34% 40% 9% 3% 15%
    Unions provide advice and services to which members would otherwise not have access 70% 13% 30% 40% 10% 3% 17%
    Unions are vital to stop businesses taking advantage of their employees 67% 16% 34% 33% 12% 5% 16%
    Unions that insist on minimum qualifications and training create a highly-skilled workforce 64% 15% 27% 38% 11% 4% 20%
                   
    Unions are too politically biased 62% 19% 30% 31% 12% 7% 19%
    Union protection makes it difficult for employers to discipline, terminate or even promote employees 58% 24% 25% 33% 18% 6% 18%
    Unions add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy for businesses 49% 33% 21% 28% 22% 11% 18%
    Unions are corrupt 47% 30% 19% 28% 18% 12% 23%
    Employment law and regulations mean unions are no longer needed 41% 40% 16% 26% 25% 15% 19%
    • There was higher agreement with statements pertaining to positive perceptions of unions than negative. 74% agreed that ‘Unions provide essential services to their members to ensure they are paid appropriately and have safe working environments’ and ‘A union gives workers more power with employers through a collective voice’.
    • 62% agreed that ‘Unions are too politically biased’ and over half (58%) agreed that ‘Union protection makes it difficult for employers to discipline, terminate or even promote employees’.
  • Jun, 2020

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    Better or worse off with stronger unions

    Q. Overall, would workers be better off or worse off if unions in Australia were stronger?

      June

    2020

    		 October

    2015

    		 February

    2014

    		 May

    2013

    		 September

    2012
    A lot better off 18% 17% 21% 14% 13%
    A little better off 31% 28% 24% 29% 26%
    A little worse off 14% 12% 11% 14% 15%
    A lot worse off 10% 14% 16% 15% 15%
    Unsure / Makes no difference 27% 30% 28% 26% 30%
    TOTAL: Better off 50% 45% 45% 43% 39%
    TOTAL: Worse off 24% 26% 27% 29% 30%
    Base (n) 1,087 1,012 1,051 1,050 1,035

     

        Federal Voting intention
      Total Labor Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other  
    A lot better off 18% 24% 12% 20% 22%  
    A little better off 31% 40% 28% 29% 25%  
    A little worse off 14% 9% 19% 16% 13%  
    A lot worse off 10% 7% 15% 8% 10%  
    Unsure 27% 19% 25% 27% 30%  
    TOTAL: Important 50% 65% 40% 50% 47%  
    TOTAL: Not important 24% 16% 34% 24% 23%  
    Base (n) 1,087 334 412 96 140  

     

  • Jun, 2020

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    Continuation of short-term measures

    Q. The Federal Government has introduced some short-term measures to help people financially deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. For each of the following, how long do you think do you think the schemes should continue?

        Should end as soon as possible Should end at current set date Should continue after the current end date Unsure
    Providing free childcare for children in early childhood education

    (Due to end 28th June 2020)

    		 May 14% 33% 36% 17%
    June 14% 28% 43% 14%
    Increase to JobSeeker payments to $1,115 per fortnight

    (Due to end 24th September 2020)

    		 May 21% 28% 36% 15%
    June 17% 32% 38% 13%
    Provision of JobKeeper wage subsidy of $1,500 per fortnight to eligible employers for each eligible worker

    (Due to end 24th September 2020)

    		 May 17% 36% 32% 14%
    June 14% 40% 34% 13%

     

    TOTAL: Should continue after the current end date   Gender Age Group
    Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+
    Providing free childcare for children in early childhood education 43% 43% 44% 52% 45% 35%
    Increase to JobSeeker payments to $1,115 per fortnight 38% 38% 37% 39% 40% 33%
    Provision of JobKeeper wage subsidy of $1,500 per fortnight to eligible employers for each eligible worker 34% 34% 34% 37% 41% 24%
    Base (n) 1,087 538 549 341 361 385
    • Support for extending the free childcare scheme beyond the current end date of 28th June has increased from 36% last month to 43%.
    • There has been no significant changes in the proportion of people who think the Jobkeeper (now at 34%) or Jobseeker (now at 38%) schemes should be extended beyond September.
    • Support for extending the free early childcare scheme is higher among those aged 18-34 than those aged over 55 (52% to 35%).
  • Jun, 2020

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    Agreement with changes to Jobkeeper for early learning professionals

    Q. This week the Government announced that from 20th July, it would stop paying the economy wide Jobkeeper wage subsidy to childcare services. It would be replaced by transition payments that may be less than the amount of Jobkeeper.

    To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements amount the removal of Jobkeeper for childcare professionals?

      TOTAL: Agree TOTAL: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Unsure
    Withdrawing this support puts businesses and jobs at risks if there is a second outbreak of Covid-19 or lockdown restrictions are re-introduced 64% 20% 27% 37% 15% 5% 16%
    It is the right time to start to remove the Government funding for some industries 57% 28% 21% 36% 19% 9% 15%
    It is too soon to withdraw this support for the childcare sector when many children are not yet back in childcare 55% 30% 24% 32% 20% 9% 15%
    The Government has broken its promise to maintain the Jobkeeper program until September 53% 26% 22% 30% 18% 9% 21%
    I am worried that the Government will remove Jobkeeper support from other industries before the end of September 53% 28% 22% 31% 19% 9% 19%

     

        Federal Voting intention
    TOTAL: Agreement Total Labor Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other  
    Withdrawing this support puts businesses and jobs at risks if there is a second outbreak of Covid-19 or lockdown restrictions are re-introduced 64% 71% 59% 73% 66%  
    It is the right time to start to remove the Government funding for some industries 57% 53% 71% 39% 50%  
    It is too soon to withdraw this support for the childcare sector when many children are not yet back in childcare 55% 65% 45% 70% 62%  
    The Government has broken its promise to maintain the Jobkeeper program until September 53% 62% 43% 67% 57%  
    I am worried that the Government will remove Jobkeeper support from other industries before the end of September 53% 61% 46% 69% 54%  
    Base (n) 1,087 334 412 96 140  
    • 64% of people agree that the withdrawal of Jobkeeper could put businesses at risk if a second outbreak occurs.
    • Over half of people agree that the Government’s decision to change the conditions of the Jobkeeper scheme for early childcare workers means that the Government has broken its promise to keep Jobkeeper until September (53%). Similar numbers agree that ‘It is too soon to withdraw this support for the childcare sector when many children are not yet back in childcare’ (55%) and ‘I am worried that the Government will remove Jobkeeper support from other industries before the end of September’
    • 57% agree that it is the right time for the Government to start withdrawing funding for some industries.
  • Jun, 2020

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    Agreement with protests in Australia

    Q. Following the protests in the United States of America, there have been demonstrations in Australia oppose the deaths of Indigenous people in police custody.

    To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the protests in Australia?

      TOTAL: Agree TOTAL: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Unsure
    Protesters gathering in large numbers during the Covid-19 puts the entire community at risk 84% 9% 62% 23% 5% 4% 7%
    Protesters are justified in their demands for authorities to address the issue of Indigenous deaths in custody 62% 27% 31% 32% 11% 16% 11%
    The situation in America is very different to Australia and has no relevance 61% 30% 34% 27% 18% 12% 10%

     

    TOTAL: Agreement   Gender Age Group
    Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+
    Protesters gathering in large numbers during the Covid-19 puts the entire community at risk 84% 86% 82% 78% 87% 87%
    Protesters are justified in their demands for authorities to address the issue of Indigenous deaths in custody 62% 64% 60% 69% 63% 56%
    The situation in America is very different to Australia and has no relevance 61% 67% 54% 54% 62% 64%
    Base (n) 1,087 534 553 341 364 382
    • While a large majority of people agree that the protests pit the community at risk by spreading Covid-19 (84%), 62% agree that protesters are justified in their demands for authorities to address the issue of Indigenous deaths in custody.
    • Men (67%), those aged over 55 (64%) and Coalition voters (74%) are more likely to agree that ‘The situation in America is very different to Australia and has no relevance’ compared to women (54%), those aged under 35 (54%) and Labor and Greens voters (54% and 38%).
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