The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • Mar, 2020

    Most Important Issues

    Q Which of the following issues are the most important for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months?

      Total Change (Oct’19) Oct’19
    Improve the health system 38% +6 32%
    Create jobs and reduce unemployment 31% -5 36%
    Protection of the environment 29% +2 27%
    Reduce utility bills 23% -4 27%
    Promote renewable energy 22% +3 19%
    Improve wages and working conditions 21% -3 24%
    Limit the amount of migration to Australia 20% +1 19%
    Increase housing affordability 19% – 19%
    Crack-down on tax avoidance by big companies 17% +1 16%
    Maintain strong border protection 15% +3 12%
    Provide tax cuts 13% -2 15%
    Ensure the security of energy supply 11% -2 13%
    Combat domestic crime 11% +1 10%
    Provide more money for education 10% -1 11%
    Combat international crime and terrorism 7% -1 8%
    Increase the budget surplus 6% – 6%
    Improve conditions for refugees and asylum seekers 5% -1 6%
    Base (n) 1,096 – 1,088
    • The top three most important issues for the Federal Government to address over the next 12 months are improving the health system (38%), creating jobs and reducing unemployment (31%) and protecting the environment (29%).
    • Improving the health system (now 38%, was 32%) is ahead of creating jobs and reducing unemployment (now 31%, was 36%) compared to October ‘19.
    • Reducing utility bills is also less important now (23%) than it was in October ‘19 (27%).
  • Mar, 2020

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    Better at managing the economy

    Q Which party do you think is better at managing:

      Coalition Labor Neither Difference (Coalition minus Labor)
    The economy to benefit big business 53% 22% 26% +31
    The economy generally 40% 31% 29% +9
    The economy to benefit small business 36% 35% 29% +1
    The economy to benefit older Australians 32% 35% 33% -3
    The economy to benefit people living in regional communities 29% 35% 37% -6
    The economy to benefit workers 26% 46% 28% -20
    • The Coalition is perceived to be better at managing the economy to benefit big business (53%) and managing the economy generally (40%) than Labor (22% and 31% respectively).
    • Labor is seen as better at managing the economy for workers (46%) than the Coalition (26%).
    • Between a quarter (26%) and a third (37%) of participants believe that neither Coalition nor Labor is better at managing any economic elements.
  • Mar, 2020

    Better at managing major events

    Q Which party do you think is better at managing:

      Coalition Labor Neither Difference (Coalition minus Labor)
    A major security threat 39% 27% 34% +12
    The ageing population 35% 27% 38% +8
    A global economic crisis 35% 30% 36% +5
    A major health risk 34% 29% 37% +5
    A major environmental crisis 28% 32% 39% -4
    The transition from a carbon-based to a renewable based energy market 25% 37% 38% -12
    • The Coalition is seen as better at managing a major security threat (39%) and the ageing population (35%) than Labor (both 27%).
    • Whereas Labor is perceived to be better at managing the transition from a carbon-based to a renewable based energy market (37%), compared to 25% Coalition.
  • Mar, 2020

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    Coronavirus concerns

    Q To what extent are you concerned about the threat of the Coronavirus in Australia?

      Mar’20 Feb’20 Difference
    Very concerned 27% 25% +2
    Quite concerned 36% 43% -7
    Not that concerned 28% 26% +2
    Not at all concerned 9% 6% +3
    Base (n) 1,096 1,057 –
    • Net concern about the threat of Coronavirus has decreased overall with 36% of participants now ‘quite concerned’, down from 43% in Feb’20.
    • 9% of participants are now ‘not at all concerned’ about Coronavirus, up from 6% last month.

    Likelihood of developing Coronavirus

    Q How likely do you think it is, that you will develop Coronavirus?

        Age group Federal Voting Intention
      Total 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor Coalition Greens NET: Other
    Very likely 7% 11% 9% 2% 6% 7% 6% 10%
    Somewhat likely 24% 25% 27% 21% 27% 26% 18% 21%
    Somewhat unlikely 43% 35% 42% 49% 40% 48% 37% 38%
    Very unlikely 26% 29% 22% 27% 27% 19% 38% 31%
    Base (n) 1,096 341 370 385 347 359 92 171
    • Overall, two-thirds (68%) of participants think it’s unlikely that they will develop Coronavirus.
    • Especially those over 55 years old (77%) tend to believe it’s unlikely they will develop Coronavirus.
    • Greens voters tend to believe it’s very unlikely they will develop Coronavirus (38%) compared to all other voters (24%).
  • Mar, 2020

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    Government spending on energy sources

    Q To what extent would you support or oppose the Government spending taxpayers’ money to research the following energy sources?

      NET: Support NET: Oppose Strongly support Somewhat support Neither support nor oppose Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose
    Renewables (such as large-scale solar or wind farms) 71% 12% 45% 27% 16% 7% 5%
    Hydrogen technology 57% 10% 24% 33% 32% 7% 3%
    Clean coal 50% 23% 20% 29% 28% 11% 11%
    Nuclear 38% 35% 17% 21% 27% 15% 20%

     

        Gender Age Group Federal Voting Intention Location
    NET: Support Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor Coalition Greens NET: Other Capital City Non-Capital City
    Renewables (such as large-

    scale solar or wind farms)

    		 71% 71% 72% 74% 69% 72% 78% 66% 95% 63% 74% 67%
    Hydrogen technology 57% 65% 51% 53% 52% 66% 58% 61% 63% 54% 59% 53%
    Clean coal 50% 50% 50% 49% 44% 56% 43% 64% 28% 48% 51% 47%
    Nuclear 38% 47% 30% 32% 34% 47% 34% 50% 25% 37% 39% 36%
    • 71% of participants support the Government spending taxpayers’ money to research renewables, compared to 50% support for clean coal.
    • Support for research into renewables is higher in capital cities (74%) than non-capital cities (67%), and higher among Greens voters (95%) than all other voters (63%).
    • Coalition voters are most likely to support research into clean coal (64%) and nuclear power (50%) whereas Greens voters are least likely to support those energy sources (28% and 25% respectively).
    • Men tend to support research into hydrogen technology (65%) and nuclear (47%) more than women (51% and 30% respectively).
    • Participants over 55 years are more likely to support research into hydrogen technology (66%), clean coal (56%) or nuclear (47%) than those aged 18-54 (52%, 46% and 33% respectively).
  • Mar, 2020

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    Attitude to Bridget McKenzie’s resignation and grant allocation

    Q The Deputy Leader of the Nationals resigned last month for having a conflict of interest in awarding a grant to a shooting club of which she was a member. There are ongoing questions about the extent to which other ministers knew and participated in the allocation of regional sporting grants.

      NET: Agree NET: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Unsure
    The investigation needs to continue to investigate any MP involved in the allocation of sports grants 71% 16% 42% 28% 10% 6% 13%
    The minister’s resignation should be the end of the matter 43% 42% 19% 24% 21% 21% 14%

     

    NET: Agree Mar’20 Feb’20 Difference
    The investigation needs to continue to investigate any MP involved in the allocation of sports grants 71% 70% +1
    The minister’s resignation should be the end of the matter 43% 49% -6
    Base (n) 1,096 1,057 –
    • 71% of participants agree that the investigation needs to continue to investigate any MP involved in the allocation of sports grants, which is no different to the Feb’20 results.
    • On the other hand, now 43% of participants agree that the minister’s resignation should be the end of the matter (43%) down 6pts from Feb’20.
  • Feb, 2020

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    Government support for coal-fired power plants

    Q. Which of the following statements regarding the future of coal is closest to your view?

      Total Federal Voting Intention (Lower House)
      Labor Coalition Greens NET: Other
    The government should be working to shut down mines and coal-fired power plants as soon as possible 32% 36% 21% 62% 27%
    The government should let the coal mining industry and coal-fired power plants continue operating as long as they are profitable, but not subsidise them or support the expansion of the industry 47% 45% 52% 28% 50%
    The government should subsidise coal-fired power plants to keep them going and provide financial support for new mines and other projects in the coal industry 21% 19% 27% 10% 22%
    Base (n) 1,090 336 390 104 146
    • 47% of participants say that letting the coal mining industry and coal-fired power plants continue operating as long as they are profitable, but not subsidise them or support the expansion of the industry is closest to their view.
    • A third (32%) say working to shut down mines and coal-fired power plants as soon as possible is closest to their view, with Greens voters most likely to select that option (62%).
    • Coalition voters are most likely to say subsidising coal-fired power plants to keep them going and provide financial support for new mines and other projects in the coal industry, is closest to their view (27%).
  • Feb, 2020

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    Attitudes towards coal

    Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about coal?

      NET: Agree NET: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Unsure
    Improvements in renewable energy will mean that burning coal to generate electricity will become less necessary 75% 14% 43% 32% 8% 6% 11%
    Advances in technology and international action on climate change will mean coal becomes uneconomical to extract in the future 65% 18% 28% 36% 12% 6% 17%
    If we’re serious about dealing with climate change, Australia needs to get out of coal as soon as possible 64% 24% 34% 29% 13% 11% 13%
    Even if Australia stops exporting coal for electricity generation, it should still export coal for steel production 61% 19% 26% 36% 12% 7% 20%
    Rather than digging it all up now, Australia should leave its coal resources in the ground to use when it becomes more valuable in the future 53% 29% 21% 33% 20% 8% 18%

     

    NET: Agree   Age Federal Voting Intention (Lower House)
    Total 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor Coalition Greens NET: Other
    Improvements in renewable energy will mean that burning coal to generate electricity will become less necessary 75% 80% 76% 70% 82% 70% 83% 68%
    Advances in technology and international action on climate change will mean coal becomes uneconomical to extract in the future 65% 74% 61% 61% 73% 60% 70% 53%
    If we’re serious about dealing with climate change, Australia needs to get out of coal as soon as possible 64% 75% 65% 52% 72% 54% 87% 49%
    Even if Australia stops exporting coal for electricity generation, it should still export coal for steel production 61% 61% 64% 59% 60% 72% 38% 59%
    Rather than digging it all up now, Australia should leave its coal resources in the ground to use when it becomes more valuable in the future 53% 64% 53% 44% 57% 50% 56% 45%
    Base (n) 1,090 341 374 375 336 390 104 146
    • Three-quarters of participants (75%) agree that improvements in renewable energy will mean that burning coal to generate electricity will become less necessary, 65% agree that advances in technology and international action on climate change will mean coal becomes uneconomical to extract in the future and 64% agree if we’re serious about dealing with climate change, Australia needs to get out of coal as soon as possible.
    • Participants aged 18-34, those with a university education and Greens or Labor voters are more likely to agree with these statements than those over 55, those with a secondary school education and Coalition or other voters (other minor party or independent candidate).
    • Coalition voters are most likely to agree that even if Australia stops exporting coal for electricity generation, it should still export coal for steel production (72%), compared to 38% of Greens voters.
    • Capital city residents are more likely to agree if we’re serious about dealing with climate change, Australia needs to get out of coal as soon as possible (67%) and rather than digging it all up now, Australia should leave its coal resources in the ground to use when it becomes more valuable in the future (56%); than non-capital city residents (56% and 47% respectively).
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