Interests Represented by Parties
Q. Which political party do you think best represents the interests of –
Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | Net (Liberal – Labor) | Net Sep 2015 | ||
Big business | 10% | 63% | 2% | 24% | +53 | +52 | |
Working people on high incomes | 12% | 62% | 2% | 24% | +50 | +48 | |
Small businesses and self-employed | 28% | 40% | 4% | 28% | +12 | +15 | |
Rural and regional Australians | 25% | 30% | 13% | 33% | +5 | +8 | |
The next generation of Australians | 24% | 26% | 14% | 36% | +2 | +5 | |
Indigenous people | 26% | 17% | 16% | 42% | -9 | -1 | |
Ethnic communities | 27% | 17% | 17% | 39% | -10 | -2 | |
Families with young children | 39% | 25% | 6% | 30% | -14 | -13 | |
Students | 33% | 19% | 12% | 36% | -14 | -16 | |
Working people on average incomes | 42% | 27% | 5% | 26% | -15 | -16 | |
Pensioners | 40% | 20% | 6% | 34% | -20 | -15 | |
People on welfare | 42% | 17% | 9% | 31% | -25 | -23 | |
Working people on low incomes | 49% | 16% | 7% | 28% | -33 | –23 |
The Labor Party is considered the party which best represents the interests of families with young children, students, working people on low and average incomes, people on welfare and pensioners. The Liberal Party is considered substantially better at representing the interests of people on high incomes, big business and small business and self-employed.
Since this question was asked in September 2015, the Labor Party has improved its position against the Liberal Party on representing the interests of indigenous people (up 8%), ethnic communities (up 8%), pensioners (up 5%) and working people on low incomes (up 10%).

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