Party trust to handle the economy
Q. Which party – Labor or Liberal – do you think is best when it comes to:
| Liberal | Labor | No difference | Don’t know | NET | ||
| Representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests | 53% | 12% | 22% | 13% | +41 | |
| Handling the economy overall | 36% | 22% | 25% | 17% | +14 | |
| Handling the economy in a way that best helps small business | 35% | 25% | 23% | 17% | +10 | |
| Handling the economy in a way that best helps the middle class | 30% | 28% | 25% | 17% | +2 | |
| Handling the economy in a way that helps you and people like you the most. | 28% | 31% | 25% | 17% | -3 | |
| Handling the economy in a way that tries to take the interests of working families into consideration as much as it takes the interests of the large corporate and financial groups | 26% | 32% | 26% | 16% | -6 | |
| Representing the interests of you and people like you | 26% | 34% | 27% | 12% | -8 | |
| Standing up for the middle class in Australia | 25% | 35% | 26% | 14% | -10 | |
| Being more concerned about the interests of working families in Australia than the rich and large business and financial interests | 19% | 43% | 24% | 14% | -24 | |
| Representing the interests of Australian working families | 18% | 45% | 27% | 11% | -27 |
Labor are considered best at representing the interests of Australian working families (+27), being more concerned about the interests of working families (+24) and standing up for the middle class in Australia (+10).
The Liberal Party are considered best at representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests (+41), handling the economy overall (+14) and handling the economy in a way that best helps small business (+10).
Party trust to handle issues
Q: Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Liberal | Labor | Don’t know | Difference | ||
| Security and the war on terrorism | 42% | 19% | 39% | +23 | |
| Management of the economy | 42% | 22% | 36% | +20 | |
| Controlling interest rates | 34% | 22% | 44% | +12 | |
| Political leadership | 36% | 25% | 40% | +11 | |
| Managing population growth | 33% | 22% | 45% | +11 | |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 33% | 25% | 41% | +8 | |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 26% | 26% | 47% | – | |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 27% | 35% | 38% | -8 | |
| Housing affordability | 25% | 35% | 40% | -10 | |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 28% | 39% | 34% | -11 | |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 26% | 37% | 37% | -11 | |
| Addressing climate change | 22% | 33% | 45% | -11 | |
| Protecting the environment | 22% | 34% | 43% | -12 | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 27% | 39% | 34% | -12 | |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 26% | 39% | 35% | -13 |
The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war of terrorism (+23), management of the economy (+20) and controlling interest rates (+12).
The Labor Party is trusted more to handle protecting jobs and local industries (+13), a fair industrial relations system (+12) and protecting the environment (+12).
Leader trust to handle issues
Q: Which leader – Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten – would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Malcolm Turnbull | Bill Shorten | Don’t know | Difference | ||
| Regulating the banking and finance sector | 33% | 27% | 39% | +6 | |
| Supporting Australia’s manufacturing industries | 30% | 31% | 39% | -1 | |
| Ensuring big companies pay their share of tax | 28% | 34% | 38% | -6 | |
| Protecting the Great Barrier Reef | 21% | 27% | 52% | -6 | |
| Funding hospitals | 27% | 35% | 38% | -8 | |
| Addressing climate change | 21% | 29% | 50% | -8 | |
| Making housing more affordable for first home buyers | 23% | 32% | 44% | -9 | |
| Looking after the needs of pensioners | 21% | 35% | 44% | -14 | |
| Funding public schools | 24% | 40% | 36% | -16 | |
| Maintaining workers’ wages and conditions | 21% | 43% | 35% | -22 |
Bill Shorten is trusted more for maintaining workers’ wages and conditions (+22), funding public schools (+16) and looking after the needs of pensioners (+14).
Trust to handle the economy
Q. Who would you trust most to handle Australia’s economy – the Treasurer Scott Morrison or the Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen?
| Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | April 2016 | |||
| Scott Morrison | 31% | 9% | 68% | 3% | 22% | 26% | ||
| Chris Bowen | 20% | 40% | 4% | 44% | 16% | 23% | ||
| Don’t know | 49% | 51% | 28% | 53% | 62% | 51% |
31% have more trust in Scott Morrison to handle Australia’s economy and 20% have more trust in Chris Bowen. 49% don’t know who they would trust more. This represents an improvement for Scott Morrison from net +3 to +11 since April.
Trust most to handle the economy
Q. Who would you trust most to handle Australia’s economy – the Treasurer Scott Morrison or the Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen?
| Total
|
Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote other | Nov 2015 | Jan 2016 | |||
| Scott Morrison | 26% | 10% | 55% | 9% | 11% | 27% | 26% | ||
| Chris Bowen | 23% | 45% | 8% | 34% | 19% | 18% | 19% | ||
| Don’t know | 51% | 44% | 37% | 57% | 70% | 56% | 55% |
26% have more trust in Scott Morrison to handle Australia’s economy and 23% have more trust in Chris Bowen. 51% don’t know who they would trust more. This represents a small improvement for Chris Bowen since January.
Party trust to handle issues
Which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Liberal | Labor | Don’t know | Difference Liberal – Labor | ||
| Security and the war on terrorism | 40% | 20% | 40% | +20 | |
| Management of the economy | 41% | 22% | 36% | +19 | |
| Controlling interest rates | 37% | 21% | 42% | +16 | |
| Political leadership | 37% | 21% | 42% | +16 | |
| Managing population growth | 33% | 21% | 45% | +12 | |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 31% | 26% | 42% | +5 | |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 33% | 29% | 38% | +4 | |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 28% | 25% | 47% | +3 | |
| Housing affordability | 28% | 32% | 40% | -4 | |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 29% | 33% | 37% | -4 | |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 30% | 35% | 35% | -5 | |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 29% | 35% | 36% | -6 | |
| Addressing climate change | 25% | 33% | 42% | -8 | |
| Protecting the environment | 24% | 33% | 44% | -9 | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 28% | 38% | 33% | -10 |
The Liberal Party is trusted more to handle security and the war on terrorism (40% to 20%), management of the economy (41%/22%), controlling interest rates (37%/21%), political leadership (37%/21%) and managing population growth (33%/21%).
The Labor Party is trusted more to handle a fair industrial relations system (38% to 28%), protecting the environment (33%/24%) and addressing climate change (33%/25%).
Trust in information about asylum seekers
How much trust do you have in the following for information about asylum seekers?
| A lot of trust | Some trust | Not much trust | No trust at all | Don’t know | |
| Politicians | 2% | 15% | 31% | 42% | 10% |
| Government officials | 3% | 20% | 38% | 30% | 10% |
| The media | 2% | 19% | 37% | 33% | 9% |
| Churches | 8% | 27% | 30% | 23% | 11% |
| Doctors | 22% | 43% | 17% | 7% | 11% |
| Human rights campaigners | 12% | 30% | 26% | 21% | 11% |
| Welfare agencies | 9% | 37% | 26% | 16% | 11% |
| International organisations | 8% | 33% | 30% | 17% | 12% |
For information about asylum seekers the most trusted sources were doctors (65% a lot/some trust), welfare agencies (46%), human rights campaigners (42%) and international organisations (41%).
Only 17% trust politicians and 21% trust the media.
Politicians are trusted by 28% of Liberal/National voters and 13% of Labor voters. Government officials are trusted by 36% of Liberal/National voters and 19% of Labor voters. Human are trusted by 35% of Liberal/National voters, 49% of Labor voters and 77% of Greens voters.
Trust in media
Q. How much trust do you have in what you read or hear in the following media?
|
Total a lot /some trust |
A lot of trust |
Some trust |
Not much trust |
No trust at all |
Don’t know |
Don’t use |
|
|
Total a lot /some Jun 12 |
Total a lot /some Jan 13 |
Total a lot /some Nov 14 |
Total a lot /some Jun 15 |
|||
|
ABC TV news and current affairs |
66% |
21% |
45% |
14% |
7% |
3% |
10% |
|
|
74% |
73% |
69% |
63% |
||
|
SBS TV news and current affairs |
63% |
17% |
46% |
13% |
7% |
4% |
14% |
66% |
61% |
||||||
|
ABC radio news and current affairs |
62% |
18% |
44% |
14% |
7% |
4% |
13% |
|
|
69% |
70% |
62% |
58% |
||
|
News and opinion in local newspapers |
49% |
5% |
44% |
28% |
10% |
4% |
9% |
|
|
56% |
55% |
53% |
50% |
||
|
News and opinion in daily newspapers |
49% |
5% |
44% |
27% |
11% |
4% |
9% |
|
|
52% |
48% |
50% |
45% |
||
|
ABC radio talkback programs |
49% |
10% |
39% |
21% |
10% |
4% |
17% |
|
|
50% |
49% |
48% |
46% |
||
|
Commercial TV news and current affairs |
48% |
6% |
42% |
29% |
14% |
4% |
5% |
|
|
46% |
44% |
48% |
46% |
||
|
Commercial radio news and current affairs |
46% |
4% |
42% |
26% |
13% |
4% |
11% |
|
|
45% |
46% |
45% |
44% |
||
|
News and opinion websites |
44% |
4% |
40% |
31% |
11% |
4% |
10% |
|
|
40% |
40% |
42% |
39% |
||
|
Commercial radio talkback programs |
34% |
4% |
30% |
31% |
16% |
4% |
15% |
33% |
32% |
33% |
34% |
||||
|
Internet blogs |
23% |
3% |
20% |
35% |
22% |
4% |
17% |
|
|
20% |
23% |
22% |
20% |
Overall, trust in media has risen a little since this question was asked last year – however rankings remain much the same.
The most trusted media were ABC TV news and current affairs (66% a lot/some trust), SBS TV news and current affairs (63%) and ABC radio news and current affairs (62%).
The least trusted were internet blogs (23%) and commercial radio talkback programs (34%).
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