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  • Sep, 2012

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    Federal politics – voting intention

    Q. If a Federal Election was held today to which party will you probably give your first preference vote? If not sure, which party are you currently leaning toward?

    Q. If don’t know -Well which party are you currently leaning to?

    Sample size = 1,871 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    6/8/12

    2 weeks ago

    20/8/12

    Last week

    27/8/12

    This week

    3/9/12

    Liberal

    46%

    46%

    46%

    44%

    National

    3%

    3%

    3%

    3%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    49%

    49%

    49%

    48%

    Labor

    38.0%

    33%

    32%

    32%

    34%

    Greens

    11.8%

    10%

    10%

    10%

    9%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    8%

    9%

    9%

    9%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    56%

    57%

    56%

    55%

    Labor

    50.1%

    44%

    43%

    44%

    45%

    NB.  The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived from the first preference/leaning to voting questions.  Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ are not included in the results.  The two-party preferred estimate is calculated by distributing the votes of the other parties according to their preferences at the 2010 election. These estimates have a confidence interval of approx. plus or minus 2-3%.

  • Sep, 2012

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    Criticism of Female Politicians

    Q. In general, do you think female politicians are subjected to more or less personal criticism than male politicians?

     

    Total

    Vote

    Labor

    Vote

    Lib/Nat

    Vote

    Greens

    Men

    Women

    More

    52%

    71%

    38%

    80%

    40%

    63%

    Less

    4%

    2%

    7%

    1%

    6%

    2%

    About the same

    40%

    25%

    53%

    16%

    49%

    31%

    Don’t know

    5%

    1%

    3%

    3%

    5%

    4%

    52% think that female politicians are subjected to more personal criticism than male politicians. 40% think they receive about the same level of personal criticism and 4% think they receive less.

    63% of women think female politicians receive more personal criticism but 55% of men think they receive about the same or less.

  • Sep, 2012

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    Criticism of Julia Gillard

    Q. Do you think the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been subjected to more or less personal criticism than a male Prime Minister would be?

     

    Total

    Vote

    Labor

    Vote

    Lib/Nat

    Vote

    Greens

    Men

    Women

    More

    51%

    77%

    34%

    74%

    42%

    61%

    Less

    6%

    3%

    10%

    1%

    8%

    4%

    About the same

    38%

    18%

    54%

    19%

    46%

    31%

    Don’t know

    5%

    2%

    2%

    6%

    5%

    5%

    51% think that the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been subjected to more personal criticism than a male Prime Minister would be. 38% think she has received about the same level of personal criticism and 6% think she has received less.

    61% of women think Julia Gillard has received more personal criticism but 54% of men think she has received about the same or less.

  • Sep, 2012

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    Groups better off under Labor or Liberal Government

    Q. Do you think the following groups of people would be better off under a Labor Government or a Liberal Government?

     

    Better off under a Labor Government

    Better off under a Liberal Government

    Makes no difference

    Don’t know

    Difference

    (Labor minus Liberal)

    Pensioners

    36%

    20%

    29%

    15%

    +16

    Unemployed people

    41%

    14%

    29%

    15%

    +27

    People with disabilities

    36%

    16%

    30%

    17%

    +20

    People and families on low incomes

    44%

    17%

    25%

    13%

    +27

    People and families on middle incomes

    26%

    33%

    28%

    13%

    -7

    People and families on high incomes

    11%

    54%

    21%

    13%

    -43

    Single parents

    39%

    16%

    29%

    16%

    +23

    Average working people

    32%

    27%

    28%

    13%

    +5

    Large corporations

    9%

    57%

    20%

    14%

    -48

    Banks and other financial institutions

    9%

    47%

    27%

    16%

    -38

    Small businesses

    21%

    37%

    26%

    16%

    -16

    Families with children at public school

    38%

    19%

    28%

    15%

    +19

    Families with children at private school

    14%

    44%

    27%

    16%

    -30

    Recent immigrants to Australia

    35%

    17%

    30%

    17%

    +18

    Farmers and other agricultural producers

    19%

    32%

    31%

    19%

    -13

    Respondents were substantially more likely to think the following groups would be better off under a Labor Government – unemployed, low income families, single parents and people with disabilities.

    They were substantially more likely to think the following groups would be better off under a Liberal Government – large corporations, high income families, banks and financial institutions, families with children at private schools.

    Groups better off under by Respondent Category 

    Respondent category (respondent or family member is in this category) Groups better or worse off

    Better off under a Labor Government

    Better off under a Liberal Government

    Makes no difference

    Don’t know

    Difference

    (Labor minus Liberal)

    Pensioners Pensioners

    41%

    25%

    26%

    8%

    +16

    Unemployed Unemployed people

    42%

    13%

    30%

    15%

    +29

    Have a disability People with disabilities

    44%

    18%

    31%

    8%

    +26

    On low income People and families on low incomes

    44%

    17%

    26%

    13%

    +27

    On middle income People and families on middle incomes

    25%

    37%

    27%

    11%

    -12

    On high income People and families on high incomes

    16%

    58%

    15%

    11%

    -42

    Single parent Single parents

    38%

    19%

    27%

    16%

    +19

    Working Average working people

    30%

    29%

    29%

    12%

    +1

    Work for a large corporation Large corporations

    11%

    57%

    18%

    14%

    -46

    Work for a bank or other financial institution Banks and other financial institutions

    23%

    45%

    16%

    16%

    -22

    Work for a small business Small businesses

    24%

    37%

    25%

    14%

    -13

    Self-employed or own a small business Small businesses

    24%

    40%

    20%

    17%

    -16

    Have children at public school Families with children at public school

    39%

    17%

    27%

    16%

    +22

    Have children at private school Families with children at private school

    21%

    42%

    22%

    15%

    -21

    Recent immigrants to Australia * Recent immigrants to Australia

    63%

    9%

    20%

    9%

    +54

    Farmers and other agricultural producers Farmers and other agricultural producers

    27%

    38%

    19%

    17%

    -11

    * small sample – less than 100

    This table shows groups affected mainly held views similar to the total sample. The main exceptions were that people with disabilities were more likely to think they would be better off under Labor, people working in banks/finance were more likely to think banks/financial institutions would be better off under Labor and people with children at primary school were more likely to think they would be better off under a Labor Government.

  • Sep, 2012

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    Liberal Party and WorkChoices

    Q. If they won the next election, how likely do you think it would be that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices?

     

    31 May 10

    12 July 10

    21 Nov 11

    23 Jul 12

    Total

    3 Sept 12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Work full time

    Work part time

    Total likely

    58%

    56%

    51%

    53%

    51%

    74%

    33%

    68%

    50%

    55%

    Total unlikely

    21%

    24%

    27%

    22%

    25%

    12%

    43%

    11%

    28%

    21%

    Very likely

    28%

    26%

    22%

    26%

    23%

    47%

    5%

    32%

    19%

    21%

    Quite likely

    30%

    30%

    29%

    27%

    28%

    27%

    28%

    36%

    31%

    34%

    Not very likely

    18%

    18%

    19%

    16%

    18%

    10%

    30%

    8%

    21%

    16%

    Not at all likely

    3%

    6%

    8%

    6%

    7%

    2%

    13%

    3%

    7%

    5%

    Don’t know

    20%

    20%

    22%

    26%

    24%

    14%

    24%

    22%

    23%

    24%

    Respondents were a little less likely to think that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices than when a similar question was asked in July. 51% (down 2%) think it is likely that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices if they won the next election and 25% (up 3%) think it is unlikely.

    74% of Labor voters and 68% of Greens voters think it is likely, while Liberal/National voters are split 33% likely (down 7%) to 43% unlikely (up 9%).

  • Sep, 2012

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    Concern about Liberals Bringing Back WorkChoices

    Q. If the Liberals won the election and reintroduced WorkChoices or similar laws, how concerned would you be?  

     

    31 May 10

    12 July 10

    21 Nov 11

    23 Jul 12

    Total

    3 Sept 12

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Work full time

    Work part time

    Very concerned

    28%

    29%

    26%

    30%

    27%

    51%

    6%

    39%

    24%

    32%

    Quite concerned

    17%

    19%

    15%

    16%

    15%

    20%

    12%

    21%

    18%

    12%

    A little concerned

    20%

    16%

    20%

    15%

    19%

    16%

    23%

    16%

    20%

    24%

    Not concerned

    24%

    25%

    27%

    26%

    26%

    5%

    50%

    4%

    29%

    19%

    Don’t know

    11%

    11%

    11%

    14%

    13%

    8%

    8%

    20%

    9%

    12%

    Respondents were also a little less concerned about the re-introduction of WorkChoices than in July. 42% (down 4%) would be quite or very concerned if WorkChoices or similar laws were re-introduced and 45% (up 4%) were only a little or not concerned.

    71% of Labor voters and 60% of Greens voters would be concerned. 73% of Liberal/National voters would be a little/not concerned and 18% concerned.  42% of full-time workers and 44% of part-time workers said they would be very/quite concerned.

    49% of those aged 45-64 said they would be very/quite concerned.

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