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  • May, 2013

    , , , ,

    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 = 1,840 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    8/4/13

    2 weeks ago

    22/4/13

    Last week

    29/4/13

    This week

    6/5/13

    Liberal

    47%

    44%

    45%

    44%

    National

    2%

    3%

    3%

    4%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    49%

    48%

    48%

    48%

    Labor

    38.0%

    32%

    34%

    34%

    33%

    Greens

    11.8%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    9%

    9%

    9%

    10%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

     

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    56%

    55%

    55%

    56%

    Labor

    50.1%

    44%

    45%

    45%

    44%

    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%.

  • May, 2013

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    Australia’s national debt

    Q. Compared to other developed countries, do you think Australia’s national debt is higher, lower or about the same?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total higher

    25%

    17%

    33%

    19%

    Total lower

    48%

    58%

    39%

    57%

    A lot higher

    9%

    4%

    13%

    3%

    A little higher

    16%

    13%

    20%

    16%

    About the same

    18%

    16%

    19%

    18%

    A little lower

    29%

    27%

    28%

    27%

    A lot lower

    19%

    31%

    11%

    30%

    Don’t know

    10%

    9%

    8%

    6%

    25% think that Australia’s National debt is higher than other developed countries and 48% think it is lower – 18% think it about the same.

    A majority of Labor (58%) and Greens voters (57%) think our debt is lower than other countries while Liberal National voters were split – 39% think it is lower and 33% think it is higher.

    There were no substantial differences by demographics.

  • May, 2013

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    Reason for Australia’s national debt

    Q. What do you think is the main reason for Australia’s national debt?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    The world economy

    26%

    44%

    10%

    49%

    The high Australian dollar

    17%

    31%

    9%

    19%

    Government are poor economic managers

    46%

    12%

    76%

    19%

    Don’t know

    11%

    14%

    5%

    14%

    46% think the main reason for Australia’s national debt is that the Government are poor economic managers. 26% think it is due to the world economy and 17% blame the high Australian dollar.

    Labor (44%) and Greens (49%) voters are more likely to blame the world economy, while 76% of Liberal/National voters say it is because the Government are poor economic managers.

  • May, 2013

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    Importance of reducing debt

    Q. Do you think it is more important to reduce Australia’s national debt or to maintain government spending on services and projects?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Australia’s debt higher

    Australia’s debt about the same

    Australia’s debt lower

    More important to reduce debt

    46%

    26%

    67%

    31%

    63%

    49%

    37%

    More important to maintain spending

    40%

    61%

    23%

    59%

    28%

    33%

    51%

    Don’t know

    14%

    14%

    10%

    11%

    9%

    18%

    12%

    46% think it is more important to reduce Australia’s debt and 40% think it is more important to maintain Government spending on services and projects.

    61% of Labor voters and 59% of Greens voters favour maintaining spending while 67% of Liberal/national voters think it is more important to reduce debt.

    63% of those who think Australia’s debt is high compared to other countries think we should reduce debt while 51% of those who think our debt is low think we should maintain spending.

  • May, 2013

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    Raise taxes or cut spending

    Q. Do you think the Government should raise taxes or cut spending to reduce the national debt or should they do neither?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Raise taxes

    13%

    23%

    5%

    28%

    Reduce spending

    55%

    34%

    74%

    40%

    Neither

    20%

    27%

    14%

    20%

    Don’t know

    12%

    16%

    7%

    12%

    In order to reduce debt, 55% think the Government should reduce spending and only 13% think they should raise taxes. 20% think they should do neither.

    74% of Liberal/National voters think the Government should reduce spending compared to 40% of Greens voters and 34% of Labor voters.

  • May, 2013

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    Paying tax

    Q. Do you think the following pay too much tax, not enough tax or about the right amount?

     

    Total

    Labor voters

    Lib/Nat voters

     

    Pay too much

    Don’t pay eno
    -ugh

    Pay about right
    amnt.

    Don’t know

    Pay too much

    Don’t pay eno
    -ugh

    Pay about right

    Don’t know

    Pay too much

    Don’t pay eno
    -ugh

    Pay about right
    amnt.

    Don’t know

    Large
    bus.

    7%

    63%

    17%

    13%

    4%

    75%

    12%

    9%

    9%

    52%

    25%

    14%

    Small
    bus.

    43%

    7%

    37%

    14%

    37%

    8%

    43%

    11%

    49%

    5%

    34%

    11%

    People on
    low incomes

    41%

    8%

    41%

    10%

    49%

    3%

    41%

    7%

    33%

    11%

    46%

    10%

    People on average
    incomes

    37%

    7%

    49%

    8%

    32%

    8%

    54%

    6%

    38%

    6%

    50%

    6%

    People on
    high incomes

    12%

    60%

    19%

    8%

    5%

    77%

    13%

    6%

    18%

    47%

    27%

    7%

    Mining
    co.

    7%

    62%

    16%

    15%

    4%

    78%

    8%

    11%

    11%

    49%

    24%

    16%

    A majority think that large businesses (63%), mining companies (62%) and people on high incomes do not pay enough tax.

    They are more likely to think that small businesses pay too much tax (43%) and that people on average incomes pay about the right amount (49%).

    They were split over whether people on low incomes pay too much or about the right amount.

    At least three quarters of Labor voters think mining companies, people on upper incomes and big businesses do not pay enough tax.

  • May, 2013

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    Government’s management of economy

    Q. How would you rate the government’s management of the Australian economy compared to how governments in other countries around the world have managed their economies?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total good

    39%

    71%

    14%

    62%

    Total poor

    32%

    4%

    58%

    10%

    Very good

    11%

    26%

    1%

    18%

    Good

    28%

    45%

    13%

    44%

    Neither good nor poor

    24%

    21%

    24%

    22%

    Poor

    17%

    4%

    31%

    6%

    Very poor

    15%

    *

    27%

    4%

    Don’t know

    5%

    3%

    3%

    6%

    39% think that government’s management of the Australian economy compared to how governments in other countries around the world have managed their economies has been good/very good and 32% think it has been poor/very poor.

  • May, 2013

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    Trust to handle economy

    Q. Who would you trust most to handle Australia’s economy – The Treasurer Wayne Swan or the Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Wayne Swan

    32%

    70%

    9%

    48%

    Joe Hockey

    35%

    4%

    67%

    17%

    Don’t know

    32%

    26%

    25%

    36%

    32% trust Wayne Swan more to handle Australia’s economy and 35% trust Joe Hockey more. Men favour Joe Hockey 41%/34% while women are evenly split – 31% Wayne Swan and 30% Joe Hockey.

    Those on incomes under $1,000pw favour Wayne Swan 34%/31% while those earning over $1,000pw favour Joe Hockey 37%/32%.

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