10 April 2012, 100412, 2PP, ER, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, two party preferred, voting, 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 = 1,902 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago 12/3/12 |
2 weeks ago 26/3/12 |
Last week 2/4/12 |
This week 10/4/12 |
| Liberal |
|
46% |
45% |
46% |
47% |
| National |
|
3% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
| Total Lib/Nat |
43.6% |
49% |
47% |
48% |
50% |
| Labor |
38.0% |
31% |
34% |
33% |
31% |
| Greens |
11.8% |
10% |
10% |
11% |
11% |
| Other/Independent |
6.6% |
10% |
9% |
8% |
9% |
| 2PP |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago |
2 weeks ago |
Last week |
This week |
| Total Lib/Nat |
49.9% |
57% |
54% |
55% |
57% |
| Labor |
50.1% |
43% |
46% |
45% |
43% |
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.
10 April 2012, 100412, Childcare, Childcare Rebate, children, families, Nannies, Polling, polls, Productivity Commission
Q. Tony Abbott has said that if he became Prime Minister he would ask the Productivity Commission to look into extending the childcare rebate to childcare provided by nannies. Would you support or oppose the Government paying a childcare rebate for nannies?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total support |
44% |
33% |
57% |
33% |
| Total oppose |
33% |
49% |
24% |
44% |
| Strongly support |
12% |
9% |
17% |
10% |
| Support |
32% |
24% |
40% |
23% |
| Oppose |
20% |
27% |
18% |
20% |
| Strongly oppose |
13% |
22% |
6% |
24% |
| No opinion |
22% |
18% |
19% |
23% |
44% support the Government paying a childcare rebate for nannies and 33% oppose. 49% of Labor voters and 44% of Greens voters are opposed but 57% of Liberal/National voters support the measure.
Support is higher among younger respondents – those aged under 45 split 53% support/24% oppose and those aged 45+ split 36% support/44% oppose.
48% of those on income under $600pw oppose and 32% support, but all higher income groups are more likely to support.
10 April 2012, 100412, budget, Budget Deficit, Budget Surplus, deficit, economic management, GFC, Polling, polls, return to surplus, surplus, tax, tax revenues, taxes
Q. The Federal Government is currently running a budget deficit, but intends to return to surplus with the budget for 2012-13 to be announced next month. Which of the following do you think has been most responsible for the deficit over the last few years?
|
Total 11/4/11 |
Total 10/4/12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Poor economic management by the Government |
23% |
28% |
7% |
48% |
7% |
| Big companies not paying their fair share of taxes |
17% |
16% |
28% |
5% |
28% |
| Lower tax revenues because of the Global Financial Crisis |
13% |
16% |
27% |
10% |
22% |
| Spending on big projects like the National Broadband Network |
14% |
15% |
14% |
17% |
10% |
| The cost of the Government’s GFC stimulus packages |
19% |
12% |
11% |
13% |
15% |
| Don’t know |
15% |
14% |
13% |
8% |
18% |
Overall, respondents believe the main reasons for the budget deficit are poor economic management by the Government (28%), big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (16%) and lower tax revenues because of the Global Financial Crisis (16%).
Since this question was asked 12 months ago, those blaming the Government for poor economic management has increased from 23% to 28% and those blaming the cost of the Government’s GFC stimulus packages has declined from 19% to 12%.
Labor voters were most likely to blame big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (28%) and lower tax revenues because of the GFC (27%) while Liberal/National voters blame poor economic management by the Government (48%). Greens voters tended to blame big companies not paying their fair share of taxes (28%).
10 April 2012, 100412, budget, Budget Surplus, cutting services, Polling, polls, raising taxes, return to surplus, surplus, tax, taxes
Q. Do you think it is more important for the Government to return the budget to surplus by 2012/13 as planned – which may mean cutting services and raising taxes – OR should they delay the return to surplus and maintain services and invest in infrastructure?
|
Total 4/4/11
|
Total 28/11/11 |
Total 10/4/12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Return to surplus by 2012/13, cut services, raise taxes |
14% |
13% |
12% |
13% |
13% |
7% |
| Delay return to surplus, maintain services, invest in infrastructure |
69% |
71% |
73% |
73% |
76% |
81% |
| Don’t know |
17% |
15% |
15% |
13% |
12% |
12% |
12% support the return to surplus by 2012/13 if it means cutting services and raising taxes and 73% think the Government should delay the return to surplus and maintain services and investment. Support for a return to surplus has not significantly changed since this question was asked in November last year.
10 April 2012, 100412, budget, Budget Surplus, economy, NBN, Polling, polls, return to surplus, surplus, tax, tax breaks, taxes
Q. In order to meet their commitment to return to surplus in 2012-13, which measures should the Government take?
|
Total 11/4/11 |
Total 10/4/12 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Increase taxes for big corporations |
63% |
67% |
81% |
55% |
80% |
| Reduce tax breaks for high income earners |
51% |
57% |
65% |
52% |
71% |
| Postpone major infrastructure projects like the NBN |
na |
41% |
29% |
58% |
19% |
| Reduce defence spending |
32% |
38% |
42% |
30% |
64% |
| Cut “middle class welfare” such as the Baby Bonus, first home buyers grant and Family Tax Benefit payments |
36% |
36% |
37% |
38% |
36% |
| Cut spending on unemployment and disability benefits |
21% |
23% |
18% |
32% |
12% |
| It does not need to return to surplus so quickly |
38% |
63% |
67% |
66% |
58% |
Overall, the most favoured means of returning the budget to surplus were increasing taxes for big corporations (67%) and reducing tax breaks for high-income earners (57%). Both these measures were strongly favoured by Labor and Greens voters.
Although support was less strong, these two measures were also two of the three the most preferred among Liberal/National voters – 58% think the Government should postpone major infrastructure projects like the NBN.
The main changes since this question was asked 12 months ago are increases in support for reducing tax breaks for high-income earners (up 6%) and reducing defence spending (up 6%).
Note, although 63% thought that the budget does not need to return to surplus so quickly, some of these respondents also agreed with some of the measures listed.
10 April 2012, 100412, age pensions, benefits, childcare rebates, Government Benefits, Government Subsidies, health insurance rebates, Means Testing, pensions, Polling, polls, rebates, Subsidies
Q. Do you think the Government subsidies and benefits (such as health insurance rebates, childcare rebates, age pensions) should be means tested (that is, reduced or not paid to people on higher incomes) or should people receive the same subsidies and benefits from the Government regardless of their income?
|
Total
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Subsidies and benefits should be means tested |
68% |
79% |
63% |
74% |
| People should receive the same subsidies and benefits regardless of income |
24% |
16% |
30% |
18% |
| Don’t know |
8% |
5% |
7% |
8% |
68% agree that Government subsidies and benefits should be means tested and 24% think people should receive the same subsidies and benefits regardless of income.
Means testing was supported by 77% of respondents aged 45+ and 60% of those aged under 45. 76% of those earning less than $600pw supported means testing compared to 65% of those earning $1,600+.
10 April 2012, 100412, ALP, financial interests, handling the economy, Labor, Labor Party, LIB, Liberal, Liberal Party, party, party policy, policies, Policy, Polling, polls, working families
Q. Which party – Labor or Liberal – do you think is best when it comes to:
|
Labor |
Liberal |
No difference |
Don’t know |
Difference |
|
| Representing the interests of Australian working families |
37% |
25% |
29% |
9% |
+12 |
| Representing the interests of you and people like you |
29% |
35% |
26% |
10% |
-6 |
| Standing up for the middle class in Australia |
26% |
33% |
30% |
11% |
-7 |
| Representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests |
10% |
54% |
25% |
11% |
-44 |
| Being more concerned about the interests of working families in Australia than the rich and large business and financial interests |
37% |
22% |
30% |
11% |
+15 |
| Handling the economy overall |
22% |
41% |
26% |
10% |
-19 |
| 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 |
29% |
34% |
25% |
12% |
-5 |
| Handling the economy in a way that best helps small business |
22% |
40% |
25% |
13% |
-18 |
| Handling the economy in a way that best helps the middle class |
23% |
38% |
27% |
12% |
-15 |
| Handling the economy in a way that helps you and people like you the most. |
26% |
36% |
27% |
11% |
-10 |
Labor was considered best at representing the interests of Australian working families (37%) and being more concerned about the interests of working families in Australia than the rich and large business and financial interests (37%). The Liberals were considered best on all the other measures.
In particular, the Liberal Party was considered much better on representing the interests of the large corporate and financial interests (54%), handling the economy overall (41%) and handling the economy in a way that best helps small business (40%).
10 April 2012, 100412, hourly rate, pay, pay rate, Polling, polls, wages, weekday rate, weekend rate, Weekend Work, workers
Q. Do you think workers should get a higher hourly rate for working on weekends or should the weekend rate be the same as the weekday rate?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Should get higher hourly rate on weekends |
78% |
82% |
73% |
91% |
| Weekend and weekday rates should be the same |
18% |
14% |
23% |
6% |
| Don’t know |
4% |
4% |
3% |
3% |
78% think that workers should get a higher hourly rate for working on weekends and 18% think weekend and weekday rates should be the same.
86% of part-time workers support higher hourly rate for working on weekends. There were no significant differences across income groups.