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  • Mar, 2013

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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 = 1,874 respondents

    First preference/leaning to

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    18/2/13

    2 weeks ago

    4/2/13

    Last week

    11/3/13

    This week

    18/3/13

    Liberal

    44%

    46%

    45%

    45%

    National

    3%

    3%

    3%

    2%

    Total Lib/Nat

    43.6%

    47%

    49%

    48%

    47%

    Labor

    38.0%

    35%

    32%

    34%

    35%

    Greens

    11.8%

    9%

    10%

    9%

    9%

    Other/Independent

    6.6%

    8%

    8%

    9%

    8%

     

    2PP

    Election

    21 Aug 10

    4 weeks ago

    2 weeks ago

    Last week

     

    This week

    Total Lib/Nat

    49.9%

    54%

    56%

    55%

    54%

    Labor

    50.1%

    46%

    44%

    45%

    46%

    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%.

  • Mar, 2013

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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

    3
    Sept
    12

    Total
    18
    Mar
    13

    Vote
    ALP

    Vote
    Lib

    Vote Greens

    Work full
    time

    Work part time

    Total likely

    58%

    56%

    51%

    53%

    51%

    48%

    67%

    31%

    67%

    48%

    49%

    Total unlikely

    21%

    24%

    27%

    22%

    25%

    28%

    17%

    44%

    10%

    31%

    20%

    Very likely

    28%

    26%

    22%

    26%

    23%

    25%

    45%

    7%

    42%

    27%

    22%

    Quite likely

    30%

    30%

    29%

    27%

    28%

    23%

    22%

    24%

    25%

    21%

    27%

    Not very likely

    18%

    18%

    19%

    16%

    18%

    19%

    12%

    31%

    8%

    22%

    12%

    Not at all likely

    3%

    6%

    8%

    6%

    7%

    9%

    5%

    13%

    2%

    9%

    8%

    Don’t know

    20%

    20%

    22%

    26%

    24%

    25%

    15%

    26%

    23%

    21%

    31%

    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 September. 48% (down 3%) 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 28% (up 3%) think it is unlikely.

    67% (down 7%) of Labor voters and 67% (down 1%) of Greens voters think it is likely, while Liberal/National voters are split 31% likely (down 2%) to 44% unlikely (up 1%).

  • Mar, 2013

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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

    3
    Sep
    12

    Total 18
    Mar
    13

    Vote
    ALP

    Vote
    Lib

    Vote Greens

    Work full
    time

    Work part time

    Very concerned

    28%

    29%

    26%

    30%

    27%

    27%

    48%

    6%

    48%

    30%

    29%

    Quite concerned

    17%

    19%

    15%

    16%

    15%

    16%

    24%

    10%

    25%

    17%

    23%

    A little concerned

    20%

    16%

    20%

    15%

    19%

    17%

    14%

    21%

    8%

    17%

    17%

    Not concerned

    24%

    25%

    27%

    26%

    26%

    25%

    4%

    50%

    3%

    23%

    15%

    Don’t know

    11%

    11%

    11%

    14%

    13%

    15%

    10%

    12%

    16%

    13%

    17%

    Concern about the re-introduction of WorkChoices has not changed significantly since this question was last asked in September. 43% (up 1%) would be quite or very concerned if WorkChoices or similar laws were re-introduced and 42% (down 3%) were only a little or not concerned.

    72% of Labor voters and 73% of Greens voters would be concerned. 71% of Liberal/National voters would be a little/not concerned and 16% concerned.  47% of full-time workers and 52% of part-time workers said they would be very/quite concerned.

    52% of those aged 45-54 said they would be very/quite concerned.

  • Mar, 2013

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    Support for major Government decisions

    Q. Do you support or oppose the following Government decisions?

     

    26 Nov 12

    18 Mar 13

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Total Support

    Total Oppose

    Total Support

    Total Oppose

    Strongly support

    Support

    Oppose

    Strongly oppose

    Don’t know

    NBN (National Broadband Network) – high speed broadband access across Australia

    69%

    20%

    73%

    19%

    35%

    38%

    10%

    9%

    8%

    The Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) – a tax on large profits of mining companies

    63%

    22%

    57%

    29%

    24%

    33%

    15%

    14%

    14%

    The carbon pricing scheme – a tax on industries based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit

    46%

    44%

    44%

    46%

    17%

    27%

    20%

    26%

    10%

    The decision which has the most support amongst respondents is the NBN, with 73% in favour and only 19% opposed – an increase in support since this question was last asked in November (from net +49 to net +54).

    There is majority support from respondents for the MRRT, with 57% in favour of the tax and 29% opposed. However, this represents a significant drop in support since November – from net +41 to net +28.

    Support for the carbon pricing scheme has declined a little since the last time the question was polled in November. Support has decreased from 46% to 44% and opposition increased from 44% to 46% – a change from net +2 to net -2.

  • Mar, 2013

    , ,

    Support for reducing workers on 457 visas

    Q. Would you support or oppose Government legislation to reduce the number of overseas workers being brought to Australia under short-term 457 visas?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total support

    58%

    64%

    58%

    49%

    Total oppose

    24%

    23%

    28%

    28%

    Strongly support

    29%

    38%

    26%

    17%

    Support

    29%

    26%

    32%

    32%

    Oppose

    15%

    17%

    15%

    15%

    Strongly oppose

    9%

    6%

    13%

    13%

    Don’t know

    17%

    14%

    13%

    23%

    58% said they would support Government legislation to reduce the number of overseas workers being brought to Australia under short-term 457 visas and 24% would oppose. There was majority support from both Labor (64%) and Liberal/National voters (58%).

    58% of full-time workers and 57% of part-time workers supported this legislation. Strongest support came from those aged 45-64 (67%).

  • Mar, 2013

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    Trust in institutions

    Q. How much trust do you have in the following institutions and organisations?

     

    Total
    trust
    26
    Sep
    11

    Total
    trust
    12
    Jun
    12

    Total trust
    22
    Oct
    12

    Total trust
    18
    Mar
    13

    A lot of trust

    Some trust

    A little trust

    No trust

    Don’t know

    % change

    The High Court

    72%

    60%

    63%

    74%

    34%

    40%

    13%

    6%

    8%

    +11

    The ABC

    46%

    54%

    59%

    70%

    22%

    48%

    17%

    6%

    7%

    +11

    The Reserve Bank

    67%

    49%

    53%

    64%

    21%

    43%

    21%

    8%

    7%

    +11

    Charitable organisations

    61%

    50%

    53%

    52%

    9%

    43%

    33%

    9%

    6%

    -1

    Environment groups

    45%

    32%

    36%

    41%

    6%

    35%

    33%

    20%

    7%

    +5

    The Commonwealth Public Service

      49%*

    30%

    33%

    36%

    4%

    32%

    37%

    17%

    9%

    +3

    Federal Parliament

    55%

    22%

    26%

    34%

    4%

    30%

    31%

    29%

    6%

    +8

    Your local council

    na

    na

    32%

    34%

    3%

    31%

    39%

    22%

    6%

    +2

    TV news media

    na

    21%

    26%

    30%

    4%

    26%

    46%

    20%

    4%

    +4

    State Parliament

    na

    na

    25%

    30%

    4%

    26%

    32%

    31%

    6%

    +5

    Newspapers

    na

    26%

    31%

    30%

    3%

    27%

    43%

    22%

    5%

    -1

    Religious organisations

    29%

    27%

    31%

    27%

    5%

    22%

    29%

    37%

    7%

    -4

    Online news media

    na

    23%

    28%

    27%

    3%

    24%

    48%

    20%

    6%

    -1

    Business groups

    38%

    22%

    25%

    26%

    3%

    23%

    42%

    23%

    9%

    +1

    Trade unions

    39%

    22%

    23%

    25%

    4%

    21%

    31%

    36%

    7%

    +2

    Political parties

    na

    12%

    16%

    12%

    1%

    11%

    36%

    45%

    6%

    -4

     Note: ‘Total Trust’ is an aggregate figure achieved by adding ‘A lot of trust’ and ‘Some trust’.
* This Commonwealth Public Service figure is from a question asked in 6 Feb 12.

    Since this question was last asked in October, there has been a significant increase in trust in the High Court (+11%), the ABC (+11%), the Reserve Bank (+11%) and the Federal Parliament (+8). Trust in the High Court and Reserve Bank is back to similar levels to that recorded in 2011.

    Respondents had most trust in the High Court (74%), the ABC (70%), the Reserve Bank (64%) and charitable organisations (52%). They had least trust in political parties (12%), trade unions (25%), business groups (26%), online news media (27%) and religious organisations (27%).

    Compared to the average, Labor voters had more trust in the ABC (77%), environment groups (50%), the Commonwealth Public Service (44%), local councils (42%), Federal Parliament (43%) and trade unions (41%).

    Liberal/National voters, compared to the average, had a little more trust in religious organisations (31%) and TV news media (35%).

  • Mar, 2013

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    Party values

    Q. Which statement best reflects your views about the Labor Party?

    Q. Which statement best reflects your views about the Liberal Party?

    Q. Which statement best reflects your views about the Greens?

     

    Labor Party

    Liberal Party

    Greens

    Labor voters on Labor Party

    Lib/Nat voters on Liberal Party

    Greens voters on Greens

    The party doesn’t stand for anything

    23%

    22%

    30%

    3%

    4%

    Many of their politicians don’t stand by party values

    43%

    27%

    14%

    37%

    23%

    10%

    The party has values and politicians stand by them

    19%

    36%

    33%

    44%

    63%

    85%

    Don’t know

    15%

    15%

    22%

    16%

    10%

    5%

    43% think that many Labor politicians don’t stand by party values – compared to 27% for the Liberal Party and 14% for the Greens.

    36% think the Liberal Party has values and their politicians stand by them – compared to 33% for the Greens and 19% for the Labor Party.

    63% of Liberal/National voters think the Liberal Party has values and politicians stand by them and 85% of Greens voters think the Greens have values and politicians stand by them. However, Labor voters were more divided with 44% thinking party has values and politicians stand by them and 37% thinking many of their politicians don’t stand by party values.

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