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  • Apr, 2013

    , ,

    Next election

    Q. Do you think the Labor Government should run its full term up to the Federal election announced for September 14 or should a new election be held now?

     

    5
    Sept 11

    5
    Dec
    11

    30
    Jan
    12

    5
    Mar 12

    30
    Apr
    12

    29
    Jan
    13

    Total
    2
    Apr
    13

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Should run to September (later in 2013*)

    40%

    47%

    48%

    46%

    48%

    51%

    47%

    82%

    24%

    67%

    Should hold election now

    48%

    41%

    41%

    44%

    42%

    35%

    43%

    11%

    69%

    19%

    Don’t know

    12%

    12%

    10%

    10%

    10%

    14%

    11%

    7%

    6%

    15%

    47% think the Labor Government should run its full term until September and 43% think an election should be held now. 11% don’t know.

    Opinions have shifted toward having an early election since this question was polled in January – up 6% to 43%.

     

    * Note: previously asked question used slightly different wording – Do you think the Labor Government should run its full term until later in 2013 when the next Federal election is due or should a new election be held now?

  • Apr, 2013

    , , , , , , ,

    Leader attributes – Tony Abbott

    Q. Which of the following describe your opinion of the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott?

    5
    Jul
    10

    4
    Oct
    10

    7
    Feb
    11

    27
    Jun
    11

    2
    Apr
    12

    17
    Sept
    12

    14
    Jan
    13

    2
    Apr
    13

    Change

    Hard-working

    76%

    78%

    72%

    75%

    68%

    67%

    70%

    70%

    Intelligent

    70%

    71%

    64%

    61%

    56%

    62%

    64%

    63%

    -1%

    Arrogant

    59%

    60%

    58%

    60%

    61%

    63%

    61%

    56%

    -5%

    Narrow-minded

    56%

    53%

    51%

    54%

    54%

    59%

    56%

    53%

    -3%

    Out of touch with ordinary people

    57%

    53%

    54%

    57%

    54%

    57%

    54%

    52%

    -2%

    Understands the problems facing Australia

    50%

    53%

    50%

    48%

    49%

    43%

    47%

    49%

    +2%

    Superficial

    45%

    49%

    49%

    51%

    48%

    49%

    +1%

    Aggressive

    59%

    55%

    49%

    -6%

    Intolerant

    53%

    49%

    48%

    -1%

    A capable leader

    47%

    52%

    48%

    45%

    41%

    37%

    43%

    47%

    +4%

    Erratic

    51%

    51%

    45%

    -6%

    Good in a crisis

    40%

    42%

    41%

    40%

    36%

    35%

    39%

    44%

    +5%

    Visionary

    32%

    31%

    27%

    27%

    26%

    29%

    28%

    37%

    +9%

    More honest than most politicians

    33%

    32%

    31%

    32%

    30%

    27%

    29%

    36%

    +7%

    Trustworthy

    33%

    35%

    34%

    32%

    32%

    30%

    33%

    36%

    +3%

    Tony Abbott’s key attributes were hard-working (70%), intelligent (63%), arrogant (56%), narrow-minded (53%) and out of touch with ordinary people (52%).

    Since January the major shifts have been for visionary (+9%), more honest than most politicians (+7%), erratic (-6%), aggressive (-6%), arrogant (-5%) and good in a crisis (+5%).

  • Apr, 2013

    , ,

    Social class identification

    Q. Do you consider yourself –

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Income under $600pw

    Income $600 – $1,000pw

    Income $1,000 – $1,600pw

    Income $1,600+

    Working class

    33%

    40%

    25%

    34%

    38%

    39%

    38%

    26%

    Middle class

    53%

    46%

    63%

    47%

    33%

    42%

    52%

    66%

    Upper class

    2%

    1%

    2%

    3%

    1%

    2%

    3%

    None of them

    10%

    10%

    7%

    14%

    21%

    15%

    6%

    4%

    Don’t know

    3%

    3%

    2%

    3%

    8%

    3%

    2%

    1%

    53% of respondents described themselves as “middle class” and 33% as “working class” – only 2% claimed to be “upper class”.

    Those on higher incomes were more likely to identify as “middle class” while those on lower incomes were less likely to identify with any of these descriptions.

  • Apr, 2013

    , , , , ,

    Parties and social class

    Q. Whose interests do you think the Labor Party mainly represent?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Working class

    Middle class

    Working class

    30%

    43%

    28%

    25%

    27%

    34%

    Middle class

    16%

    24%

    8%

    36%

    18%

    17%

    Upper class

    13%

    4%

    17%

    10%

    17%

    10%

    All of them

    8%

    19%

    3%

    12%

    5%

    10%

    None of them

    22%

    3%

    35%

    7%

    19%

    22%

    Don’t know

    11%

    7%

    10%

    9%

    13%

    7%

    30% believe that the Labor Party mainly represents working class people and 22% don’t think they represent any class. 43% of Labor voters think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class and 36% of Greens voters think they mainly represent the middle class. 35% of Liberal/National voters don’t think they represent any class.

    27% of respondents who describe themselves as working class and 34% of those who say they are middle class think the Labor Party mainly represents the working class. 35% of those who say they are working class think the Labor Party mainly represents the middle or upper classes.

  • Apr, 2013

    , ,

    Parties and social class

    Q. Whose interests do you think the Liberal Party mainly represent?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Working class

    Middle class

    Working class

    5%

    6%

    7%

    2%

    10%

    4%

    Middle class

    20%

    9%

    33%

    13%

    16%

    25%

    Upper class

    40%

    68%

    17%

    64%

    42%

    39%

    All of them

    17%

    4%

    33%

    4%

    11%

    21%

    None of them

    8%

    7%

    4%

    7%

    9%

    6%

    Don’t know

    9%

    6%

    7%

    10%

    12%

    5%

    40% believe that the Liberal Party mainly represents upper class people and 20% think they represent the middle class. 68% of Labor voters think the Labor Party mainly and 64% of Greens voters think they mainly represent the upper class. 33% of Liberal/National voters think they represent the middle class and 33% think they represent all classes.

    42% of respondents who describe themselves as working class and 39% of those who say they are middle class think the Liberal Party mainly represents the upper class.

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