21 May 12, 210512, Federal Election, federal politics voting intention, Independents, Labor Party, Liberal Party, The Greens
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 = 1,918 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago 23/4/12 |
2 weeks ago 7/5/12 |
Last week 14/5/12 |
This week 21/5/12 |
| Liberal |
|
45% |
47% |
47% |
46% |
| National |
|
3% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
| Total Lib/Nat |
43.6% |
49% |
50% |
50% |
49% |
| Labor |
38.0% |
31% |
29% |
30% |
33% |
| Greens |
11.8% |
11% |
11% |
11% |
10% |
| Other/Independent |
6.6% |
9% |
9% |
9% |
8% |
| 2PP |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago |
2 weeks ago |
Last week |
This week |
| Total Lib/Nat |
49.9% |
56% |
58% |
57% |
56% |
| Labor |
50.1% |
44% |
42% |
43% |
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. + or – 2%.
21 May 12, 210512, Interest rates, Labor Government
Q. As far as you know, are interest rates currently higher or lower than when the Labor Government was elected in 2007?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total higher |
20% |
17% |
24% |
14% |
| Total lower |
35% |
44% |
36% |
42% |
| A lot higher |
4% |
3% |
6% |
1% |
| A little higher |
16% |
14% |
18% |
13% |
| About the same |
18% |
17% |
22% |
12% |
| A little lower |
25% |
31% |
26% |
31% |
| A lot lower |
10% |
13% |
10% |
11% |
| Don’t know |
26% |
21% |
19% |
33% |
20% of respondents think interest rates are currently higher than when the Labor Government was elected in 2007 and 35% think they are lower. 18% think they are about the same.
Respondents most likely to think interest rates are lower were men (44%) and those aged 55+ (51%). 39% of respondents aged under 35 didn’t know.
21 May 12, 210512, Interest rates, Labor Government, Opinion of interest rates
Q. In fact, the official interest rate is a lot lower – it is now 3.75% compared to 6.75% when the Labor Government was elected in 2007. Do you think it is good or bad that interest rates have fallen?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total good |
54% |
66% |
47% |
57% |
| Total bad |
14% |
8% |
20% |
4% |
| Very good |
19% |
29% |
13% |
21% |
| Good |
35% |
37% |
34% |
36% |
| Neither good nor bad |
24% |
21% |
26% |
28% |
| Bad |
10% |
4% |
15% |
4% |
| Very bad |
4% |
4% |
5% |
– |
| Don’t know |
9% |
4% |
6% |
11% |
54% think that it is good that interest rates have fallen – 14% think it is bad.
61% of respondents aged 35-54 think the fall in rates is good compared to 37% of those aged 65+. There were not major differences across income groups.
21 May 12, 210512, Credit for interest rates, Labor Government, Labor Party policies
Q. How much credit do you give the policies of the Labor Government for this fall in interest rates?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| A lot |
7% |
19% |
2% |
9% |
| A fair amount |
19% |
38% |
9% |
23% |
| A little |
27% |
28% |
22% |
38% |
| None |
35% |
7% |
59% |
15% |
| Don’t know |
12% |
9% |
6% |
15% |
Only 26% give the policies of the Labor Government a lot or a fair amount of credit for the fall in interest rates. 35% give them no credit at all.
57% of Labor voters and 11% of Coalition voters give the Government a lot or a fair amount of credit.
Those most likely to give a lot or a fair amount of credit to Labor Government policies were men (30%), aged under 35 (31%), and incomes under $1,000pw (32%).
21 May 12, 210512, Australian jobs, benefit from casual/contract jobs, employers, workers
Q. The number of people working in casual and contract jobs is increasing. Who do you think benefits most from the increasing number of casual and contract jobs?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Workers |
7% |
6% |
8% |
3% |
| Employers |
55% |
62% |
52% |
72% |
| Both equally |
28% |
25% |
32% |
17% |
| Don’t know |
10% |
8% |
8% |
8% |
A majority of respondents (55%) think that employers benefit most from the increasing number of casual and contract jobs. Only 7% think workers benefit most and 28% think both groups benefit equally.
60% of full time workers and 49% of part-time workers think employers benefit most. Those on higher incomes are also more liklely to think employers benefit most (62% of those on incomes over $1,600pw). For those on low incomes (under $600pw), 54% think employers benefit most, 4% workers and 34% think both benefit equally.
21 May 12, 210512, Australian jobs, full-time work, More permanent jobs
Q. Do you think employers should be required to provide more permanent jobs (instead of casual and contract jobs) or is it a matter best left for the employer to decide?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Should be required to provide more permanent jobs |
48% |
59% |
39% |
59% |
| A decision best left to the employer |
41% |
30% |
52% |
33% |
| Don’t know |
11% |
12% |
6% |
8% |
48% think employers should be required to provider more permanent jobs and 41% think it is a matter best left for the employer to decide.
52% of full-time workers think employers should be required to provide more permanent jobs and 39% think it is a decision best left to the employer.
44% of part-time workers think employers should be required to provide more permanent jobs and 41% think it is a decision best left to the employer.
21 May 12, 210512, Australian Government, class warefare, Mining Boom, opposition, tax
Q. The Federal Opposition has accused the Government of “class warfare” for criticising and increasing taxes for Australia’s richest people and companies. The Government says they are just trying to ensure that all Australians benefit from the mining boom and other wealth derived from Australia’s resources and economic development. Which position do you most agree with?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| The Government |
46% |
77% |
20% |
77% |
| The Opposition |
28% |
5% |
56% |
5% |
| Don’t know |
26% |
18% |
25% |
18% |
28% agree with the Federal Opposition’s claim that the Government is carrying out “class warfare” and 46% agree with the Government’s position that they are just trying to ensure that all Australians benefit from the mining boom.
Those on higher incomes were only a little more likely to agree with the Opposition. For those earning less than $600pw, 53% agree with the Government and 23% agree with the Opposition. For those on incomes over $1,600pw, 45% agree with the Government and 31% with the Opposition.
21 May 12, 210512, Australian economy, Australian industries, Australian jobs, Mining Boom
Q. Has the mining boom been good or bad for –
|
Total good |
Total bad |
Very good |
Good |
Neither good nor bad |
Bad |
Very bad |
Don’t know |
|
| The economy generally |
75% |
7% |
30% |
45% |
12% |
5% |
2% |
6% |
| Other Australian industries |
50% |
16% |
12% |
38% |
26% |
12% |
4% |
9% |
| Jobs generally |
61% |
12% |
16% |
45% |
21% |
9% |
3% |
7% |
| You personally |
21% |
10% |
6% |
15% |
60% |
7% |
3% |
9% |
A substantial majority think that the mining boom has been good for the economy generally (75%) and jobs generally (61%). 50% think that it has been good for other Australian industries.
However, most (60%) think it has been neither good nor bad for themselves personally – 21% think it has been good and 10% bad.
Those most likely to think the mining boom had been good for them personally were aged 25-34 (31%), full-time workers (26%) and those on incomes over $1,600pw (27%).