28 May 2012, 280512, child deaths, children, hygeine, Norman Gillespie, UNICEF
In developing countries each year, 4 million babies die within their first 28 days of life. The first few days of life are crucial to survival with babies 500 times more likely to die in their first day of life than once they reach one month old. During this time, simple measures like hygiene, supervision and care can mean the difference between life and death.
Read more about this at the WHO media centre.
UNICEF Australia’s CEO Norman Gillespie tells 3Q that a new campaign which focuses on these first days aims to combat the problem by expanding the implementation of simple at-home interventions proven to be instrumental in preventing neonatal deaths.
In cases where babies are premature, UNICEF has instituted the Kangaroo Mother Care program, teaching mothers how to stabilise their baby’s breathing, heartbeat and temperature by wrapping them in a cloth ‘pouch’ close to the mother’s chest.
In a landmark study undertaken in India, community health workers were trained to recognise and treat serious neonatal illnesses with the result being drastically reduced child mortality rates.
28 May 2012, 280512, 3Q Ep 13, actu, business lobby, casual workers, Jackie Woods, penalty rates
Jackie Woods says the bosses’ enthusiasm for casual workers is self interest at work.
Australia’s business lobby has donned its loose cotton pants and signed up for yoga. And like many fitness enthusiasts, they can’t stop talking about it. It’s flexibility, flexibility, flexibility.
Profits down, or just not high enough? Penalty rates getting on your nerves? Productivity sluggish? For big business, workplace ‘flexibility’ is the cure-all.
The employer-driven agenda to increase workplace flexibility has led to a rise in casual work arrangements in Australia, a sleeper issue catapulted into the headlines by the ACTU campaign on insecure work.
This has led to some extraordinary claims from business about the social benefits of casual work that follow a few predictable lines of argument.
Read more at the Drum
28 May 2012, 280512, Election, federal politics, Labor, liberal.greens, poll, 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 = 1,884 respondents
| First preference/leaning to |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago 30/4/12 |
2 weeks ago 14/5/12 |
Last week 21/5/12 |
This week 28/5/12 |
| Liberal |
46% |
47% |
46% |
47% |
|
| National |
3% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
|
| Total Lib/Nat |
43.6% |
50% |
50% |
49% |
50% |
| Labor |
38.0% |
31% |
30% |
33% |
33% |
| Greens |
11.8% |
11% |
11% |
10% |
10% |
| Other/Independent |
6.6% |
9% |
9% |
8% |
7 |
| 2PP |
Election 21 Aug 10 |
4 weeks ago |
2 weeks ago |
Last week |
This week |
| Total Lib/Nat |
49.9% |
57% |
57% |
56% |
57% |
| Labor |
50.1% |
43% |
43% |
44% |
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. These estimates have a confidence interval of approx. + or – 2%.
28 May 2012, 280512, Australia’s future, Labor Government, Labor Party Attributes, votes, working people
Q. Here is a list of things both favourable and unfavourable that have been said about various political parties. Which statements do you feel fit the Labor Party?
|
6 Jul 09 |
14 Mar 10
|
27 April 11
|
28 May 12 |
% change |
|
| Divided |
30% |
36% |
66% |
73% |
+7% |
| Will promise to do anything to win votes |
57% |
63% |
72% |
70% |
-2% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people |
44% |
48% |
61% |
58% |
-3% |
| Moderate |
65% |
63% |
51% |
50% |
-1% |
| Looks after the interests of working people |
|
|
39% |
47% |
+8% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia |
62% |
54% |
40% |
46% |
+6% |
| Have a vision for the future |
|
|
43% |
41% |
-2% |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests |
|
|
46% |
36% |
-10% |
| Extreme |
25% |
26% |
38% |
31% |
-7% |
| Clear about what they stand for |
|
|
28% |
31% |
+3% |
| Has a good team of leaders |
60% |
52% |
34% |
29% |
-5% |
| Keeps its promises |
44% |
33% |
20% |
22% |
+2% |
The Labor Party’s main attributes were – divided (73%), will promise anything to win votes (70%), out of touch with ordinary people (58%) and moderate (50%).
Main changes since last April were – too close to the big corporate and financial interests (down 10% to 36%), looks after the interests of working people (up 8% to 47%), divided (up 7% to 73%), extreme (down 7% to 31%) and understands the problems facing Australia (up 6% to 46%).
28 May 2012, 280512, attributes of liberal, Australia’s future, financial interest, Liberal Party, promises, votes
Q. And which statements do you feel fit the Liberal Party?
|
6 July 09 |
14 Mar 10
|
27 April 11 |
28 May 12 |
% change |
|
| Will promise to do anything to win votes |
67% |
72% |
65% |
63% |
-2% |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests |
|
|
60% |
58% |
-2% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people |
62% |
58% |
54% |
53% |
-1% |
| Moderate |
50% |
50% |
55% |
52% |
-3% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia |
44% |
43% |
51% |
52% |
+1% |
| Have a vision for the future |
|
|
48% |
48% |
– |
| Clear about what they stand for |
|
|
44% |
46% |
+2% |
| Looks after the interests of working people |
|
|
38% |
40% |
+2% |
| Has a good team of leaders |
29% |
31% |
40% |
39% |
-1% |
| Divided |
74% |
66% |
49% |
37% |
-12% |
| Extreme |
36% |
38% |
36% |
34% |
-2% |
| Keeps its promises |
28% |
23% |
33% |
34% |
+1% |
The Liberal Party’s main attributes were – will promise anything to win votes (63%), too close to the big corporate and financial interest (58%), out of touch with ordinary people (53%), moderate (52%) and understands the problems facing Australia (52%).
The only substantial change since April last year was a drop in the figure for “divided” – down 12% to 37%.
28 May 2012, 280512, Labor, Liberal, Party Comparison
|
Labor |
Liberal
|
% difference |
|
| Divided |
73% |
37% |
+36% |
| Looks after the interests of working people |
47% |
40% |
+7% |
| Will promise to do anything to win votes |
70% |
63% |
+7% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people |
58% |
53% |
+5% |
| Moderate |
50% |
52% |
-2% |
| Extreme |
31% |
34% |
-3% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia |
46% |
52% |
-6% |
| Have a vision for the future |
41% |
48% |
-7% |
| Has a good team of leaders |
29% |
39% |
-10% |
| Keeps its promises |
22% |
34% |
-12% |
| Clear about what they stand for |
31% |
46% |
-15% |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests |
36% |
58% |
-22% |
The Labor Party is viewed more favourably than the Liberal Party in terms of – too close to the big corporate and financial interests and looks after the interests of working people.
The Liberal Party is seen more favourably in terms of – divided, clear about what they stand for, keeps it promises and has a good team of leaders..
28 May 2012, 280512, Australian economy, Greens, income, Labor, Liberals
Q. Overall, how would you describe the current state of the Australian economy?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total good |
35% |
56% |
24% |
54% |
| Total poor |
29% |
13% |
42% |
18% |
| Very good |
6% |
13% |
2% |
17% |
| Good |
29% |
43% |
22% |
37% |
| Neither good nor poor |
33% |
30% |
33% |
28% |
| Poor |
20% |
9% |
29% |
14% |
| Very poor |
9% |
4% |
13% |
4% |
| Don’t know |
2% |
2% |
* |
1% |
35% described the economy as good or very good and 29% poor/very poor – 33% said it was neither.
Those most likely to think the economy was good/very good were aged 18-34 (41%) and people with incomes over $1,600pw (44%).
Those most likely to think the economy was poor/very poor were aged 55+ (34%) and people with incomes of $600-$1,000pw (36%).
28 May 2012, 280512, Australian economy, inflation, Interest rates, unemployement
Q. Some say that official figures show Australia’s economy is doing very well, especially compared to the rest of the world. The interest rate, the unemployment rate and the inflation rate are all less than 5%. Do you agree or disagree that this shows the state of the economy is good?
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Total agree |
52% |
75% |
39% |
70% |
| Total disagree |
37% |
17% |
54% |
23% |
| Strongly agree |
9% |
20% |
3% |
16% |
| Agree |
43% |
55% |
36% |
54% |
| Disagree |
27% |
12% |
39% |
17% |
| Strongly disagree |
10% |
5% |
15% |
6% |
| Don’t know |
10% |
7% |
7% |
8 |
When told that official figures show Australia’s economy is doing well, 52% agreed and 37% disagreed.
Those most likely to disagree were Liberal/National voters (54%), aged 45+ (45%) and people with incomes of $600-$1,000pw (43%).