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  • May, 2012

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    Why do the first 28 days count?



    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.

  • May, 2012

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    TRENDS: Bosses’ flexibility arguments a bit of a stretch


    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

  • May, 2012

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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 = 1,884 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%.

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  • May, 2012

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    Attributes of the Labor Party

    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%).

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  • May, 2012

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    Attributes of the Liberal Party

    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%.

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  • May, 2012

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    Party Attributes Comparison – Labor vs Liberal

     

    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..

    Comments »

  • May, 2012

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    State of the Economy

    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%).

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  • May, 2012

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    Agreement with Economic Figures

    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%).

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