ALP, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Labor, Labor Party, Labor Party Attributes, Labor Party policies, Polling, polls
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
|
% change | |
| Will promise to do anything to win votes | 57% | 63% | 72% | +9% |
| Divided | 30% | 36% | 66% | +30% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 44% | 48% | 61% | +13% |
| Moderate | 65% | 63% | 51% | -12% |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests | 46% | n.a. | ||
| Have a vision for the future | 43% | n.a. | ||
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 62% | 54% | 40% | -14% |
| Looks after the interests of working people | 39% | n.a. | ||
| Extreme | 25% | 26% | 38% | +12% |
| Has a good team of leaders | 60% | 52% | 34% | -18% |
| Clear about what they stand for | 28% | n.a. | ||
| Keeps its promises | 44% | 33% | 20% | -13% |
The Labor Party’s main attributes were – will promise anything to win votes (63%), divided (66%) and out of touch with ordinary people (61%).
Since these questions were last asked in March 2010, all of Labor’s positive attributes have declined and the negative attributes increased. Main changes since last March were divided (up 30% to 66%), has a good team of leaders (down 18% to 34%) and understands the problems facing Australia (down 14% to 40%).
Note that the 2PP voting intention for 14 March 2010 was 56%-44% to Labor compared to the current 46%-54%.
ALP, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Labor, Labor Party, Liberal, Liberal Party, party attributes, Party Comparison, Polling, polls
| Labor | Liberal
|
% difference | |
| Divided | 66% | 49% | +17% |
| Will promise to do anything to win votes | 72% | 65% | +7% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 61% | 54% | +7% |
| Extreme | 38% | 36% | +2% |
| Looks after the interests of working people | 39% | 38% | +1% |
| Moderate | 51% | 55% | -4% |
| Have a vision for the future | 43% | 48% | -5% |
| Has a good team of leaders | 34% | 40% | -6% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 40% | 51% | -11% |
| Keeps its promises | 20% | 33% | -13% |
| Too close to the big corporate and financial interests | 46% | 60% | -14% |
| Clear about what they stand for | 28% | 44% | -16% |
When these questions were last asked in March 2010, the Labor Party had significant leads over the Liberal Party on all positive attributes.
For this survey, the only attribute on which there is any significant advantage for the Labor Party is “too close to the big corporate and financial interests” (Labor 46%/Liberals 60%).
The Liberal Party is seen more favourably in terms of being divided, clear about what they stand for, keeps it promises and understands the problems facing Australia.
ABC, ALP, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Greens Policies, Greens voters, Labor, Labor voters, peter lewis, Polling, polls, The Drum, The Greens
First published on The Drum: 12/04/2011
The Prime Minister has been dedicating a significant slice of stump time in recent weeks to explaining the differences between the ALP and the Greens, how one emerges from real-world struggles and the other is a group of out-of-touch extremists.
A similar debate has been being waged within the Greens following their underwhelming NSW state election performance, where a local candidate’s intervention in the Middle East peace provided the platform to portray the party as a collective of bat-faced ideologues.
But as the debate about the Greens’ orientation gains pertinence as they move to assume the balance of power in the Senate a more basic fact is being missed: Labor voters and Green voters agree on just about everything.
A review of findings to Essential Research questions over the past few months finds that on nearly every big debate the similarities between Greens voters and Labor voters far outweigh their differences.
ALP, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Labor Party, Liberal, Nationals, policies, Policy, Polling, polls, The Greens
Q. How much difference do you think there is between the policies of the Labor Party and the Greens?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| They are completely different | 8% | 10% | 10% | 12% |
| Different on most issues | 15% | 15% | 16% | 26% |
| Different of some and similar on some | 41% | 54% | 33% | 47% |
| Similar on most issues | 14% | 7% | 22% | 8% |
| They are exactly the same | 5% | 2% | 7% | 1% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 13% | 13% | 5% |
19% think the Labor and Greens policies are similar or exactly the same, 23% think they are mostly or completely different and 41% think they are different on some and the similar on some issues.
Labor voters are more likely to think they are different on some and similar on some (54%), Liberal/National voters more likely to think they are similar or the same (29%) and Greens voters more likely to think they are different (38%).
ALP, Approval of Julia Gillard, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, Labor, Labor leadership, Polling, polls, Prime Minister
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister?
| Kevin Rudd | Julia Gillard | ||||||||||
| 31 May
2010 |
5 Jul | 19 Jul | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb | 14 Mar | |
| Total approve | 41% | 48% | 52% | 46% | 45% | 45% | 43% | 43% | 51% | 48% | 41% |
| Total disapprove | 47% | 27% | 30% | 40% | 37% | 37% | 38% | 40% | 36% | 41% | 46% |
| Strongly approve | 7% | 14% | 11% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 7% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 7% |
| Approve | 34% | 34% | 41% | 33% | 33% | 36% | 36% | 33% | 43% | 39% | 34% |
| Disapprove | 25% | 13% | 17% | 24% | 21% | 20% | 23% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 22% |
| Strongly disapprove | 22% | 14% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 15% | 16% | 12% | 16% | 24% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 26% | 18% | 13% | 19% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 14% | 11% | 13% |
41% (down 7%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 46% (up 5%) disapprove – a change in net rating from +7 to -5 over the last 4 weeks.
87% of Labor voters approve and 7% disapprove.
By gender – men 41% approve/49% disapprove, women 42% approve/43% disapprove.
ALP, better leader, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, kevin rudd, Labor, Labor Party, PM, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think that Julia Gillard has been a better or a worse leader than Kevin Rudd?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total better | 28% | 47% | 13% | 30% |
| Total worse | 33% | 18% | 48% | 35% |
| A lot better | 7% | 15% | 2% | 3% |
| A little better | 21% | 32% | 11% | 27% |
| No difference | 33% | 32% | 37% | 30% |
| A little worse | 15% | 10% | 17% | 23% |
| A lot worse | 18% | 8% | 31% | 12% |
| Don’t know | 6% | 3% | 2% | 5% |
Overall, respondents were split over whether Julia Gillard has been a better or worse leader than Kevin Rudd – 28% thought she had been better, 33% worse and 33% no different.
Labor voters were more likely to think she had been better (47%/18%) while Liberal/National voters though she had been worse (13%/48%). Greens voters were split 30% better/35% worse and 30% no different.
By gender – men split 24% better/37% worse compared to women 31% better/29% worse.
ALP, Approval of Julia Gillard, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, kevin rudd, Labor, Labor voters, PM, Polling, polls, Prime Minister
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister?
| Kevin Rudd | Julia Gillard | |||||||||
| 31 May | 5 Jul | 19 Jul | 16 Aug | 20 Sep | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | 20 Dec | 17 Jan 2011 | 14 Feb 2011 | |
| Total approve | 41% | 48% | 52% | 46% | 45% | 45% | 43% | 43% | 51% | 48% |
| Total disapprove | 47% | 27% | 30% | 40% | 37% | 37% | 38% | 40% | 36% | 41% |
| Strongly approve | 7% | 14% | 11% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 7% | 10% | 8% | 9% |
| Approve | 34% | 34% | 41% | 33% | 33% | 36% | 36% | 33% | 43% | 39% |
| Disapprove | 25% | 13% | 17% | 24% | 21% | 20% | 23% | 24% | 24% | 25% |
| Strongly disapprove | 22% | 14% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 15% | 16% | 12% | 16% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 26% | 18% | 13% | 19% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 14% | 11% |
48% (down 3%) approve of the job Julia Gillard is doing as Prime Minister and 41% (up 5%) disapprove – a change in net rating from +15 to +7 over the last 4 weeks.
88% of Labor voters approve and 8% disapprove.
By gender – men 45% approve/45% disapprove, women 51% approve/36% disapprove.
ALP, EMC, ER, Essential Report, Julia Gillard, Labor Party, Polling, polls, Prime Minister, Prime Minister attributes
Q. Which of the following describe your opinion of the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard?
| 5 Jul 10 | 4 Oct 10 | 7 Feb 11 | Difference | |
| Intelligent | 87% | 81% | 75% | -6% |
| Hard-working | 89% | 82% | 76% | -6% |
| A capable leader | 72% | 59% | 52% | -7% |
| Arrogant | 37% | 39% | 44% | +5% |
| Out of touch with ordinary people | 35% | 44% | 50% | +6% |
| Understands the problems facing Australia | 68% | 55% | 52% | -3% |
| Visionary | 48% | 38% | 30% | -8% |
| Superficial | 51% | * | ||
| Good in a crisis | 61% | 46% | 46% | – |
| Narrow-minded | 28% | 35% | 43% | +8% |
| More honest than most politicians | 45% | 37% | 37% | – |
| Trustworthy | 49% | 42% | 40% | -2% |
Julia Gillard’s key attributes were hard-working (76%) and intelligent (75%).
Major changes since this question was asked in October 2010 were increases of 8% for narrow-minded (to 43%) and 6% for out of touch (to 50%) and decreases for visionary (down 8% to 30%), a capable leader (down 7% to 52%), intelligent (down 6% to 75%) and hard-working (down 6% to 76%).