balance of power, micro parties
Q. Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party now has the balance of power in the Senate.
With this in mind, do you think the election of micro parties in the Senate – such as Palmer United Party, Family First, Liberal Democrats, Motor Enthusiasts Party, Australian Sports Party – is good or bad for democracy?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Oct 2013 |
|
| Good for democracy |
36% |
44% |
26% |
42% |
59% |
36% |
||
| Bad for democracy |
28% |
18% |
48% |
18% |
12% |
26% |
||
| Makes no difference |
15% |
17% |
12% |
22% |
10% |
17% |
||
| Don’t know |
21% |
21% |
15% |
18% |
19% |
20% |
36% think that the election of micro parties to the Senate is good for democracy and 28% think it is bad. 15% think it makes no difference. These figures have changed little since this question was asked in October last year.
Labor voters are more likely to think it is good (44%) while Liberal/National voters are more likely to think it is bad (48%).
48% of Queenslanders think it is good and 48% of respondents aged 55+ think it is bad.
Q. In the previous Parliament, the Greens held the balance of power. Would you have more confidence in a Parliament where the Greens held the balance of power or where the Palmer United Party held the balance of power?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| More confidence in the Greens holding the balance |
27% |
38% |
14% |
76% |
13% |
|
| More confidence in the Palmer United Party holding the balance |
22% |
16% |
26% |
5% |
49% |
|
| No difference |
34% |
28% |
47% |
12% |
27% |
|
| Don’t know |
17% |
18% |
13% |
8% |
11% |
34% think it makes no difference whether the Greens or PUP hold the balance of power in the Senate. 27% would have more confidence in the Greens holding the balance of power and 22% have more confidence in PUP.
Liberal/National voters were more likely to think it makes no difference (47%) while 38% of Labor voters have more confidence in the Greens holding the balance.
Q. Do you think the Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate has been good or bad for Australia?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total good |
28% |
48% |
6% |
75% |
28% |
|
| Total bad |
37% |
18% |
68% |
– |
38% |
|
| Very good |
12% |
24% |
1% |
42% |
6% |
|
| Good |
16% |
24% |
5% |
33% |
22% |
|
| Neither good nor bad |
23% |
24% |
19% |
21% |
27% |
|
| Bad |
15% |
12% |
22% |
– |
20% |
|
| Very bad |
22% |
6% |
46% |
– |
18% |
|
| Don’t know |
11% |
12% |
6% |
4% |
7% |
28% think that the Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate has been good for Australia and 37% think it has been bad.
75% of Greens voters and 48% of Labor voters think it has been good for Australia while 68% of Liberal/National voters think it has been bad.
balance of power, clive palmer, PUP
Q. When the newly elected Senate takes office in July, the Palmer United Party and other micro-parties will hold the balance of power. Do you think this will be good or bad for Australia?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total good |
26% |
40% |
13% |
20% |
50% |
|
| Total bad |
39% |
25% |
62% |
41% |
21% |
|
| Very good |
6% |
12% |
2% |
4% |
11% |
|
| Good |
20% |
28% |
11% |
16% |
39% |
|
| Neither good nor bad |
17% |
15% |
14% |
19% |
20% |
|
| Bad |
20% |
16% |
27% |
24% |
14% |
|
| Very bad |
19% |
9% |
35% |
17% |
7% |
|
| Don’t know |
18% |
20% |
11% |
18% |
9% |
26% think that the Palmer United Party and other micro-parties holding the balance of power in the Senate will be good for Australia and 39% think it will be bad – similar overall results to the previous question about the Greens.
50% of other voters and 40% of Labor voters think it will be good for Australia while 62% of Liberal/National voters think it will be bad.
balance of power, palmer united party, Senate
Q. Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party now has the balance of power in the Senate.
With this in mind, do you think the election of micro parties in the Senate – such as Palmer United Party, Family First, Liberal Democrats, Motor Enthusiasts Party, Australian Sports Party – is good or bad for democracy?
|
Total
|
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Good for democracy |
36% |
41% |
28% |
35% |
|
| Bad for democracy |
26% |
23% |
38% |
19% |
|
| Makes no difference |
17% |
18% |
18% |
19% |
|
| Don’t know |
20% |
19% |
16% |
27% |
36% think that the election of micro parties to the Senate is good for democracy and 26% think it is bad. 17% think it makes no difference. Labor voters are more likely to think it is good (41%) while Liberal/National voters are more likely to think it is bad (38%).
44% of high income earners ($1,600+ pw) think it is good as do 45% of Queenslanders.
balance of power, ER, Essential Report, Greens, Independents, Parliament, power in Parliament
Q. Do you think the independents and Greens holding the balance of power in Parliament has been good or bad for Australia?
| 7 Mar 11 | 6 Jun 2011 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total good | 27% | 28% | 22% | 32% | 9% | 72% |
| Total bad | 41% | 39% | 50% | 30% | 76% | 7% |
| Very good | 7% | 9% | 5% | 8% | 1% | 30% |
| Good | 20% | 19% | 17% | 24% | 8% | 42% |
| Neither good nor bad | 33% | 33% | 28% | 38% | 15% | 21% |
| Bad | 22% | 21% | 23% | 22% | 27% | 5% |
| Very bad | 19% | 18% | 27% | 8% | 49% | 2% |
The majority of respondents seem to regard the independents and the Greens holding the balance of power in Parliament as bad for Australia (50% bad), whilst 22% regard it is good for the country.
Enthusiasm for the independents and the Greens in federal Parliament fell 6 points since last polled in June 2011, from 28% to 22% of respondents regarding it as good for the country.
At the same time, disdain for the situation has risen considerably since June 2011: from 39% to 50% this time around.
Labor voters are almost equally split on the issue of the independents and Greens holding the balance of power, with 32% regarding it to be a good thing, and 30% viewing it as bad.
Lib/Nat voters are the most likely to regard the situation as bad (76%), whereas Greens voters are by far the most likely to regard it as good (72%).
Respondents aged 18-24 (38%) and 25-34 (33%) were significantly more likely to regard the situation as good.
balance of power, Essential Report, Federal Government, federal politics, Greens, house of representatives, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, Senate
Q. Thinking about the Federal Government, which of the following scenarios would you prefer –
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Green | |
| One of the major parties having a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate | 36% | 36% | 49% | 7% |
| One of the major parties having a majority in the House of Representatives and the other having a majority in the Senate | 21% | 16% | 27% | 10% |
| One of the major parties having a majority in the House of Representatives and the Greens having the balance of power in the Senate | 16% | 22% | 4% | 63% |
| Don’t know | 28% | 26% | 21% | 19% |
Most respondents think that ‘one of the major parties having a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate’ is preferable (36%). Lib/Nat voters are the most likely to prefer this scenario (49%) and Greens voters the least likely to do so (7%). Male respondents were also more likely to prefer this scenario (40%) than female respondents (32%).
Respondents then selected ‘one of the major parties having a majority in the House of Representatives and the other having a majority in the Senate’ as their next preferred scenario (21%). Lib/Nat voters are the most likely to regard this scenario as preferable (27%).
The least favoured option amongst respondents is ‘one of the major parties having a majority in the House of Representatives and the Greens having the balance of power in the Senate’, with 16% selecting this option. Greens voters are the most likely to regard this option as the most preferable (63%).
balance of power, Greens, Network Ten, Polling, polls, Senate
Q. From July, the Greens will hold the balance of power in the Senate. Do you think this will be good or bad for Australia? (This question was commissioned by Network Ten).
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total good | 33% | 44% | 13% | 95% | 32% | 36% | 44% | 34% | 22% |
| Total bad | 45% | 29% | 73% | 1% | 52% | 39% | 29% | 45% | 65% |
| Very good | 10% | 11% | 2% | 56% | 9% | 12% | 12% | 11% | 7% |
| Good | 23% | 33% | 11% | 39% | 23% | 24% | 32% | 23% | 15% |
| Bad | 17% | 21% | 19% | 1% | 18% | 16% | 14% | 19% | 17% |
| Very bad | 28% | 8% | 54% | – | 34% | 23% | 15% | 26% | 48% |
| Make no difference | 11% | 15% | 8% | 2% | 9% | 12% | 13% | 10% | 9% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 11% | 5% | 1% | 8% | 14% | 15% | 11% | 5% |
33% think that the Greens holding the balancer of power in the Senate will be good for Australia and 45% think it will be bad – 11% think it will make no difference. Labor voters are more likely to think it will be good (44% good to 29% bad) while Liberal/National voters overwhelmingly think it will be bad (73%).
Women (36% good/39% bad) were somewhat more positive than men (32% good/52% bad) while younger respondents were much more likely to think it would be good than older respondents.