Approval of Bill Shorten
Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader?
| Total | Vote ALP |
Vote Lib/Nat | Vote GRN |
Vote Other | Nov ’13 | June ’14 | Dec ’14 | Mar ’15 | Jun ’15 | Jul ’15 | Aug ’15 | Sep ’15 | |||
| Total approve | 30% | 57% | 20% | 27% | 13% | 31% | 38% | 35% | 34% | 32% | 27% | 29% | 29% | ||
| Total disapprove | 42% | 21% | 66% | 40% | 60% | 27% | 40% | 39% | 39% | 45% | 52% | 52% | 50% | ||
|
Strongly approve |
6% | 12% | 3% | 5% | 3% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 5% | ||
| Approve | 24% | 45% | 17% | 22% | 10% | 26% | 31% | 28% | 29% | 26% | 22% | 25% | 24% | ||
|
Disapprove |
25% | 18% | 33% | 34% | 29% | 17% | 22% | 23% | 21% | 27% | 28% | 31% | 27% | ||
|
Strongly disapprove |
17% | 3% | 33% | 6% | 31% | 10% | 18% | 16% | 18% | 18% | 24% | 21% | 23% | ||
|
Don’t know |
27% | 21% | 14% | 34% | 27% | 43% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 22% | 21% | 19% | 21% |
30% (up 1%) of respondents approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing as opposition leader and 42% (down 8%) disapprove – a change in his net rating from -21 to -12. Don’t know has increased from 21% to 27%.
57% (down 1%) of Labor voters approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing and 21% (no change) disapprove.
30% of men and 29% of women approve of Bill Shorten. 48% of men and 37% of women disapprove.
Better Prime Minister
Q: Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | Sep 2015 | Abbott Shorten
Sep 2015 |
||||
| Malcolm Turnbull | 48% | 28% | 80% | 34% | 36% | 53% | 32% | |||
| Bill Shorten | 19% | 41% | 5% | 27% | 12% | 17% | 35% | |||
| Don’t know | 33% | 30% | 14% | 39% | 51% | 30% | 32% |
48% (down 5% from 2 weeks ago) of respondents think Malcolm Turnbull would make the better Prime Minister and 19% (up 2%) think Bill Shorten would make the better Prime Minister.
50% of men prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 20% prefer Bill Shorten.
46% of women prefer Malcolm Turnbull and 18% prefer Bill Shorten.
Better Prime Minister
Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten?
| Total | Vote Lab | Vote Lib/ Nat |
Vote Grn | Vote Other | Oct 2013 | June 2014 | Mar 2015 | Apr 2015 | May 2015 | Jun 2015 | Jul 2015 | |||
| Tony Abbott | 36% | 9% | 83% | 3% | 24% | 41% | 36% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 38% | 37% | ||
| Bill Shorten | 32% | 68% | 4% | 58% | 15% | 22% | 40% | 37% | 35% | 32% | 33% | 30% | ||
| Don’t know | 31% | 23% | 14% | 40% | 61% | 37% | 24% | 30% | 33% | 33% | 29% | 33% |
36% (down 1% since July) of respondents think Tony Abbott would make the better Prime Minister and 32% (up 2%) think Bill Shorten would make the better Prime Minister.
37% of men prefer Tony Abbott and 33% prefer Bill Shorten – and women prefer Tony Abbott 36% to 32%.
Leader attributes – Bill Shorten
Q. Which of the following describe your opinion of the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten?
|
Oct 2013 |
May 2014 |
Dec 2014 |
Feb 2015 |
Total 2 Jun 2015 |
Change |
||
|
Intelligent |
69% |
66% |
66% |
62% |
61% |
-1 |
|
|
Hard working |
65% |
66% |
64% |
61% |
60% |
-1 |
|
|
Understands the problems facing Australia |
50% |
53% |
53% |
52% |
49% |
-3 |
|
|
Superficial |
37% |
42% |
41% |
41% |
44% |
+3 |
|
|
A capable leader |
49% |
51% |
46% |
47% |
43% |
-4 |
|
|
Out of touch with ordinary people |
42% |
39% |
40% |
45% |
42% |
-3 |
|
|
Arrogant |
35% |
36% |
35% |
39% |
39% |
– |
|
|
Good in a crisis |
40% |
40% |
38% |
37% |
38% |
-1 |
|
|
Narrow-minded |
31% |
35% |
36% |
38% |
34% |
-4 |
|
|
Trustworthy |
34% |
36% |
34% |
33% |
33% |
– |
|
|
Erratic |
30% |
32% |
30% |
31% |
33% |
+2 |
|
|
Visionary |
33% |
30% |
30% |
30% |
29% |
-1 |
|
|
More honest than most politicians |
27% |
32% |
29% |
29% |
29% |
– |
|
|
Aggressive |
31% |
32% |
29% |
28% |
28% |
– |
|
|
Intolerant |
30% |
29% |
27% |
30% |
27% |
-3 |
Bill Shorten’s key attributes were intelligent (61%), hard working (60%), understands the problems facing Australia (49%), superficial (44%) and a capable leader (43%).
Overall, there has been little change in Bill Shorten’s ratings since February.
Approval of Bill Shorten
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader?
| Total | Vote Lab | Vote Lib/ Nat |
Vote Grn | Vote Oth. | June 2014 | Sep 2014 | Dec 2014 | Jan 2015 | Feb 2015 | Mar 2015 | Apr 2015 | |||
| Total approve | 32% | 56% | 18% | 29% | 17% | 38% | 35% | 35% | 39% | 33% | 34% | 33% | ||
| Total disapprove | 41% | 21% | 63% | 43% | 47% | 40% | 36% | 39% | 33% | 38% | 39% | 42% | ||
| Strongly approve | 4% | 8% | 1% | 5% | – | 7% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 5% | 6% | ||
| Approve | 28% | 48% | 17% | 24% | 17% | 31% | 30% | 28% | 32% | 25% | 29% | 27% | ||
| Disapprove | 23% | 18% | 27% | 35% | 20% | 22% | 22% | 23% | 19% | 21% | 21% | 25% | ||
| Strongly disapprove | 18% | 3% | 36% | 8% | 27% | 18% | 14% | 16% | 14% | 17% | 18% | 17% | ||
| Don’t know | 27% | 23% | 18% | 27% | 36% | 22% | 29% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 27% | 25% |
32% (down 1% since April) of respondents approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing as opposition leader and 41% (down 1%) disapprove – for no change in his net rating of -9.
56% (down 5%) of Labor voters approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing and 21% (up 3%) disapprove.
32% of men and 33% of women approve of Bill Shorten. 49% of men and 34% of women disapprove.
Approval of Bill Shorten
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bill Shorten is doing as Opposition Leader?
| Total | Vote Lab | Vote Lib/ Nat |
Vote Greens | Vote Other | Nov 2013 | Mar 2014 | June 2014 | Dec 2014 | Jan 2015 | Feb 2015 | Mar 2015 | |||
| Total approve | 33% | 61% | 18% | 30% | 9% | 31% | 32% | 38% | 35% | 39% | 33% | 34% | ||
| Total dis- approve |
42% | 18% | 65% | 40% | 59% | 27% | 39% | 40% | 39% | 33% | 38% | 39% | ||
| Strongly approve | 6% | 14% | 3% | 4% | – | 5% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 5% | ||
| Approve | 27% | 47% | 15% | 26% | 9% | 26% | 28% | 31% | 28% | 32% | 25% | 29% | ||
| Dis- approve |
25% | 17% | 30% | 33% | 36% | 17% | 24% | 22% | 23% | 19% | 21% | 21% | ||
| Strongly dis- approve |
17% | 1% | 35% | 7% | 23% | 10% | 15% | 18% | 16% | 14% | 17% | 18% | ||
| Don’t know | 25% | 22% | 18% | 30% | 32% | 43% | 29% | 22% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 27% |
33% (down 1% since March) of respondents approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing as opposition leader and 42% (up 3%) disapprove – for a change in net rating from -5 to -9.
61% (no change) of Labor voters approve of the job Bill Shorten is doing and 18% (no change) disapprove.
35% of men and 30% of women approve of Bill Shorten. 46% of men and 39% of women disapprove.
Bill Shorten leader at next election
Q. Do you think Bill Shorten is likely or unlikely to still be the leader of the Labor Party at the next election?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Likely |
47% |
59% |
45% |
47% |
44% |
|
| Unlikely |
20% |
12% |
28% |
13% |
29% |
|
| Don’t know |
33% |
29% |
27% |
40% |
27% |
47% think that Bill Shorten is likely to still be leader of the Labor Party at the next election and 20% think it is unlikely.
All voter groups were more likely to think he would still be leader.
Better Prime Minister
Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
Oct 2013 |
Mar 2014 |
June 2014 |
Sep 2014 |
Oct 2014 |
Nov 2014 |
|
| Tony Abbott |
31% |
4% |
74% |
3% |
22% |
41% |
39% |
36% |
35% |
38% |
36% |
||
| Bill Shorten |
36% |
73% |
6% |
62% |
24% |
22% |
33% |
40% |
36% |
32% |
34% |
||
| Don’t know |
33% |
23% |
20% |
34% |
54% |
37% |
28% |
24% |
30% |
30% |
29% |
31% (down 5% since November) of respondents think Tony Abbott would make the better Prime Minister and 36% (up 2%) think Bill Shorten would make the better Prime Minister.
35% of men prefer Tony Abbott and 35% prefer Bill Shorten – and women prefer Bill Shorten 37% to 27%.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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Two Party Preferred:
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Better leadership during Covid-19 – PM vs state leader
- Attitudes towards Craig Kelly controversy and Scott Morrison’s leadership
- Views towards federal vs state government responsibility to manage Covid-19 hotel quarantine system
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