28 May 2012, 280512, Australian economy, Australian Government, Carbon Tax, Craig Thompson, Julia Gillard, kevin rudd, Mining Boom, Peter Slipper
Q. Although Australia’s economy is doing very well, according to opinion polls the Government is very unpopular. What do you think is the main reason for this? *
|
Total |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
|
| Voters don’t trust the Prime Minister |
28% |
21% |
35% |
44% |
| The carbon tax will increase the cost of living |
17% |
17% |
19% |
8% |
| The economy is doing well for other reasons, like China and the mining boom, not because of the government |
15% |
13% |
19% |
5% |
| Voters are still angry about the treatment of Kevin Rudd. |
12% |
18% |
6% |
14% |
| Voters aren’t benefiting from the strong economy. |
12% |
10% |
14% |
8% |
| The government looks sleazy because of Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper. |
4% |
5% |
3% |
8% |
| Some other reason |
8% |
12% |
3% |
11% |
| Don’t know |
3% |
5% |
1% |
3 |
* Based on those who agree the economy is good.
Respondents who thought the economy was doing well, thought the main reasons for the Government’s unpopularity were that voters don’t trust the Prime Minister (28%), that the carbon tax will increase the cost of living (17%) and that the economy is doing well for other reasons, not because of the Government (15%).
Both Liberal/National and Greens voters said trust in the Prime Minister was the key issue, while Labor voters were somewhat more likely to nominate anger over the treatment of Kevin Rudd.
Australia’s future, Carbon Tax, Childcare Rebate, export of uranium, gambling reforms, Important Decisions, Labor Government, Mining tax, parental leave, Plain packaging, same sex marriage, superannuation
Q. Which of the following decisions made by the Federal Labor Government since they were elected do you think is most important for Australia’s future? And which is second? And which is third?
| First | Second | Third | Total | |
| The mining tax on large profits | 17% | 18% | 13% | 48% |
| Addressing climate change with the carbon tax | 19% | 11% | 13% | 43% |
| Increase compulsory superannuation to 12% | 17% | 13% | 12% | 42% |
| Provide 18 weeks paid parental leave | 7% | 6% | 7% | 20% |
| Childcare rebate increased from 30% to 50% | 4% | 7% | 6% | 17% |
| Allow Labor politicians to have a conscience vote on same-sex marriage | 4% | 6% | 5% | 15% |
| Allow the export of uranium to India | 4% | 5% | 4% | 13% |
| Gambling reforms which require poker machine players to set a limit on losses. | 3% | 5% | 5% | 13% |
| Plain packaging for cigarettes | 3% | 4% | 5% | 12% |
| None of them | 13% | 3% | 3% | 13% |
| Don’t know | 8% | 1% | 2% | 8% |
The three most important decisions made by the Government were the mining tax, the carbon tax and the increase in compulsory superannuation.
Carbon emissions, carbon pollution, Carbon Tax, environment, Greens, Labor, Liberals, Nationals, Polling, polls, Pollution
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s carbon pricing scheme which, from July 2012, will require industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?
| 7 March | 18 April | 23 May | 14 June | 18 July | 1 Aug | 19 Sep | 17 Oct | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 39% | 39% | 37% | 39% | 38% | 66% | 13% | 86% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 44% | 49% | 49% | 51% | 52% | 53% | 53% | 26% | 80% | 11% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 13% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 28% | 1% | 48% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 27% | 25% | 24% | 24% | 23% | 25% | 24% | 38% | 12% | 38% |
| Oppose | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 16% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 11% | 22% | 5% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 34% | 29% | 30% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 36% | 36% | 15% | 58% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 12% | 9% | 10% | 9% | 7% | 2% |
Views on the carbon pricing scheme have changed very little since June and there has been no significant change since the legislation was passed. 38% support the scheme (down 1% since October) and 53% oppose (no change).
The only demographic group to support the scheme were aged under 35’s – 45% support/40% oppose. Among those aged 55+, 37% support and 59% oppose.
carbon pollution, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, ER, Essential Report, Greens, industries, Labor, Liberals
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s proposal to introduce a carbon pricing scheme from 1 July 2012, which will require industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?
| 7 March | 18 April | 23 May | 14 June | 18 July | 1 Aug | 19 Sep | 17 Oct | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 39% | 39% | 37% | 39% | 66% | 15% | 80% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 44% | 49% | 49% | 51% | 52% | 53% | 24% | 81% | 16% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 13% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 25% | 2% | 45% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 27% | 25% | 24% | 24% | 23% | 25% | 41% | 13% | 35% |
| Oppose | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 16% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 14% | 19% | 10% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 34% | 29% | 30% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 36% | 10% | 62% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 12% | 9% | 10% | 4% | 3% |
Views on the carbon pricing scheme have changed very little since June. 39% support the scheme (up 2% since September) and 53% oppose (up 1%).
The only demographic group to support the scheme were aged under 35’s – 46% support/43% oppose. Among those aged 55+, 33% support and 63% oppose.
Carbon Tax, Election, Greens, Labor, legislation, Liberals, tony abbott
Q. If the carbon tax is passed into legislation and Tony Abbott wins the next election, which of the following do you think should happen:
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| The carbon tax should remain legislation to provide certainty for individuals and business | 21% | 42% | 5% | 43% |
| The carbon tax should remain legislation only if it proves to be effective in reducing carbon pollution | 33% | 36% | 29% | 41% |
| Tony Abbott should call a further special election (called a ‘double dissolution’) to get the numbers in the Senate to repeal the carbon tax. | 34% | 10% | 57% | 12% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 12% | 8% | 4% |
34% think that if the carbon tax is passed into legislation and Tony Abbott wins the next election, he should call a further election to get the numbers in the Senate to repeal the carbon tax. 21% think that carbon tax should remain legislation and 33% think it should remain only if it proves to be effective in reducing carbon pollution.
42% of Labor voters and 43% of Greens voters think it should remain legislation, while 57% of Coalition voters think Tony Abbott should call another election to get the numbers to repeal it.
38% of men and 39% of those aged 55+ think Tony Abbott should call another election, while 38% of women and 40% of those aged under 35 think it should remain only if it proves to be effective in reducing carbon pollution.
Carbon Tax, Essential Report, GST, Mining tax, negative gearing, Polling, tax, tax reform
Q. For each of the following proposals around tax reform, please indicate whether you strongly support, support, oppose or strongly oppose the suggestion.
| Total Support | Total Oppose | Strongly support | Support | Oppose | Strongly Oppose | Don’t know | ||
| Decreasing income tax for low income earners | 81% | 11% | 34% | 47% | 8% | 3% | 7% | |
| Improving tax breaks for small-medium business | 76% | 10% | 20% | 56% | 7% | 3% | 13% | |
| Increasing the mining tax | 47% | 37% | 16% | 31% | 22% | 15% | 16% | |
| Abolishing negative gearing on new property purchases | 33% | 37% | 8% | 25% | 20% | 17% | 29% | |
| Cutting the company tax rate | 32% | 41% | 6% | 26% | 29% | 12% | 28% | |
| Repealing the fringe benefits tax | 30% | 28% | 7% | 23% | 19% | 9% | 42% | |
| Increasing the carbon tax | 19% | 68% | 5% | 14% | 21% | 47% | 13% | |
| Introducing an inheritance tax | 10% | 75% | 3% | 7% | 24% | 51% | 15% | |
| Increasing the goods and services tax (GST) | 9% | 84% | 1% | 8% | 31% | 53% | 7% |
Decreasing income tax for low income earners has the strongest support from respondents, with 81% either strongly supporting or supporting the suggestion. Improving tax breaks for small-medium business also attracted a similar amount of endorsement (76% total support).
Increasing the mining tax has a significant amount of support (47% total support).
Whilst the proposed reforms of abolishing negative gearing on new property purchases and cutting the company tax rate attracted a significant amount of support, more respondents are opposed to these measures than in favour of them: with 37% opposed to abolishing negative gearing and 41% opposed to cutting the company tax rate.
Strongest opposition is registered against the proposal to increase the GST, with 84% opposed to the idea and only 9% in favour of it. Introducing an inheritance tax is similarly unpopular (75% total opposed).
Carbon Tax, Essential Report, GST, income tax, Mining tax, negative gearing, Polling, tax
Q. For each of the following proposals around tax reform, please indicate whether you strongly support, support, oppose or strongly oppose the suggestion.
| Total Support | Total Support – Labor | Total Support – Lib/Nat | Total Support – Greens | ||
| Decreasing income tax for low income earners | 81% | 85% | 81% | 81% | |
| Improving tax breaks for small-medium business | 76% | 74% | 85% | 71% | |
| Increasing the mining tax | 47% | 67% | 35% | 72% | |
| Abolishing negative gearing on new property purchases | 33% | 37% | 33% | 38% | |
| Cutting the company tax rate | 32% | 24% | 43% | 25% | |
| Repealing the fringe benefits tax | 30% | 25% | 40% | 22% | |
| Increasing the carbon tax | 19% | 29% | 8% | 60% | |
| Introducing an inheritance tax | 10% | 14% | 10% | 18% | |
| Increasing the goods and services tax (GST) | 9% | 7% | 12% | 12% |
Labor voters are far more likely to support increasing the mining tax (47% total support) and increasing the carbon tax (29% total support).
Coalition voters are more likely to support improving tax breaks for small-medium business (85% total support), cutting the company tax rate (43% total support), repealing the fringe benefits tax (40% total support) and increasing the GST (12% total support).
Greens voters are the most likely to support increasing the mining tax (72%) and by far the most likely to support increasing the carbon tax (60% total support). They are also more likely to support introducing an inheritance tax (18% total support) and increasing the GST (12% total support).
carbon pollution, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, climate change, Essential Report, Polling
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s proposal to introduce a carbon pricing scheme from 1 July 2012, which will require industries to pay a tax based on the amount of carbon pollution they emit?
| 7 March | 14 March | 28 March | 18 April | 23 May | 30 May | 14 June | 11 July | 18 July | 1 Aug | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 38% | 34% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 38% | 35% | 39% | 39% | 37% | 67% | 13% | 76% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 51% | 49% | 44% | 48% | 49% | 53% | 49% | 51% | 52% | 22% | 80% | 14% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 31% | 2% | 34% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 25% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 23% | 36% | 11% | 42% |
| Oppose | 19% | 17% | 19% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 16% | 19% | 17% | 13% | 23% | 8% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 32% | 32% | 34% | 29% | 29% | 30% | 34% | 33% | 32% | 35% | 9% | 57% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 13% | 15% | 12% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 12% | 12% | 7% | 10% |
The majority of respondents are opposed to the Government’s carbon pricing scheme, with 52% either opposed or strongly opposed to its introduction. Opposition to the scheme has moved up 1% since the last time the question was polled on 1 August 2011. Total opposition has moved up by 4% since the Government announced the scheme six months ago, from 48% total oppose to 52% total opposed.
Total support for the scheme is 37%, down 2% from 39% since the last time the question was asked on 1 August 2011. However, overall, support has risen by 2% in the six months since the Government’s announcement, from 35% to 37% total support.
Twelve per cent (12%) of respondents ‘don’t know’, up 2% from 1 August 2011, but down 6% since the announcement six months ago.
Those aged 18-24 years old are the most likely to support the scheme (46% total support). Those aged 55-64% are the most likely to oppose it (59% total oppose).