carbon pollution, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, Carbon Tax Compensation, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. If the Government compensated households by cutting income tax and increasing welfare payments, would you be more likely or less likely to support the proposed carbon tax?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Men | Women | Age
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | |
| Total more likely | 38% | 58% | 26% | 49% | 37% | 40% | 43% | 38% | 34% |
| Total less likely | 16% | 10% | 23% | 14% | 20% | 12% | 16% | 16% | 15% |
| Much more likely | 14% | 26% | 7% | 20% | 15% | 14% | 16% | 15% | 12% |
| Somewhat more likely | 24% | 32% | 19% | 29% | 22% | 25% | 27% | 23% | 22% |
| Somewhat less likely | 5% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 7% | 3% | 6% | 6% | 4% |
| Much less likely | 11% | 4% | 17% | 10% | 13% | 8% | 10% | 10% | 11% |
| Makes no difference | 35% | 24% | 46% | 26% | 35% | 35% | 26% | 36% | 46% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 8% | 5% | 11% | 8% | 13% | 15% | 10% | 6% |
38% of respondents agreed they would be more likely to support the proposed carbon tax if the Government compensated households by cutting income tax and increasing welfare payments, 16% said they would be less likely to support it and 35% said it would make no difference.
Those most likely to support the tax were Labor voters (58%), Greens voters (49%) and younger respondents (43% of people aged 18-34). 46% of Coalition voters and 46% of those aged 55+ said it would make no difference to their view.
carbon pollution, Carbon Pricing, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s recent announcement 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 | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 38% | 34% | 63% | 14% | 56% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 51% | 23% | 80% | 24% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 12% | 12% | 22% | 4% | 29% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 22% | 41% | 10% | 27% |
| Oppose | 19% | 17% | 19% | 12% | 24% | 13% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 32% | 32% | 11% | 56% | 11% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 13% | 15% | 14% | 7% | 19% |
Support for the Government’s carbon pricing scheme has fallen over the last 2 weeks. 34% now support the scheme and 51% are opposed.
Opinion has polarized among voters for the major parties. Support among Labor voters has increased from 55% to 63% while opposition from Coalition voters has increased from 73% to 80%. Support has fallen among Greens voters – 2 weeks ago they split 78% support/11% oppose compared to this week’s 56% support/24% oppose.
carbon compensation, carbon pollution, Carbon Tax, Compensation, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Federal Government, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls, price increases
Q. The Federal Government says that the funds raised from the carbon tax will be used to compensate those affected by price increases. Which of the following forms of compensation do you favour?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| A direct payment to households | 39% | 44% | 37% | 50% |
| An income tax cut | 33% | 36% | 34% | 26% |
| A cut to the GST rate | 13% | 11% | 17% | 8% |
| Cuts to corporate taxes | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| Don’t know | 13% | 8% | 10% | 14% |
39% favour compensation as a direct payment to households and 33% favour income tax cuts. Greens voters (50%) and Labor voters (44%) are most likely to favour a direct payment while Coalition voters split 37% direct payment/34% tax cut.
Older people strongly favour a direct payment – among those aged 55+, 51% favour direct payment and 21% a tax cut, while for those aged 18-44, 39% favour a tax cut and 33% favour a direct payment.
Carbon Tax, early election, Election, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think the Government should call an early election over the carbon tax?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Yes | 40% | 16% | 67% | 17% |
| No | 44% | 72% | 20% | 69% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 11% | 13% | 13% |
40% think that the Government should call an early election over the carbon tax and 44% think they should not. 67% of Coalition voters favour an early election while 72% of Labor voters and 69% of Greens voters do not.
Men favour an early election 47%/41% while women oppose 46%/33%.
carbon emitions, carbon pollution, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, peter lewis, Polling, polls, polluters, The Drum
First published on The Drum: 15/03/2011
Context is everything. All of a sudden Labor’s political predicament does not seem as dire; no-one is dead or missing; nuclear reactors aren’t melting down; the only after-shocks are electoral.
The enormity of the Japan catastrophe wipes everything else from public consciousness, allowing a wounded prime minister and her team to step back from the limelight, reflect and regroup.
As this week’s Essential Report shows, there is a path to repairing the damage the government has suffered and a way of setting up a debate that could, in the long-term, see it regain the political initiative.
Like so much in politics, the secret lies in the questions you ask. Ask whether people support a price on carbon and the answer is a decisive ‘no’.
Carbon emissions, carbon pollution, Carbon Tax, electricity, electricity costs, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Polling, polls, renewable energy
Q. Thinking about the proposed carbon tax, do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| A carbon tax will substantially increase the cost of electricity | 79% | 8% | 47% | 32% | 6% | 2% | 13% |
| The cost of electricity will increase substantially even without a carbon tax | 78% | 11% | 26% | 52% | 10% | 1% | 11% |
| A carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution | 42% | 43% | 13% | 29% | 21% | 22% | 14% |
| A carbon tax will increase investment in renewable energy | 41% | 38% | 14% | 27% | 20% | 18% | 22% |
79% agree that a carbon tax will substantially increase the cost of electricity but 78% agree that the cost of electricity will increase substantially even without a carbon tax.
Respondents were evenly divided over whether a carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution (42% agreer/43% disagree) and whether a carbon tax will increase investment in renewable energy (41% agree/38% disagree).
Males (84%) were more likely than females (74%) to agree or strongly agree that ‘a carbon tax will substantially increase the costs of electricity.’
Females (53%) were more likely than males (41%) to agree or strongly agree that ‘a carbon tax is an effective way to force large polluting companies to reduce their carbon pollution.’
carbon pollution, Carbon Pricing, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Polling, polls
Q. Do you support or oppose the Government’s recent announcement 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?
| Last week | This week | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 35% | 38% | 55% | 20% | 78% |
| Total oppose | 48% | 49% | 32% | 73% | 11% |
| Strongly support | 9% | 12% | 17% | 4% | 39% |
| Support | 26% | 26% | 38% | 16% | 39% |
| Oppose | 19% | 17% | 17% | 20% | 6% |
| Strongly oppose | 29% | 32% | 15% | 53% | 5% |
| Don’t know | 18% | 13% | 13% | 8% | 11% |
Support for the Government’s proposed carbon pricing scheme has increased a little since this question was asked last week – from 35% to 38%. The change is due to some previously “undecided” respondents forming a view – opposition has increased 1% and “don’t know” decreased by 5%.
There is majority support from Labor and Greens voters while 73% of Liberal/National voters are opposed.
carbon pollution, Carbon Pricing, carbon pricing scheme, Carbon Tax, EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Polling, polls
Q. Would you support or oppose this carbon pricing scheme if the money paid by big polluting industries was used to compensate low and middle income earners and small businesses for increased prices?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total support | 54% | 78% | 34% | 80% |
| Total oppose | 30% | 11% | 51% | 7% |
| Strongly support | 17% | 29% | 6% | 39% |
| Support | 37% | 49% | 28% | 41% |
| Oppose | 14% | 8% | 22% | 3% |
| Strongly oppose | 16% | 3% | 29% | 4% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 11% | 15% | 13% |
There was a substantial shift in opinion of the Government’s carbon pricing scheme when respondents were told that the money paid by big polluting industries would be used to compensate low and middle income earners and small businesses for increased prices.
Support increased from 38% to 54% and opposition declined from 49% to 30%. The major shift occurred with Labor voters where support increased by 23% to 78%. Support from Liberal/National voters increased from 20% to 34% while opposition declined 22% to 51%.