Abbott, climate change, Essential Report 100208 8th February 2010, Liberal
Q. Do you approve or disapprove the Liberal Party’s new policy on addressing climate change announced by Tony Abbott this week?
| % | |
| Total approve | 34% |
| Total disapprove | 29% |
| Strongly approve | 9% |
| Approve | 25% |
| Disapprove | 17% |
| Strongly disapprove | 12% |
| Don’t know | 37% |
34% of people approve of the Liberal Party’s new policy on addressing climate change, 29% disapprove and 37% don’t know.
Coalition voters were more likely to approve the Liberal Party’s policy to address climate change (68%), while Labor and Green voters were more likely to disapprove (51% Labor, 47% Green).
Males were more likely to approve of the Coalitions’ policy (44%), while females were more likely to indicate they don’t know (49%). Comments »
climate change, Essential Report 100208 8th February 2010, Greens, Labor, Liberal
Q. Which party do you think has the best policy for addressing climate change?
| % | 7 December 2009* | % | ||
| The Liberals | 25% | Tony Abbott and the Coalition | 27% | |
| Labor | 19% | Kevin Rudd and Labor | 24% | |
| The Greens | 17% | Bob Brown and Greens | 17% | |
| Don’t know | 39% | Don’t know | 32% |
Most people (39%) don’t know which party has the best policy for addressing climate change. One quarter (25%) think the Liberal Party has the best policy, 19% think Labor does and 17% think the Greens have the best policy for addressing climate change.
Results followed party lines – Coalition voters were more likely to think the Liberal Party has the best policy (58%), Labor voters were more likely to think Labor (44%), and Green voters were more likely to think the Greens have the best policy for addressing climate change (78%).
Males were more likely to think that the Liberal Party has the best policy (32%), while females were more likely to indicate that they don’t know which party has the best policy for addressing climate change (48%).
People aged 55 years and over were more likely to favour the Liberal Party’s policy when it comes to addressing climate change policy (37%), while people aged 25 – 34 were more likely to favour Labor (22%).
In December 2009, Essential Research put a similar question to the Australian public asking people to indicate whose position on the ETS and addressing climate change they most agree with. The results obtained this week are reasonably similar to those obtained previously for both the Liberal Party and the Greens. However the most notable difference is the result for Labor, with a 5% decrease since December. Comments »
Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Education, environment, Health, Housing, Housing affordability, Interest rates, issues of importance, political leadership, tax, Terrorism, Water
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
| One | Two | Three | Total | |
| Management of the economy | 36% | 17% | 10% | 63% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 14% | 17% | 17% | 48% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 8% | 13% | 12% | 33% |
| Political leadership | 10% | 7% | 6% | 23% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 5% | 8% | 10% | 23% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 4% | 5% | 9% | 18% |
| Protecting the environment | 4% | 7% | 5% | 16% |
| Addressing climate change | 6% | 5% | 5% | 16% |
| Controlling interest rates | 3% | 6% | 6% | 15% |
| Housing affordability | 3% | 4% | 7% | 14% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 3% | 4% | 5% | 12% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 3% | 4% | 3% | 10% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 2% | 4% | 3% | 9% |
63% of people surveyed rate management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 48% that rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 33% that rate Australian jobs and protection of local industries as one of their three most important issues.
10% rate a fair industrial relations system as one of their three most important issues that would decide how they vote in a Federal election and 9% rate security and the war on terrorism. Comments »
Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Education, environment, Health, Industrial Relations, Interest rates, Labor, Liberal, party best at, tax, Terrorism, Water
Q. Which party do you think is best at handling each of the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Labor margin | No difference | Don’t know | Labor margin Oct 09 | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 42% | 23% | +19% | 19% | 16% | +27% |
| Addressing climate change | 35% | 16% | +19% | 29% | 19% | +18% |
| Protecting the environment | 32% | 15% | +17% | 34% | 19% | +21% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 35% | 22% | +13% | 26% | 17% | +17% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 32% | 20% | +12% | 32% | 17% | +17% |
| Political leadership | 36% | 25% | +11% | 23% | 16% | +20% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 24% | 17% | +7% | 38% | 20% | +13% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 27% | 21% | +6% | 34% | 19% | +10% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 30% | 24% | +6% | 28% | 18% | +8% |
| Housing affordability | 23% | 19% | +4% | 38% | 20% | +9% |
| Management of the economy | 28% | 35% | -7% | 20% | 16% | – |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 18% | 25% | -7% | 38% | 19% | +2% |
| Controlling interest rates | 20% | 28% | -8% | 34% | 18% | – |
Labor has its strongest lead over the Liberal Party when it comes to a fair industrial relations system (+19%), addressing climate change (+19%) and protecting the environment (+17%). Labor trails the Liberal Party in terms of controlling interest rates (-8%), security and the war on terrorism (-7%) and management of the economy (-7%).
Since October 2009, Labor has lost the margin it had over the Liberal Party in some areas, most significantly in the areas of political leadership (-9%), a fair industrial relations system (-8%), ensuring a quality water supply (-6%).
Results followed party lines with Labor voters tending to favour the Labor Party and Liberal voters favouring the Liberal Party. Comments »
climate change, emissions trading scheme, ETS
Q. The Federal Government says placing a price on carbon is crucial to addressing climate change as there must be a strong incentive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors to achieve the cuts necessary. The Opposition says the Government’s plan to include a price on carbon as part of its proposed emissions trading scheme is nothing more than a new tax. Do you agree more with the Government or more with the Opposition?
| % | |
| Agree more with the Government | 30% |
| Agree more with the Opposition | 45% |
| Don’t know | 24% |
Just under half (48%) of those surveyed agree with the Opposition’s view that the Government’s plan to include a price on carbon as part of its proposed emissions trading scheme is nothing more than a new tax. 30% agree with the Federal Government’s view that placing a price on carbon is crucial to addressing climate change as there must be a strong incentive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors to achieve the cuts necessary. Just under one quarter (24%) don’t know whether they agree with the Government or the Opposition on the issue of placing a price on carbon.
Labor voters were more likely to agree with the Government’s view (58%) while Coalition voters were more likely to agree with the Opposition (78%). 22% of Labor voters agree with the Opposition’s view that placing a price on carbon is nothing more than a new tax.
44% of Green voters agree with the Government and 37% of these same voters agree with the Opposition.
Males were more likely to agree with the Government (34%) while females were more likely to indicate they don’t know (28%).
People aged 55 years and over were more likely to agree with the Opposition’s view on the issue (60%) while those aged 18 – 24 were more likely to agree with the Government (38%). Comments »
climate change, Copenhagen, tackling climate change
Q. World leaders are currently meeting in Copenhagen to discuss a global approach to climate change. How important do you think this meeting is?
| % | |
| Total important | 73% |
| Total not important | 21% |
| Very important | 39% |
| Quite important | 34% |
| Not very important | 12% |
| Not at all important | 9% |
| Don’t know | 6% |
73% of people think that the meeting in Copenhagen to discuss a global approach to climate change is important, 21% think it is not important and 6% don’t know.
Labor (84%) and Green (89%) voters were more likely to think the meeting is important, while Coalition voters were more likely to think the meeting is not important (37%). 59% of Coalition voters think the meeting is important.
Respondents aged 18 – 24 were more likely to think the meeting is important (75%) while those aged 55 years and over were more likely to think it is not important (23%).
climate change, Copenhagen, tackling climate change
Q. And how likely do you think it is that the world leaders meeting in Copenhagen will reach agreement on a global approach to climate change?
| % | |
| Total likely | 19% |
| Total not likely | 74% |
| Very likely | 3% |
| Quite likely | 16% |
| Not very likely | 53% |
| Not at all likely | 21% |
| Don’t know | 8% |
While most people surveyed think the meeting in Copenhagen is important, only 19% think that it is likely that the meeting in Copenhagen will reach agreement on a global approach to climate change. 74% don’t think it is likely an agreement will be reached and 8% don’t know.
Labor voters were more likely to be optimistic that an agreement will be reached (26%) while Coalition voters were more likely to think reaching agreement is not likely (86%). 16% of Green voters think it is likely and 78% think it is not likely agreement will be reached.
Results were similar across the different age and gender groups. Comments »
climate change, ETS, Greens, Labor, Liberal, tackling climate change
Q. Whose position on the ETS and tackling climate change do you most agree with?
| % | |
| Kevin Rudd and Labor | 24% |
| Tony Abbott and the Coalition | 27% |
| Bob Brown and Greens | 17% |
| Don’t know | 32% |
When it comes to the position that various parties have on the ETS and tackling climate change, 27% of people agree with the position of Tony Abbott and the Coalition, 24% agree with Kevin Rudd and Labor and 17% agree with Bob Brown and the Greens. 32% of people don’t know which position they agree with regarding an ETS and tackling climate change.
The results followed party lines – Labor voters were more likely to agree with Labor’s position (49%), Coalition voters were more likely to agree with the Coalition (67%) and Green voters were more likely to agree with the Green’s position (80%). 30% of Labor voters, 21% of Coalition voters and 9% of Green voters don’t know which position they agree with most.
Males were more likely to agree with the position of Abbott and the Coalition (31%), while females were more likely to indicate that they don’t know (36%).
People aged 55 years and over were more likely to agree with Abbott and the Coalition regarding climate change and an ETS (42%).